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The “Conductor – resident” program initiated by the Institute of Music and Dance aims to present and promote young Polish conductors and enable them to debut and acquire performance practice in contact with a professional orchestral ensemble. Agata Zajac is the conductor-resident of the Torun Symphony Orchestra in the 2020/2021 season.
Main Patron: Torun City Commune
Strategic Patron: Nova Trading S.A.
Patron of Culture – Main Sponsor: PGE Energia Ciepla S. A.
The concert is co-organized and co-financed as part of the program of the Institute of Music and Dance
“Conductor – resident”
Organizer: Torun Symphony Orchestra
The institution is financed by the Torun City Commune
Artists:
Andrii Dorofeiev (Ukraine) – piano
Torun Symphony Orchestra
Dainius Pavilionis (Lithuania) – conductor
Agata Zajac – conductor-in-residence
Programme:
W. A. Mozart – The Magic Flute KV 620 Overture (conductor – Agata Zajac)
W. A. Mozart – Piano concerto No. 21
Agata Zajac honed her skills at several courses conducted, among others, by Peter Eotvos, Marin Alsop, Gregory Vajda and Michalis Economou. She became the latter’s assistant as a laureate of the special Malta International Conducting Masterclass & Competition. At the turn of December and January 2019/20, as an assistant conductor, she went on a New Year’s China tour with the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, where she had the opportunity to conduct one of the eleven concerts held there. Other bands with whom she has had the opportunity to cooperate so far also include the Opole Philharmonic, Lower Silesian Philharmonic, Collegium F Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Poznan. During the next concerts planned by the Torun Symphony Orchestra, she will work under the supervision of Deputy Artistic Director Dainius Pavilionis.
Agata Zajac, phot. material TOS
Already today you can see Agata Zajac at the conductor’s stand during the concert “Viva Mozart”. The artist will perform with the Torun Symphony Orchestra. The program includes: overture to the opera The Magic Flute KV 620 and Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major KV 467, the soloist will be the Ukrainian pianist Andrii Dorofeiev, currently a student of Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron. He became famous, among others the fact that he was the first Ukrainian pianist to record “Passacaglia” by Leopold Godowski on the introduction to the 8th Symphony “Unfinished” by Franciszek Schubert (for the DUX label). The concert will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube TOS channel.
Source: Ruch Muzyczny, © 2020 Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne
Audio will be available coming soon
Passacaglia is a solo piano composition by the composer Leopold Godowsky. It was completed in New York, on October 21, 1927. The composition commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Franz Schubert. Typical of Godowsky’s composition style, the piece contains dense contrapuntal, polyphonic, and chromatic writing. The work is a passacaglia based on the first 8 measures of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. The Passacaglia is made of forty-four variations, a cadenza and four-part fugue.
Godowsky remarked in the work’s preface:
“This composition, written on the eve of the hundredth anniversary of Franz Schubert’s death, is my heartfelt tribute to this precious and prolific genius, who, despite his short and uneventful life, succeeded so admirably in translating our innermost emotions into music.
With the exception of Chopin, I know of no other composer whose lyricism have touched the heart of so many; whose melodies have become so thoroughly the treasured property of all civilized nations; whose tone-imageries have so sensitized and refined our poetic susceptibilities.
I will feel fully rewarded, should this contribution to the approaching commemoration prove to be worthy of the occasion.”
The Passacaglia gained notoriety after pianist Vladimir Horowitz reportedly gave up on the piece, claiming that six hands, not two, were required to play it. Abram Chasins, who heard Godowsky perform this piece in one of his gatherings, remarked, “This was sheer enchantment, both the work itself and Godowsky’s pianism. It had the cool, colorful clarity of a stained-glass window. Although I was greatly moved and impressed by what I heard, Godowsky’s effortless mastery made me unaware of the vastness of his pianistic feat that night.” (Rimm, The Composer-Pianists)
Together with DUX Recording Producers, a disc was recorded with one of the most complex works in piano literature of Europe of the 20th century. There is currently one studio recording of 1987 good quality of this work by Marc-Andre Hamelin. That is, more than 30 years ago! In Ukraine and Poland, none of the pianists did this until yesterday. That is why we are pleased to present you the Ukrainian premiere. An audio release is coming soon!
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