The 13th Krzysztof Penderecki International Festival – level 320 in Zabrze will be held under the theme Synergies. This year, the Festival is expanding its reach throughout the region; the organizer, the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze – a cultural institution of the Silesian Voivodeship – is prioritizing collaboration with cultural organizations from both the Silesian region and across Poland. The patronage granted to the festival events by the Mayors of Zabrze and Gliwice, Dominika Penderecka, and the Embassy of Finland offers a promising outlook for the Festival’s future within an ever-changing landscape.
This will be the first edition following the passing of Elżbieta Penderecka, whose memory will be honored during the inaugural concert on October 30 at 6:00 PM at the Zabrze Philharmonic. Under the baton of its new director, Szymon Bywalec, the orchestra will perform a contemplative program featuring works by Brahms, Schubert, Beethoven, Penderecki, and Karłowicz, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the orchestra’s collaboration with the Festival.
The program also features renowned stars. On November 15 at 6:00 PM, the acclaimed violinist Soyoung Yoon will perform at the concert hall of the L. Różycki State Music School in Gliwice. She will be accompanied by the Gliwice Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jurek Dybał. Titled “Virtuoso Interpretations” and featuring music by Weinberg, Panufnik, Penderecki, and Rota, this concert will mark the Festival’s first-ever visit to Gliwice.
On November 25, at 7:00 PM the festival returns to its symbolic heart: 320 meters underground in the Guido Mine. The featured guest of the “Per Arto” evening will be the legendary Finnish cellist Arto Noras, a long-time friend of Penderecki. Music by Bach, Penderecki, and Rossini will be interwoven with personal recollections from Dominika Penderecka and stories shared by Dorota Szwarcman, author of a book about the composer. It promises to be an evening full of poignant moments, as well as the kind of humor so dear to the festival’s patron.
Another highlight of this year’s Synergies is the nationwide project Penderecki 93, co-organized with the Sinfonia Iuventus orchestra, which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary season. Concerts in Warsaw, Dębica, Kraków, and Zabrze will link locations significant to the composer’s life and legacy. Under the direction of Jurek Dybał – and featuring Arto Noras alongside soprano Julia Malik – the program will showcase works by Penderecki and Sibelius. Held under the patronage of the Embassy of Finland, the project commemorates the 93rd anniversary of the Maestro’s birth, serving as a reminder that his music – and the friendships forged around it – continue to bring together artists, institutions, and audiences alike.
We extend our special thanks to all the Festival’s partners – most notably the Zabrze Philharmonic, the Gliwice Chamber Orchestra Foundation, the Gloria Cultural Center, the All’improvviso Festival, Sinfonia Iuventus, the organizers of the “Dębica Roots” (Dębickie Korzenie) International Festival – Krzysztof Penderecki in memoriam, and the Ars et Artificem Foundation, which organized a charity concert in Krakow – for their openness, dedication, and collaboration in bringing this year’s edition to life. It is precisely through the cooperation of individuals, cities, and institutions that the concept of Synergy is realized, empowering the Festival to continue its growth and to nurture the legacy of Krzysztof Penderecki.
Let us remain together and continue writing the next chapters of the Festival’s history—for Synergies also represent the meeting between artists and you, our audience.