Abel Selaocoe is an accomplished South African cellist. He trained at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and is currently signed to Warner Classics, for which he has recorded two albums: Where is Home (Hae Ke Kae) and Hymns of Bantu. The concert at the National Forum of Music will feature the Cello Concerto by American composer Jessie Montgomery, written specially for this artist, performed for the first time in Poland. This work was co-commissioned for Selaocoe by the NFM. The programme will also feature compositions by Astor Piazzolla and Leonard Bernstein, and the orchestra will be conducted by JoAnn Falletta, Artistic Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

American violinist and composer Jessie Montgomery is a Grammy Award winner, having received it in 2024 for her composition Rounds. Her work combines classical music with elements of folk, poetry, and improvisation. She writes solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works, and is currently composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The first Polish performance of the Cello Concerto will be an excellent opportunity to discover her music and enjoy the energy of her work.

A hallmark of the work of composer and bandoneon virtuoso Astor Piazzolla was the fusion of classical elements with Argentine tango. His Tangazo is subtitled Variations on a Theme of Buenos Aires. It was composed in the late 1960s. It begins with a dark, mysterious introduction played by cellos and double basses, then the music gradually intensifies until a tango played by an oboe appears.

The concert will conclude with a performance of the colourful and impressive Symphonic Dances from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, one of the artists who mentored JoAnn Falletta. The musical originated in 1957 when dancer, choreographer, producer, and film and theatre director Jerome Robbins conceived the idea of creating a work loosely based on themes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but set in contemporary New York City. The collaboration between Bernstein, playwright Arthur Laurents and lyricist Stephen Sondheim resulted in one of the most popular shows of the 20th century. The story of the conflict between two gangs – the Jets (a group composed of white locals) and the Sharks (immigrants from Puerto Rico) – combined with the theme of unrequited love proved exceptionally compelling and remains immensely popular to this day.