In March 2026, the debut album by flautist Jan Krzeszowiec, recorded with pianist Tymoteusz Bies, was released by the NFM and CD Accord. In the ORLEN Main Hall, the musicians recorded works by Philippe Gaubert, Darius Milhaud, Gabriel Fauré, and Pierre Sancan. Now, the time has come to hear this extraordinary repertoire live.

The debut album by Jan Krzeszowiec, the principal flautist of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, member of the LutosAir Quintet, and an experienced teacher, focuses on the phenomenon of the French flute school, which inspired the album’s title. He is joined by Tymoteusz Bies, regarded as one of the most compelling pianists on the Polish scene. Bies is equally at home in the classical repertoire and in the roles of hip-hop producer and composer of film scores. In this concert, however, the artists will demonstrate the essence of the famous Parisian playing style.

Consolidating the pre-eminent status of metal flutes featuring Theobald Böhm’s key mechanism and establishing an aesthetic of sound that remains relevant today, the French flute school flourished at the turn of the 20th century. One of its key figures was Philippe Gaubert; of the four works on the programme, his 1917 Sonata draws most boldly upon Impressionist conventions. Darius Milhaud, representing the subsequent generation, employed distinctive, at times popular-style rhythms and biting, modern dissonances in a composition written five years later. The Sonata by Gabriel Fauré, one of the fathers of French national music, was originally composed for the violin. This expansive Romantic work translates beautifully into the light, delicate timbre of the flute. The evening will conclude with the popular post-war Sonatina by Pierre Sancan, a piece that, compared to the others, comes closest to the ideal of simplicity typical of Neoclassicism.