It is no coincidence that Sinfonietta Cracovia invites us to a ballroom for a good start to the new year – dance will be the key theme of the first part of the concert inside the Saski Hotel. The sarabande, gavotte or rigaudon from Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite will transport us to the era of Bach, Handel and courtly curtsies. Flamenco notes from sunny (even in winter!) Andalusia will flow to us through Isaac Albéniz’s Asturias, while Bela Bartók's Romanian Folk Dances, somewhat closer to us geographically, will evoke Transylvanian melodies. The second part of the concert will belong to sounds from across the ocean and distinguished guests: the violin and accordion duo formed by Karolina Mikołajczyk and Iwo Jedynecki. This award-winning ensemble (including Polityka’s Passport 2023) impresses with the virtuosity and sound of its unusual line-up. Together with Sinfonietta Cracovia conducted by Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak, the invited artists will present an arrangement of Fantasy on Themes from the ‘Porgy and Bess’ Opera composed by Igor Frolov on the basis of music by George Gershwin, and The Hollywood Fantasy – a compilation of American film music standards prepared especially for the duo by Wojciech Kostrzewa.

Edvard Grieg Holberg Suite, Op. 40 (1884)
Isaac Albéniz Asturias (Leyenda) (1892)
Béla Bartók Romanian Folk Dances, BB 68, Sz. 56 (1915)
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George Gershwin / Igor Frolov Fantasy on Themes from ‘Porgy and Bess’
The Hollywood Fantasy (arrangement Wojciech Kostrzewa / orchestration Marcin Jachim)
I. 1940-1972
II. 2002-2017
III. 1997-2001
Concert duration time – 100 min.

Karolina Mikołajczyk violin
Iwo Jedynecki accordion
Sinfonietta Cracovia
Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak conductor

Photo: Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jedynecki Duo, photo by Karolina Klisiewicz