Pomeranian Philharmonic

About

The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic (Polish: Państwowa Filharmonia Pomorska imienia Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego) is an orchestra in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It has been at its present site since 16 November 1953. It bears the name of Polish pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The Pomeranian Philharmonic is the musical center of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and also features an outdoor art gallery. It is registered on the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Heritage List.

The seat of the Pomeranian Philharmonic is located in downtown Bydgoszcz, in the center of the "Music District". It is surrounded by Jan Kochanowski Park, music schools, and an outdoor gallery of sculptures of composers and virtuoso musicians.

The Pomeranian Philharmonic is a cultural institution which bodies are under the authority of leading Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Performances include symphonic concerts, chamber music, and recitals by virtuosos from all over the world. On stage Philharmonic concerts are accompanied by Polish or foreign groups, to play at the occasion of jubilees, commemorations and congresses organized by universities and private companies. The repertoire includes music of all periods, from medieval to contemporary works.

The acoustics of the concert hall of the Pomeranian Philharmonic is famous for its quality: concert recordings of classical and contemporary music are often performed there.

In 2010, the Pomeranian Philharmonic has carried out in their hall 360 concerts, gathering an audience of 79200 people.

The first director of the Pomeranian Philharmonic was, from 1953 to 1991, Andrzej Szwalbe, who made the orchestra of Bydgoszcz a recognized scene in Europe. Since 1991, director is Eleonora Harendarska.

The first initiative related to set up a Pomeranian Philharmonic was the creation of a local Symphony Orchestra able to perform at a high artistic level: in 1922, one the section of Bydgoszcz's Music Society had an orchestra section under the direction of Zygmunt Urbanyi. However, despite strenuous efforts, no symphony ensemble has been created in the 1920s. In 1924, the Pomeranian Philharmonic Society was an entity consisting of bands from Bydgoszcz, Grudziądz and Toruń. In 1925, an initiative to establish an Orchestra of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Society, composed of professional musicians, failed for public foundings reasons. In this situation, the Bydgoszcz Music Society, until 1930, was the only body organizing regular performances:

- outstanding Polish and foreign artists,

- Bydgoszcz Conservatoire of Music, conducted by Wilhelm von Winterfeld,

- bands from other cities, such as the orchestra of the Grand Theatre of Poznań. In January 1936, on the initiative of voluntary musicians, the Bydgoszcz symphony orchestra has been created, soon directed by Wilhelm von Winterfeld. The inaugural concert of the Municipal Symphony Orchestra has been held on May 8, 1936 "Strzelnicy Hall" in Toruńska street. The following year, the orchestra was led by Alfons Rezler, a professor of the Municipal Conservatoire of Music, providing the basis for its organization. In 1938, the Bydgoszcz's Music Society took over the patronage of the orchestra, and the Municipality provided a considerable assistance to the team. World War II and the years of occupation have destroyed these achievements: Alfons Rezler died during the invasion of Poland, many musicians were killed or fled abroad.

In 1946, to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the foundation of Bydgoszcz, a new formation, close to the pre-war Symphony Orchestra of the Music Society of Bydgoszcz was created by Arnold Rezler, Jerzy Jasieński, Felicja Krysiewicz and chaired by Witold Miller. It gave its first concert on May 12, 1946, in the hall of the Pomorski House of Arts in Gdańska Street. From 1946 to 1949, the Music society of Bydgoszcz set up the foundations of the organisation and the material, with few interference of the city. During this period the orchestra was called Pomeranian Symphony Orchestra' of the Bydgoszcz Music Society.

Public concerts were held four times a month, with additional ones in schools of Bydgoszcz and of the Voivodeship. Already at that time, initiatives to invite eminent conductors ( Witold Rowicki and Bohdan Wodiczko and soloists started ( Stanisław Szpinalski, Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Regina Smendzianka, Kazimierz Wiłkomirski, Wanda Wiłkomirska ). Conducting Orchestra, among others,.

In 1949, Mieczyslaw Tomaszewski was nominated as new director: he organized three series of concerts related to Frédéric Chopin (for the centenary of the composer's death), and presented a series of concerts "Music for All" in 26 cities of the Voivodeship. The orchestra was nationalized in November 1950. On September 1, 1951, Andrzej Szwalbe became director of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra. He soon championed the project of the construction of a specific building for the Philharmonic, to move out of the Pomorski House of Arts in Gdańska Street. Main conductors at this time were, among others Edward Bury, Tadeusz Wilczak or Robert Satanowski. The inaugural concert of the new symphony orchestra of the State Pomeranian Philharmonic took place on January 9, 1953, in the hall of the Polish Theatre.

In September 1955, the orchestra of the National Pomeranian Philharmonic, numbering 65 musicians, was augmented by disbanded musicians from the Bydgoszcz Polish Radio Orchestra. In the same year the name of the institution was changed to Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic, earning the esteem of more and more talented graduates of music schools. In 1971, the philharmonic counted more than 100 people. Many of the orchestra musicians began working in music schools of Bydgoszcz and Toruń.

On November 15, 1958, the orchestra performed its first concert in the brand new building of the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz.

In September 1951, Andrzej Szwalbe was appointed director of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra, which was nationalized in December 1952. On January 1, 1953, the orchestra was renamed National Pomeranian Philharmonic. By February 1953, there were attempts to have a new philharmonic concert hall constructed. Thanks to the efforts of the Social Committee for the Philharmonic Building, the cornerstone laying ceremony of the edifice at 16 Libelta street took place on June 26, 1954. The concert hall's construction was completed in the autumn of 1958. The new building was spacious, conveniently located, and, most importantly, acoustically sound. On November 16, 1958 a gala concert marking the opening of the new building was held, led by Zbigniew Chwedczuk.

Thanks to Andrzej Szwalbe's work, 1961 witnessed the first musical event on a national scale, the "Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Piano Competition " ( Polish : Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego ). Each year since then, a "Bydgoszcz Music Festival" has been organized.

The exceptional acoustics of the concert hall has drawn some of the best artists from around the world to Bydgoszcz, including Witold Małcużyński (1959), Arthur Rubinstein (1960), David Oistrakh (1961), Benjamin Britten (1961), Sviatoslav Richter (1963), Arthur Moreira Lima (1965), Bernard Ringeissen (1965), Ruggiero Ricci (1969), Garrick Ohlsson (1973), Grigori Zhislin (1977), Eugen Indjic, Vadim Brodsky, Stanislav Bunin (1986), Luciano Pavarotti (1964), Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Maurizio Pollini, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Krystian Zimerman, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, George Byrd, Shlomo Mintz, Mischa Maisky, Kevin Kenner, Kurt Masur, Kazimierz Kord, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Antoni Wit. Among the conductors, we one can mention: Leopold Stokowski (1960), Aram Khachaturian (1962), Carlo Zecchi (1967), Emil Gilels (1967), Arvīds Jansons. The Symphonic Orchestra toured well-known orchestra halls worldwide, in places like New York City, Beijing, Paris, Berlin and Moscow.

The music ensemble Capella Bydgostiensis was founded at the Philharmonic in 1962. The chamber orchestra is best known for its recordings of Polish classical music. In 1966, Andrej Szwalbe organized, in cooperation with the Bydgoszcz Scientific Society and the Department of Musicology of the University of Warsaw, the first festival of ancient music "Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis". Recurring every three years, it is now a well-known event in the international musical scene. From 1963 to 1967, the Pomeranian Philharmonic hosted the Festival of Polish Music, later revamped into "Bydgoszcz Music Festival".

As a homage to his major contributions to the development of the Philharmonic and his outstanding cultural role, Andrej Szwalbe was nominated "Honorary Citizen of Bydgoszcz". One of his major contributions is the inception of the "music district", surrounding the building of the Philharmonic Music and comprising the Feliks Nowowiejski Music Academy and the sculpture gallery of composers and virtuosos. In the 1970s, an organ -shaped fountain was constructed in the front square of the Philharmonic.