In Poland, every year on December 6, children wake up full of enthusiasm and curiosity about what Santa has left for them under the cover of darkness this time. He usually hides gifts under the pillow, next to the bed, in a shoe or sock. How did composers remember this special day? Did their dreams come true when they unpacked a wooden rocking horse, an iron train, or an instrument they wanted to learn to play? Did they paint happy childhood memories with the sounds of music? Robert Schumann said: “When you look at the world through the eyes of a child, you see it more colourful.”

During the concert, Symphonic Surprises on Saint Nicholas Day, the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic will present songs to young listeners that will become musical gifts. Masterfully written, the joyful miniatures will awaken children’s imagination. The audience will hear the Perpetuum Mobile by Johann Strauss, lively and full of sonic surprises. In another composition, percussion instruments will imitate the work of an elegant clock. What happens when the mechanism breaks down and its spring suddenly pops out? With the help of illustrative music, we will see in our imagination wind-up toys that will show off to the audience. Thanks to the soloists, the orchestra and the conductor, the fairy-tale figures will come to life, marching, dancing and singing.