Organising an annual festival which always features dozens of concerts and myriad stars and which enchants its audience is no mean feat! The “Music in Old Cracow" Festival, resounding for the 42nd time, is a real case in point.

Pick your friends

The festival hosts many great stars, and they love coming back year after year. The legendary pianist Grigory Sokolov, making his eighth appearance, performs sonatas by Mozart and Beethoven at the inaugural concert at the Kraków Opera (15 August). Another regular guest, the cellist Ivan Monighetti (appearing for the 14th time), presents a selection of Bach’s suites on 21 August at the Bernardine Church. Daniel Stabrawa, the outstanding violinist and concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, has been performing solo and as a chamber musician for many years; this year he is joined by the Philharmonia Quartett Berlin at the Bernardine Church on 19 August. One of the festival’s greatest friends, Jordi Savall – whose appearances date back to the 1980s – performs on 25 August at the Church of St Catherine. He is joined by Dimitri Psonis to present a Dialogue of Souls between the Orient and the Occident, written for instruments including vièle à archet, rebec, rebab, oud, santur and saz.

Look after the young

At just 21 years old, Veriko Tchumburidze is at the threshold of an international career. On 20 August, the winner of the H. Wieniawski Violin Competition in 2016 comes to the Church of St Catherine to perform Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E minor Op. 64 and Mozart’s Concerto in A major KV 219. She is joined by the Sinfonietta Cracovia Orchestra under the baton of Arman Tigranjan.
Łukasz Długosz, one of the best young flautists working today, also started his career with prestigious music competitions. On 27 August at the Tempel Synagogue, he presents Mercadante’s virtuoso Concerto in E minor; the accompanying Amadeus orchestra, under the baton of Anna Duczmal-Mróz, also performs Mozart’s chamber Divertimento in F major KV 138 and Dvořák’s “American” String Quartet in F major Op. 96.

Go against the current

Since the festival’s earliest days, when 19th-century symphonies reigned supreme and Baroque repertoires were limited to Bach and Vivaldi, the event’s founder and artistic director Stanisław Gałoński focused on early music. Today, Renaissance and Baroque works are routinely performed in the spirit of the era, and the festival continues to enchant audiences. For example? The Collegium Zieleński ensemble, the Gloria Choir and Olena Matseliukh (organ), under the baton of Stanisław Gałoński, present compositions by Polish artists of the 16th and 17th centuries (16 August, Church of St Catherine). Basso profondo Joel Frederiksen focuses on the 17th-century English composer John Dowland, with accompaniment from luthiers Ziv Braha and Ryosuke Sakamoto (22 August, Gallery in Sukiennice). We will also hear Music of the Baltic Region performed by the Vox Nidrosiensis choir and the Trondheim Barokk orchestra (31 August, Dominican Church); the evening of 23 August at the Church of Corpus Christi features chamber compositions by Telemann, Couperin and Quantz prepared by the Hrvatski Barokni Ansambl. Plenty to choose from!

Give artists a free hand

But the festival is about more than early music, especially given that – according to Stanisław Gałoński – the artists choose their own repertoire to show us music of their very souls. We will hear Singing of Early Churches of the East and West performed by the Optina Pustyn male voice ensemble (30 August, Franciscan Church), works by Zoltán Kodalý interpreted by the Octava Ensemble choir (20 August, Benedictine Abbey) and compositions for piano trio by composers from Beethoven to Panufnik performed by The Cracow Trio (26 August, Florianka Recital Hall). The Lviv Virtuosos orchestra and their conductor Serhey Burko come to Kraków with works by Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, son of Wolfgang Amadeus (24 August, Jesuit Church). On 18 August, vocalists from the Chanticleer ensemble from the US head to the Wieliczka Salt Mine to perform 16th-century works by de Victoria and Palestrina alongside compositions by Poulenc and gospel music. On the previous day (17 August), the courtyard of Collegium Maius hosts a performance by the London Brass with music by Dowland, Bach, Liszt, Ellington and Lutosławski arranged for ten brass instruments.

Seek new ways

“I felt that any new festival needs a different formula that would set it apart from the rest. And so I wanted to create a musical journey through Kraków, so that – if possible – every concert could be held at a different historical venue,” says Stanisław Gałoński about the early days of the “Music in Old Cracow” Festival. And let’s not forget the harmony between the music and each concert setting: the Church of St Martin, part of the Evangelical parish for over two centuries, recalls the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a concert of motets by composers from Bach to Pärt (26 August). Juliusz Słowacki Theatre’s grand interiors resound with concertos for two, three and four harpsichords (28 August). Finally, the Church of Sts Peter and Paul – Kraków’s first Baroque church – hosts the Czech Ensemble Baroque under the baton of Roman Válek performing Monteverdi’s Vespers, a visionary and revolutionary work of the Baroque (29 August).

So, are you still looking for a recipe for the finest event? That’s how you make a fabulous festival! (Barbara Skowrońska)

15 August 2017
KRAKÓW OPERA MAIN STAGE 7:30pm »

Grigory Sokolov (piano)

W.A. Mozart Sonata No. 16 in C major KV 545, Fantasia in C minor KV 475, Sonata No. 14 in C minor KV 457
L. van Beethoven Sonata No. 27 in E minor Op. 90, Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111

Tickets: PLN 90/65/60/40

16 August 2017
ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH 7:30pm »

Collegium Zieleński
Gloria Choir
Olena Matseliukh (organ)
Stanisław Gałoński (conductor)

in programme: M. Leopolita, B. Pękiel, G.G. Gorczycki, M. Gomółka, M. Zieleński, M. Diletski

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

17 August 2017
FLORIANKA RECITAL HALL 5pm »

Young Talents
EMES Piano Duo

in programme: F. Schubert, C. Debussy, J. Zarębski, J. Brahms

Tickets: PLN 10

COLLEGIUM MAIUS COURTYARD 7:30pm »

London Brass

in programme: J. Dowland, J.S. Bach, A. Dvořák, H. Villa-Lobos, W. Lutosławski, D. Ellington, B. Strayhorn, V. Youmans, L. Hart

Tickets: PLN 50/40/30

18 August 2017
WIELICZKA SALT MINE 9pm »

Chanticleer

in programme: O. di Lasso, J. Mouton, T.L. de Victoria, P.C. Buck, C. de Morales, T. Thomkins, T. Morley, G.P. da Palestrina, V. Thomson, J. Harbison, F. Poulenc, gospel songs

Tickets: PLN 60/50/40

19 August 2017
FLORIANKA RECITAL HALL 5pm »

Young Talents
Alina Szewczenko (piano)
Olena Majboroda (violin)
Bohdana Seniura (cello)

in programme: F. Mendelssohn, L. van Beethoven, M. Ravel, D. Shostakovich, M. Skoryk

Tickets: PLN 10

BERNARDINE CHURCH 8pm »

Philharmonia Quartett Berlin:
Daniel Stabrawa, Christian Stadelmann (violin)
Neithard Resa (viola)
Dietmar Schwalke (cello)

J. Haydn String Quartet No. 51 in G major Op. 64 No. 4
L. van Beethoven String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major Op. 18 No. 6
R. Schumann String Quartet No. 1 in A minor Op. 41

Tickets: PLN 50/40/30

20 August 2017
BENEDICTINE ABBEY 4pm »

Tribute to Kodály
Octava Ensemble
Michał Białko (organ)
Zygmunt Magiera (musical direction)

Z. Kodály Epigrams I-IX, Missa brevis

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH 7:30pm »

Veriko Tchumburidze (violin)
Sinfonietta Cracovia
Arman Tigranjan (conductor)

L. van Beethoven Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus (overture), Symphony No. 2 in D major
F. Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64
W.A. Mozart Violin Concerto in A major KV 219

Tickets: PLN 50/40/30

21 August 2017
BERNARDINE CHURCH 8pm »

Iwan Monighetti (cello)

J.S. Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor BWV 1008, Cello Suite No. 1 in G major BWV 1007, Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor BWV 1011

Tickets: PLN 50/40/30

22 August 2017
GALLERY IN SUKIENNICE 7:30pm »

The English Orpheus
Joel Frederiksen (bass, lute)
Ziv Braha (lute)
Ryosuke Sakamoto (lute)

in programme: works of J. Dowland

Tickets: PLN 50/40/30

23 August 2017
CHURCH OF CORPUS CHRISTI 8pm »

Hrvatski Barokni Ansambl
Laura Vadjon (musical direction)

G.Ph. Telemann Quartet in G major for flute, oboe, violin and basso continuo TWV 43:G2
J.G. Janitsch Sonata da camera in C major Op. 4 No. 1
F. Couperin Concerto No. 14 in D minor
J.J. Quantz Trio Sonata in C major QV 2:Anh.3
J.Ch. Bach Quintet in D minor Op. 11 No. 6 W B75

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

24 August 2017
JESUIT CHURCH 7:30pm »

Chmaber Orchestra Lviv Virtuosos
Serhey Burko (conductor)

W. Berezovsky Sinfonia in C major
W.A. Mozart Serenade No. 6 in D major KV 239, Rondo in G major
F.X.W. Mozart Rondo in E minor for flute, Polonaise
A. Salieri Sinfonia veneziana in D major, Conerto in C major for flute and oboe

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

25 August 2017
PIARIST CHURCH 5pm »

Young Talents
Quartet Ostinato

in programme: W. Barvinsky, L. van Beethoven, F. Mendelssohn, M. Skoryk

Tickets: PLN 10

ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH 7:30pm »

Dialogue of Souls
Jordi Savall (vièle à archet, rebec, rebab)
Dimitri Psonis (oud, santur, saz, perkusja)

Tickets: PLN 80/60/40

26 August 2017
ST MARTIN’S CHURCH 5pm »

500th Anniversary of the Refomation
Octava Ensemble
Zygmunt Magiera (musical direction)

in programme: J.S. Bach, G.G. Gorczycki, B. Pękiel, T. Tallis, H.L. Hassler, J. Sheppard, E. Whitacre, Ł. Urbaniak, M. Lauridsen, A. Pärt

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

FLORIANKA RECITAL HALL 7:30pm »

The Cracow Trio:
Wiesław Kwaśny (violin)
Aleksandra Lignar (cello)
Jacek Tosik-Warszawiak (piano)

L. van Beethoven Piano Trio in C minor Op. 1 No. 3
J. Brahms Piano Trio in C minor Op. 101
A. Panufnik Piano Trio Op. 1

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

27 August 2017
FLORIANKA RECITAL HALL 5pm »

Young Talents
vocal recital

Tickets: PLN 10

TEMPEL SYNAGOGUE 7:30pm »

Łukasz Długosz (flute)
Amadeus Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra
Anna Duczmal-Mróz (conductor)

W.A. Mozart Divertimento in F major KV 138
S. Mercadante Flute Concerto in E minor Op. 57
A. Dvořák String Quartet in F major Op. 96

Admission free

28 August 2017
JULIUSZ SLOWACKI THEATRE MAIN STAGE 7:30pm »

Elżbieta Stefańska, Mariko Kato, Anna Huszczo, Joanna Solecka (harpsichords)
Festival Orchestra
Stanisław Krawczyński (conductor)

J.S. Bach Concerto in C minor for two harpsichords BWV 1060, Concerto in C major for two harpsichords BWV 1061, Concerto in C major for three harpsichords BWV 1064, Concerto in D minor for three harpsichords BWV 1063, Concerto in A minor for four harpsichords BWV 1065

Tickets: PLN 60/40/35/25

29 August 2017
CHURCH OF STS PETER AND PAUL 8pm »

Czech Ensemble Baroque
Roman Válek (conductor)

C. Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Vergine

Tickets: PLN 40/30/20

30 August 2017
FRANCISCAN CHURCH 8:15pm »

Singing of Early Churches of the East and West
Optina Pustyn
Alexander Semenov (musical direction)

Tickets: PLN 60/50/40

31 August 2017
DOMINICAN CHURCH 8:15pm »

Music from the Baltic Sea Region
Trondheim Barokk
Vox Nidrosiensis
Martin Wåhlberg (musical direction)
in programme: D. Buxtehude, P. Verdier, K. Förster, Ch. Geist, V. Albrici

Tickets: PLN 50/40/30