warsaw philharmonic - national orchestra of poland
numbers 112 musicians. Its season comprises over 80 symphony concerts, as well as concerts for school children and youth.
Last year the Warsaw Philharmonic celebrated its centenary. The inaugural concert on 9 November 1901 featured Ignacy Jan Paderewski as soloist. The outbreak of World War Two interrupted the activities of the Philharmonic. Its building was ruined. From among 71 orchestra members as many as 39 were killed.
In the early post-war years, the Roma' Music Theatre served as the Warsaw Philharmonic's home. In 1950 Witold Rowicki was appointed its Music Director and Principal Conductor and thanks to his efforts the orchestra achieved, within a short space of time, remarkably high artistic standards.
On 21 February 1955 the orchestra gave its first concert in the new building in Jasna Street (with two concert halls). On this very day the Warsaw Philharmonic got its present name of the National Philharmonic. In 1955-1958 its Music Director was Bohdan Wodiczko, an outstanding conductor and promoter of contemporary music. He collaborated with Stanisław Skrowaczewski. The orchestra enlarged its forces and the Concert Hall was enriched by the organ. In 1958 Witold Rowicki resumed work with the orchestra and remained its Music Director until 1977. His successor was Kazimierz Kord who collaborated on a permanent basis with Stanisław Wisłocki and Andrzej Markowski (his deputy in 1972-1974). Under Kord's artistic direction the Warsaw Philharmonic presented an impressive selection of oratorios and operatic music.
The orchestra regularly takes part in the Warsaw Autumn' Festival and in the International Chopin Piano Competition. During the past forty years it made over 100 tours to 30 countries in five continents. It has taken part in major international festivals. It has performed both with Poland's own leading conductors, and the finest from abroad including Hermann Abendroth, Herbert Blomstedt, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Leopold Stokowski, Gary Bertini, Antal Dorati, Charles Dutoit, Paul Kletzki, Kyril Kondrashin, Igor Markevitch, Kurt Masur, Helmut Rilling and Igor Stravinsky. The long list of the world's most renowned soloists who performed in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall includes Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Kathleen Battle, Teresa Berganza, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Stanislaw Bunin, Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, Friedrich Gulda, Barbara Hendricks, Leonid Kogan, Nigel Kennedy, Gidon Kremer, Yehudi Menuhin, Midori, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Jessye Norman, David and Igor Oistrakh, Murray Perahia, Maurizio Pollini, Svyatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Artur Rubinstein, Andras Schiff, Isaac Stern, Henryk Szeryng, Krystian Zimerman, Pinchas Zuckerman, and many others.
The orchestra has recorded for Polish Radio and tv, as well as for many labels at home and abroad.
In January 2002 Antoni Wit became Artistic Director of the National Philharmonic and the orchestra's Principal Conductor.