2015-10-12

"Five Miniatures" for orchestra by Elżbieta Sikora and "Three Polish Dances (Mazur, Kujawiak, Oberek)" for brass quintet and organ by Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska have been selected for the ISCM World Music Days Festival in South Korea. The prestigeous festival will be held between 29 March and 3 April 2016.

The prestigeous festival will be held between 29 March and 3 April 2016. Apart from the music by Elżbieta Sikora and Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska, "Sakubel Osil" for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin and cello by Tomasz Skweres will also be presented at the festival.

"Five Miniatures" for orchestra is a piece that Elżbieta Sikora composed in 2013 upon commission of the Polish Radio Programme 2. Ewa Cichoń wrote that it is "a composition that is fresh in its sound, internally contrastive and using various techniques. Although referring to tradition, for instance by introducing the famous b-a-c-h motive, and to Sikora's previous works, it does not seem to have stopped in the past. Elżbieta Sikora must be one of those artists who remain open to new possibilities, irrespective of the intricacies of her career.

While composing "Three Polish Dances" for brass quintet, Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska drew inspiration from Polish folklore: "This area of art abounds with variety of colours, sounds, shapes and contrasts. Many elements representing folk art, which may seem simple or usual at first, can reach the mystical level. Composers make an attempt to rediscover and restore the memory about folk art, they try to grasp its meaning and depth by making artistic references. Three Polish Dances is a three-movement piece of different expression and character: I. Mazur, II. Kujawiak, III. Oberek."