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"Orfeo" Prize for the Silesian Quartet
2002-09-30
On 28th September Polish Association of Artists &Musicians (SPAM) handed " Orfeo Prize" for the Silesian Quartet (Kwartet Śląski). This superb chamber ensemble has given a world premiere of "Symphony of Rituals" by Witold Szalonek during the concert organized by PWM Edition and " Warsaw Autumn" Festival.
"Orfeo Prize" is announced yearly on count Wojciech Dzieduszycki initiative, who is an honorary member of the Jury. It is given for the best performance of Polish contemporary performance during the " Warsaw Autumn" Festival. Previous winners include: Krystian Zimerman, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Jacek Kaspszyk, Stefania Woytowicz, Henryk Czyż, Jan Krenz and Antoni Wit.
The Silesian Quartet was founded in 1978 by a group of students from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. It developed its skills at the master classes conducted by the members of such quartets as the LaSalle, Amadeus, Juilliard, Smetana and Berg.
The Silesian Quartet was awarded at the Contemporary Music Competition in Kraków (1979), the Poznań Music Spring (1981), and at the UNESCO International Composers´ Rostrum for the Recording of quartets by Eugeniusz Knapik (1984) and Aleksander Lasoń (1988). It Received the Katowice Province Governor Artistic Award (1988), the Stanisław Wyspiański Award for Young Artists (1990) and the Katowice Mayor Artistic Award (1992). In 1996 and 1998 the ensemble received the Polish Fryderyk Awards for CDs featuring works by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Witold Lutosławski and Karol Szymanowski.
The prize winners have collaborated with PWM for many years. Silesian Quartet is a frequent visitor of concerts organized by PWM Edition.
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