A reed trio, consisting of oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, has an evocative sound, blending the timbres of the individual instruments. On Sunday morning, the NFM will host the Reed Connection Trio, an ensemble founded by musicians of the Zielona Góra Philharmonic. The matinée programme features works by Polish and French composers with an accessible, brilliant, and sometimes reflective character.

The Reed Connection Trio was founded in 2008 and since then has involved oboist Michał Mogiła, clarinetist Jarosław Podsiadlik and bassoonist Rafał Dołęga. Oboe, clarinet, and bassoon have reeds, either double or single. The vibrations of these wooden elements, held in the mouth, stimulate the air column in the bore, or resonator, to vibrate. The warm sound of woodwinds inspired French composers in the 20th century, and later also others, including Polish artists. Many of them left for Paris before the war to study or, for political reasons, to live there forever.

The musicians will begin with Jacques Ibert’s neoclassical, light-hearted Five Pieces for Reed Trio. Then, with another, intricate, thought-provoking Trio, they will recall the work of Antoni Szałowski, a composer from the same generation as Witold Lutosławski. A student of Nadia Boulanger, he decided to emigrate to France after the war. From Jacques Leclair’s portfolio, you will hear the composition A Little Confectioner’s Shop, featuring appetising sonic apple pie and croissants evoked by music! Alexander Tansman’s intriguing Suite, just as all the above mentioned titles, was recorded on an album released by Reed Connection Trio in 2020.

The programme will conclude with two pieces dedicated to the featured ensmeble. These will be the cheerful Cantabile e Scherzando by Czesław Grabowski, long-time director of the Zielona Góra Philharmonic, and niet. by the young composer Stanisław Leśniewski. The latter composition differs in style from the others, among others due to several fascinating dissonances.