July 7, 2023, 19:15
Assumption BVM Cathedral Basilica in Białystok, 2 Kościelna Street
tickets: 15 PLN, available at the BCC and Ludwik Zamenhof Center box offices, on bilety.bok.bialystok.pl and and the venue half an hour before the start (cash only)

 

Marek Stefański

Organ virtuoso, pedagogue and animator of musical life. He is one of the most artistically active Polish organists, also on the international arena. He graduated from the Cracow Academy of Music in the organ class of prof. Joachim Grubich (1994). In the years 1996-2007 he was the organist of the St. Mary’s Basilica in Cracow. Since 1999, he has been working at the Organ Department of the Academy of Music in Cracow, in 2022 he received the title of professor of musical arts. He has performed in Europe, both Americas, Russia and Israel. He promotes Polish organ music, especially of the 20th century, which he performs in parallel with the art of organ improvisation. He took part in world premieres of works by contemporary Polish composers. He has recorded for the Polish Radio and Television and foreign radio stations, he has also made CD recordings. He collaborates with many choirs, singers and instrumentalists.

In 2016, as the sole European, he represented the Old Continent at the “5 Continents – 5 Organists” Festival in Seoul, South Korea. In 2019, the book “Organs at the End of the World – Marek Stefański in conversation with Mateusz Borkowski” was published and it was awarded the title of the Cracow Book of the Month. Marek Stefański is also the author of the biographical novel “Heritage” about prof. Bronisław Rutkowski, the founder of the Polish organ school.

 

Piotr Kusiewicz

Universal musician. He studied piano (prof. Zbigniew Śliwiński) and solo singing (prof. Jerzy Szymański) at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk. He has performed on opera stages in Poland, in all philharmonics in Poland, and abroad (including Royal Festival Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris). His repertoire includes 140 oratorios and 20 opera pieces. He is the first Polish performer of Witold Lutosławski’s ”Paroles tissées”, which he recorded with the National Symphonic Orchestra of the Polish Raidio under the direction of Antoni Wit for the NAXOS record company (award in the Best Buy category of the “Grammophone” monthly). For the same company, he recorded Krzysztof Penderecki’s ”Matins” with the Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and Antoni Wit (nominated for Grammy Awards 2010). DUX released Gustav Mahler’s ”Songs of the Earth” recorded together with Jadwiga Rappé, Warsaw Symphonic Orchestra of the Polish Radio conducted by Michael Zilm (Prix de l’Academie du Disque Lyrique). One of the most important events in his artistic life was the performance of Szymanowski’s ”King Roger” under the direction of Charles Dutoit in Paris, Montreal, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Tokyo (1996-2002).

Piotr Kusiewicz is a professor of singing at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk. He often performs during organ festivals with outstanding Polish organist Marek Stefański. Since the 2021/22 artistic season, he has been a casting advisor at the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk.

In 2008, he received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross awarded by Pope Benedict XVI, in 2016 he was awarded the Gloria Artis medal.