March 2022 saw the second death anniversary of one of the greatest Polish composers, Krzysztof Penderecki. Known as a classic of the avant-garde, the artist made history mainly as an outstanding composer, but also as a conductor and teacher. The concert, during which the musicians will perform works by Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Duruflé, will be a tribute to the author of St Luke Passion.

The Symphony in C major by Igor Stravinsky was written in the years 1938–1940, during a distressing period in the composer’s life. He then lost his closest family – his beloved wife Katya and daughter Ludmila, and the spook of the imminent war forced him to leave Europe. He left for the United States, where he spent the rest of his life. The composition was written in Europe and in America, until its premiere by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stravinsky on 7 November 1940. 

The concert will be crowned with the sounds of the monumental Requiem op. 9 by French composer and organist Maurice Duruflé. To this day, this work is considered a masterpiece of the genre and is often compared to the famous Requiem in D minor op. 48 by Gabriel Fauré. After arriving in Paris, Duruflé faced the tradition of French music, which resulted in this outstanding work that already belongs to the canon of the genre. The richly instrumented composition is intended for various line-ups and is the most popular in the small output that the composer left us.