XVII INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN & FRIENDS FESTIVAL October 27 - November 22, 2015 Honorary Patrons: The Consulate General Of the Republic of Poland in New York Consul General Urszula Gacek THE XVII INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN & FRIENDS FESTIVAL | 1 Chopin_festival15work.indd 1 10/17/2015 7:50:05 AM XVII International Chopin & Friends Festival October 27 - November 22, 2015 The International Chopin & Friends Festival in New York showcases innova- tive artists who emulate Chopin in uniting the traditional and the modern, the young and the mature, the national and the universal, and all the art forms. New York Dance & Arts Innovations, Inc. (NYDAI) is the founding sponsor of this popular fall celebration. Vice-Consul Mateusz Stąsiek, Jolanta Ziemska -piano, Maciej Ziemski 4 Gala Concert -guitar, Nina Kuzma-Sapiejewska -Resident Artist of NYDAI, President of NYDAI Marian Żak, Malgorzata Żak, Maria Miller, Henryk Jakubowski. New Vision THE XVII INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN & FRIENDS FESTIVAL 8 It is hard to believe that seventeen years have passed since the incep- An Evening of Theatre, Dance, and Music tion of the International Chopin & Friends Festival. Yet, just like the very year the festival commenced, each year since New York Dance & Arts Innovations (NYDAI) continues to strive to promote Polish culture to an international audience as well as to expose the Polish-American public to international artists, with that creating a true platform for international 16 Dance, Jazz & Art cultural exchange. In addition, it has been and continues to be NYDAI’s aim to showcase not only the renowned, seasoned and experienced artists, but also those who are just emerging as well as those who are merely talented students, with that encompassing not only many artistic disciplines, but also various levels of expertise. 32 Bon Soir, Monsieur Chopin As I continue on this journey of leading NYDAI in fulfilling its mission, I am obliged to start to plan for the future; a future, which cannot be success- ful without the involvement of the younger generation of artists and art promoters. With that said, NYDAI is opening its doors to new building new partnerships with young vibrant individuals interested in furthering our mission and perhaps one day in taking over NYDAI. I have come to the BOARD OF DIRECTORS: realization that such partnerships are necessary and inevitable to NYDAI’s Marian Żak, President and Artistic Director continued success and I urge those interested come forward. Suzanne K. Walther, Ph.D., Vice-President I hope that you will find the XVII International Chopin and Friends Festival Arri Sendzimir, Vice-President interesting, entertaining and enriching and I thank you all for supporting Przemysław Moskal, Ph.D., Vice-President NYDAI and the arts. I am especially grateful to the Consulate General of the Eric Walther, Ph.D., Treasurer Republic of Poland and the Consul General Urszula Gacek, for once again Anna Żak, Secretary taking patronage over the festival and hosting two of the festival’s events Agnieszka Żak-Moskal, Ed.D., Executive Director in its beautiful saloons. I am also deeply appreciative of the generous sup- Paulina Kusiak, Development Director port we have received from all our sponsors who continue to be the fuel that keeps our engine going and allow us to bring this festival to flourish- Waldemar Piasecki, Media & Communications Director ing year after year. Brian Manning, Graphic Design M.C Zacharow, Cover Artwork Sincerely yours, HONORARY PATRON: Marian Żak The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York President of NYDAI Consul General Urszula Gacek THE XVII INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN & FRIENDS FESTIVAL | 3 Chopin_festival15work.indd 2-3 10/17/2015 7:50:07 AM Born in Warsaw, Poland, she received her formal education at the Music Lyceum in Bydgoszcz and graduated from the Academy of Music in Gdansk Gala Concert with Master’s Degree in Music. Her teacher was Prof. Lucjan Galon, an ec- centric pianist, a pupil of Frederic Lamond, a Scottish virtuoso, who was a protégé of Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. Nina Sapiejewska continued her studies at the Juilliard School of Music in New York with Prof. Jacob When: Where: Lateiner and Prof. Claus Adam of the Juilliard String Quartet as well as at Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 8 PM Consulate General of the Tanglewood, Aspen and Temple University Music Festivals with Prof. Claude Frank, Prof. Jeannine Dowis, Prof. Sasha Gorodnitzky and Prof. Sydney Fos- Please arrive at 7 PM for better seats Republic of Poland ter. Additionally, she worked with Prof. Leon Fleisher in Baltimore, Prof. Eu- *Free Admission 233 Madison Avenue gene List in New York and Prof. Maria Curcio in London. She has been invited (Jan Karski corner) to perform as a recitalist and guest soloist with many symphony orchestras New York, NY 10016 in America and in Europe. Her tours have taken her to Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Norway, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, and Greek and Nina Kuzma - Sapiejewska - Pianist Turkish Cyprus. Program Numerous classical, romantic and modern music presentations added some interesting features to this artist’s career as a recitalist: sixteen “All Chopin Recitals” at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, recitals at Town Hall Frederic Chopin in New York, The Kennedy Center, The National Gallery of Art in Washington Nocturne in F Major Op. 11 N. 1 D.C., The Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, The Accademia Filharmonica Ro- Nocturne in C Minor Op. 48 N. 1 mana in Rome, The Royal Castle in Warsaw and many historic palaces, mu- seums, universities and even the ships like the S/S France and the Queen Claude Debussy Elizabeth II. She has recorded for most Radio and TV stations in Europe and “L’Isle Joyeuse” WNYC in New York , and participated in many prestigious music festivals, creating among others the first Chopin & Friends Festival in New York in Richard Wagner – Franz Liszt 1999. Wherever she performed, the reviews have been unanimous in their “Liebestod” from the Opera “Tristan and Isolde” praise of her interpretive depth and technical brilliance particularly in the music of Chopin. She is an Artist in Residence of the New York Dance & Arts Maurice Ravel Innovations. Her repertory spans from Bach to Cowell but she passionately “Ondine” – Poem for piano from “Gaspard de la Nuit” loves Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy and Ravel. “Alborada del gracioso” from the Suite “Miroirs” In 2008 Nina Sapiejewska and Jan Roszkowski – cellist formed a Chopin Duo. Koch Classics issued Nina Sapiejewska’s CD of Frederic Chopin. The CD Frederic Chopin of Robert Schumann will soon be released. On January 1993 Nina Sapiejew- Polonaise in A Flat Major Op. 53 ska received an award from the President of Council of the City of New York in recognition of her outstanding cultural achievements. Pause In March 2009 The New York Times published a long article about the pia- nist and a slide and sound show: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/ Edyta Kulczak – Mezzosoprano realestate/01Habi.html?_r=0 Craig Ketter – Pianist Mezzo Soprano Edyta Kulczak commands a distinguished V. BELLINI I CAPULETI ED I MONTECCHI Se Romeo t’uccise un position among the world’s foremost classical singers and figlio has been hailed as a "Diamond of passion in the setting of el- egance" (Montecito Journal Santa Barbara, 2000). Ms. Kulczak C. SAINT SEANS SAMSON ET DALILA Mon Coeur s’oure a ta is a resident performer of the Metropolitan Opera since the voix Grand Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Au- ditions (1999). It was at the Met that she made her debut as G.BIZET CARMEN Seguidilla Flora in La Traviata (2003). Her previous engagements with the famed company include: Aida, Ägyptische Helena, Carmen, La Forza G. VERDI DON CARLO Nel giardin del bello del Destino, Die Frau ohne Schatten, The Gambler, Lucia di Lammermoor, Lulu, Madama Butterfly, The Makropulos Case, Moses und Aron, Le Nozze F. LEHAR GIUDITTA Meine Lippen, sie di Figaro, Parsifal, Rigoletto, Rusalka, Suor Angelica, Le Rossignol, Simon kussen so heiss Boccanegra, Il Trovatore, Les Troyens, I Vespri Siciliani and Die Walkürie, among others. A. LARA Granada She has performed under illustrious conductors such as James Levine, Fa- F. CILEA ADRIANA LECOUVREUR Acerba Volutta bio Luisi, Marco Armiliato, Lorin Maazel, Paolo Arrivabeni, Bernard de Billy, Placido Domingo, Valery Gergiev, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Colin Davis, Fried- rich Heider, Erik Nielsen, Kostis Protopapas, Vladimir Jurowski, Philippe Fine Auguin, Donald Runnicles, Eraldo Salmieri and Marcello Viotti, to list a few. On other operatic stages she performed under Eraldo Salmieri, Kostis Pro- Nina Kuzma-Sapiejewska is among the finest examples topapas, Erik Nielsen and Robert Lyall, among others. of today’s brilliantly talented and versatile musicians, recognized internationally as a true master of the Ms. Kulczak has performed leading operatic roles with opera companies in- keyboard. The New York Times calls her “an expert on cluding Dalilah in Samson et Dalilah with the New Orleans Opera, Louisiana Chopin,” “absolutely first rate” writes The Washington Star. and Wrocław Opera, Poland; Carmen with Silesian Opera, Wrocław Opera, The Washington Post describes her recital as “electrifying Poland and with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra in Louisiana; Olga in performance” and the Toronto’s Eugene Onegin with the Cincinnati Opera; Adalgisa in Norma with the Tulsa Globe and Mail features an article entitled