Wawel Royal Castle Kraków, 2 July 2017
Programme
19:30 Aperitif
20:15 Speeches
President of the Republic of Poland, Mr Andrzej Duda
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Piotr Gliński
Director-General of UNESCO, Madam Irina Bokova
President of the UNESCO Executive Board, Ambassador Michael Worbs
Mayor of the Royal Capital City of Kraków, Professor Jacek Majchrowski
Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, Professor Jacek Purchla
21:00 Concert
Leszek Możdżer solo
1. Prelude in C Minor – Fryderyk Chopin
2. Before the day begins – Krzysztof Komeda
Leszek Możdżer accompanied by Aukso Orchestra
3. Miniatures for improvising piano and strings – Leszek Możdżer
4. Concerto for piano and string orchestra op. 40 – Henryk Mikołaj Górecki
Leszek Możdżer
Leszek Możdżer – a distinguished pianist and composer has managed to trigger a mental and stylistic revolution in Polish jazz that has never been achieved by any other jazzman before. Challenging jazz phrases, sophisticated improvisations, the melodics of standards and the subtlety of composition were put together into the framework of specific jazz that – without any exuberance towards the audience, commerce or pugnaciousness – is known as tense with expression “Leszek Możdżer’s jazz”. Jazzy imagination, an interesting sense of improvisation, the subtlety of Chopin Etudes and Mazurkas and inspirations with Komeda’s music – offer a new tone in piano jazz chamber music.
Complete classical education enables Możdżer to play with great improvisational freedom; creating new musical landscapes to which he lends a timbre, eloquence and harmony all of his own. Initially associated with Miłość (“Love”) “yass” group. Later on, he appeared in various jazz configurations: the ensembles of Emil Kowalski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Tomasz Stańko, Buddy de Franco, David Friesen, Archie Shepp, Michał Urbaniak, Adam Pierończyk or Arthur Blythe. A vast discography of the pianist consists of over one hundred albums recorded as his individual projects or in collaboration with remarkable artists. He records and plays concerts with such artists as, among others, David Gilmour, Nana Vasconcelos, Marcus Miller, John Scofield, Buster Williams, Billy Harper, Joe Lovano, Tan Dun or Pat Matheny. The pianist has gained recognition by concerts, recordings and cooperation with composer Zbigniew Preisner. Their mutual projects, such as “Requiem for my Friend” or “10 Easy Pieces for Piano” turned out to be outstanding artistic events.
The album entitled “Impressions on Chopin” (recorded in 1999) is already a part of a specific canon of recordings inspired by the work of the ingenious Polish composer. Leszek Możdżer cooperates also with Jan A. P. Kaczmarek (recordings for the Oscar-winning original score for “Finding Neverland” and the “Kaczmarek by Możdżer” album) and composes music for films and theatre himself, as well. The pianist feels best in his solo projects and the original projects of Lars Danielsson and Zohar Fresco Trio (“The Time” album recorded in 2005 reached the status of the Diamond Record, while “Between Us And The Light” (2006), “Live” (2007) and “Poland” (2013) received the Double Platinum status).
Thus, Możdżer turns out to be a creator of a new stylistics in jazz music, where the sound and ambience are built up by impression and mood, as well as the unique, individual style of a performer.
The organisers of the Opening Ceremony:
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Wawel Royal Castle
National Heritage Board of Poland
Photos
More information: Opening Ceremony