Apollo5

“Hugely impressive” GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE

“Wonderful voices” BBC RADIO 3

“Exceptionally beautiful singing” CLASSIC FM

★★★★★ – “bristling, youthful economy” THE OBSERVER

★★★★★ – “an inspired programme, superbly sung throughout” BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

Celebrating its 15th year in 2025, APOLLO5 continues to thrill, move and inspire audiences as one of Britain’s smallest but most impressive vocal groups. Comprising a soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors and a bass, the ensemble – which takes its name from the ancient Greek god of music – has become known for its ability to connect with intimacy and directness, showcasing with rich, dynamic and distinctive sound how powerful five voices alone can be. With a versatile approach to music programming, and a repertoire spanning renaissance, classical and contemporary choral works to folk, jazz and pop, the group’s five voices bring the music of five centuries to life.

APOLLO5’s busy touring schedule has taken the group to Europe, the USA and Asia. In addition to performing at prestigious UK venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre, the group has toured extensively across France, Germany, and other European countries, including recent appearances with an orchestra and a brass band in Lisbon (PT) and Prague (CZ) respectively. The group is a regular guest on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, and often receives airplay from the national broadcaster, as well as other UK stations Classic FM, Magic Classical and NTS Radio. 2024/25 tour highlights include a three-week trip to the USA under new agency representation, appearances at European festivals such as Common Ground (NL), La Folle Journée (FR), and Koorfestival Vlaanderen (BE), and a performance at the Barbican Hall as part of sister group VOCES8’s 20th Anniversary celebrations in June.

The group is signed to VOCES8 Records and has released six solo studio albums under the label. Haven, which explores the music of troubled, displaced and persecuted composers and features a full setting of William Byrd’s Mass For Five Voices, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. Other albums include Where All Roses Go and O Radiant Dawn (both of which charted in the top 5 of the UK Classical Charts), winter disc A Deep But Dazzling Darkness, and Invocations, a piano-accompanied treasury of favourite songs recorded with composer and arranger Fraser Wilson. In January 2025, APOLLO5 will release their seventh album, Anam, a Gaelic-tinged programme of “music to move the soul”. During the pandemic, APOLLO5 was part of the launch of LIVE From London, a series of live broadcasts from many of the world’s leading vocal ensembles and orchestras. These online concerts brought music to the homes of millions during the pandemic, and raised funds for more than 500 artists, composers and production teams in the process; the festival continues to thrive online in today’s post-pandemic world.

As part of the VOCES8 Foundation, APOLLO5 works alongside VOCES8 and Paul Smith to deliver a transformative programme of workshops, masterclasses and concerts to over 40,000 young people annually in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Over the past few seasons, the group has worked with thousands of young people and adults across France as part of Association Sing’In projects, performing in such memorable locations as a football stadium, a circus and a royal abbey to large audiences. Much of APOLLO5’s UK-based education work is carried out at the Foundation’s home, The VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church in the heart of London. The group has also helped lead an extensive singing project in the London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, working with inner-city schools and supporting their teachers. Now in its eighth year, this project is supported by the Masonic Charitable Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Glovers, The Big Give Trust, and a number of private trusts and generous individual donors.

janoska ensemble

The Janoska Ensemble is composed of three brothers—Ondrej, František, and Roman Janoska—from Bratislava, and their brother-in-law Julius Darvas. Each of them has received world-class soloist training, rewarded with numerous awards, and the musical tradition has been deeply rooted in their family for over six generations.

The Slovak ensemble performs over 100 concerts a year on renowned stages and festivals worldwide.

Recording for Deutsche Grammophon, they released their debut album in 2016, Janoska Style, which was immediately acclaimed by the press and quickly awarded a Gold Disc. This was followed by Revolution, recorded in the legendary Abbey Road studios in London and released in 2019, and more recently in 2022, The Big B’s, which was a great success and became one of the best-selling albums on the label. A fourth album, The Four Seasons, released in November 2024, marks the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s masterpiece through the Janoska style.

But what exactly is the “Janoska style”? It involves classical works in new arrangements, with influences extending into today’s music! A key element is the lost art of improvisation, particularly based on classical music. The Janoska Ensemble creates new synergies and unprecedented bridges between the original work and its modern interpretation, combined with a fusion of improvisation and creativity: in short, the Janoska style.

“I was very impressed by the discovery of the Janoska Ensemble, by their unique sound combined with a virtuoso performance of the highest quality. Their exciting interpretations and creative arrangements in their very individual style produce a new, innovative, and refreshing approach to musical creation. I wish them the great success they deserve!” – Mischa Maisky, cellist.

The four members of the Janoska Ensemble perfectly embody all the criteria of the “Janoska style”: solid classical training, decades of practice since childhood, a deeply rooted musical tradition, a high level of technical perfection, and a profound joy of playing and performing, including the art of free improvisation. All of this makes the ensemble more than the sum of its parts; it is a perfectly balanced musical family.

The double bassist Julius Darvas is also the concertmaster. He describes the “Janoska effect,” as he calls the interaction during a concert: “The mood of the audience has a direct effect on our enthusiasm to play, especially when it comes to improvisation: we give – we receive – we give more – we receive more… and so on. Then, the energy begins to flow properly in the concert hall!”.

Ondrej JANOSKA, violon
Roman JANOSKA, violon
František JANOSKA, piano
Julius DARVAS, contrebasse

Diva Opera

Diva Opera was founded in 1996 by Anne Marabini Young and Bryan Evans and has since established itself as one of the leading English chamber opera companies. This is the result of its high-quality productions, which bring together artists, directors, and designers from the most prestigious operas, while showcasing some of the most talented young singers of their generation.

Every year, Diva Opera performs over 50 times across France, Switzerland, the Channel Islands, and Great Britain. For several years, the company toured with international tenor José Carreras, and in March 2004, it had the honor of performing Rossini’s La Cenerentola at the Fenice Theatre in Venice.

Diva Opera is regularly invited to prestigious opera festivals, including the Azuriales Opera Festival in Cannes and Nice, the Vézère Festival, the Nuits Musicales en Vendée Romane, the Dijon Musical Summer, the Musical Hours of Haut Anjou, the Musical Weeks of Quimper, the Labeaume en Musique Festival, the Nuits de la Citadelle Festival in Sisteron, the Yvelines Festival, the Théâtre de l’Olivier in Istres, the Pin Galant in Mérignac, the Domaine des Vaux in Jersey, Whittaker Hall in Guernsey, and the Théâtre du Passage in Neuchâtel.

Diva Opera also performs numerous fundraising concerts for charitable organizations such as Hope and Homes for Children, the British Red Cross, Children with Leukaemia, Marie Curie Cancer Care, and The Stroke Association.

In concert, Diva Opera has been invited to prestigious venues such as St John’s Smith Square and Wigmore Hall in London, in the presence of Princess Royal, Princess Alexandra, and the Duke of Kent.

For the past 15 years (2010 to present), the company has continuously renewed its repertoire, presenting a wide range of programs:
• Bizet: Carmen
• Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor, L’Elisir d’Amore, La Fille du Régiment
• Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel
• Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio, The Magic Flute, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro
• Puccini: Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Bohème
• Rossini: Cinderella, The Barber of Seville
• Strauss: Die Fledermaus
• Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
• Offenbach: La Belle Hélène, Orpheus in the Underworld, The Tales of Hoffmann
• Verdi: La Traviata, Falstaff, Rigoletto

Calmus Ensemble

A perfect blend of sound, precision, lightness and wit. These are the hallmarks of Calmus, now one of the most successful vocal groups in Germany. The ensemble has forged a refined sound which few groups achieve. The wide range of sound colors, the joy in performing that musicians convey on the concert platform, and their varied and imaginative programs are praised by the press time and time again. These five Leipzig musicians have won a whole string of international prizes and competitions, including the ECHO Klassik and Supersonic Award, and the reach of their activities is constantly expanding, taking them throughout Europe as well as to North and South America. In 2010 the quintet made its debut at Carnegie Hall, New York.

The musicians are tireless in their quest to discover new repertoire. Shaped by the centuries-old tradition of great German boys’ choirs, they are naturally at home in the vocal music of the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Romantic. The music of our own time is also a real passion. In all their ventures, there are frequently interesting partnerships with musicians such as the Lautten Compagney Berlin, the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, Hamburger Ratsmusik and the Frankfurt Radio Bigband. As this often means totally new repertoire in the area of contemporary music, over the years Calmus has commissioned numerous new works from composers including Bernd Franke, Steffen Schleiermacher, Wolfram Buchenberg, Mathew Rosenblum, Bill Dobbins, Michael Denhoff and Harald Banter, and the group has given many world premieres. It goes without saying that they revel in singing pop, folk and jazz, as well as chansons and golden oldies from the 1920s.

Part of their work is devoted to encouraging the up-and-coming generation, so teaching and workshops are part of their regular schedule, both at home in Leipzig and on their travels. It’s no wonder that Calmus, with its unique line-up of soprano, countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass, is gaining more and more fans worldwide.

Spark – the classical band

Spark reinvents classical music by placing it in a modern, refreshed context. The quintet presents works by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, and other great names while creating connections with the sounds and spirit of the present. The ensemble also highlights the recorder, a controversial instrument, which it succeeds in rehabilitating through the virtuosic interpretation of its founders, Daniel Koschitzki and Andrea Ritter, both winners of international solo competitions in London and Montreal. Their expressive, rhythmic playing dispels the clichés associated with the instrument, often seen as a laughingstock, especially in primary school education. Südwestpresse has even praised their performance as “rarely so rhythmic, expressive, and stunning.”

Alongside Koschitzki and Ritter, three other award-winning musicians complete the ensemble: violinist Stefan Balazsovics, cellist Victor Plumettaz, and pianist Christian Fritz. Together, they share the desire to redefine musical expression and embody Spark’s vision. The group offers a rich instrumental palette, featuring more than 40 different recorders, violin, viola, cello, melodica, and piano. None of their compositions are alike, showcasing the diversity of their repertoire. Spark’s music blends and merges different eras and genres in an obvious way, ranging from baroque music to contemporary electronic sounds, all while making classical music more accessible to a younger audience.

The group juxtaposes techno sounds with young Mozart’s ballet music, transforms Handel’s motifs into electronic sequences, reinterprets a Vivaldi finale with Dutch minimal music, and slows down Couperin’s ambiance into a sonic collage. Mendelssohn takes on an avant-garde folk tone. This musical boldness and blending of influences make Spark a group firmly rooted in its time, while respecting and revisiting classical tradition.

In 2011, Spark won the prestigious ECHO Klassik award in the “Classical Without Borders” category for Downtown Illusions. The group has also been nominated multiple times for the German Critics’ Choice Award and the OPUS Klassik, particularly in the “Classical Without Borders” (2018), “Video Clip of the Year” (2021), and “Ensemble of the Year” (2021) categories. The press, from Süddeutsche Zeitung to L’Alsace, highlights the richness of their performance and versatility. De Volkskrant writes that they have the potential to convincingly merge pop and dance influences with classical music, while American Record Guide compares them to classical music phenomena like Yo-Yo Ma or the Kronos Quartet, but with even more energy.

The personal compositions of the group members enrich Spark’s repertoire and emphasize their unique position. They do not consider themselves solely as performers but as independent artists shaping their art in a creative way. In this sense, they embody the new self-perception of a generation of classical musicians who are reinventing tradition through their own vision.

The group is also particularly appreciated for its live performances, which radiate powerful energy, whether in chamber music concerts for five or as a solo ensemble with orchestra. Spark has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages: Wiener Musikverein, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Philharmonie in Cologne, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Gasteig in Munich, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Barbican Centre in London, Flagey in Brussels, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, National Concert Hall in Taipei, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Rheingau Festival, Wonderfeel, La Folle Journée in Nantes, Tokyo, Warsaw, and many more festivals in France, Germany, and beyond.

Spark has also collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, WDR Funkhausorchester Köln, Opern- und Museumsorchester in Frankfurt, Nederlands Kamerorkest, and conductors like Wayne Marshall, Sebastian Weigle, and Mark Mast. The group particularly focuses on modern music, collaborating with well-known composers such as Johannes Motschmann, Chiel Meijering, Kenji Bunch, Kamran Ince, and Jonne Valtonen, among others. Additionally, Spark is unafraid to step outside the classical realm, working with musicians from other genres like beatboxer Robeat, singer Kitty Hoff, and DJ Emanuel Satie. They perform at jazz, rock, pop, and alternative music festivals such as the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Theaterhaus in Stuttgart, and the Berghain techno club in Berlin.

Spark’s debut album, Downtown Illusions (2010), features an unprecedented fusion of styles and was hailed by critics as one of the biggest surprises of the year. Audiophile Audition described the album as a radically innovative expression of chamber music. This success translated into the album reaching the number one spot in the classical music charts on Amazon Germany. Subsequent albums include Folk Tunes, Wild Territories, On the Dancefloor, Be Baroque, and Facets of Infinity, the latter featuring a performance with the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester under Sebastian Weigle’s direction. Each of these albums solidifies Spark’s reputation as a trendsetter in classical music.

In the spring of 2022, Closer to Paradise, a collaboration with countertenor Valer Sabadus, was released to great success and was included in many year-end best-of lists. Their most recent album, Vision of Venus (2024), is a project with singer Wallis Bird. In addition to their studio albums, Spark has released numerous radio and TV recordings, with live performances broadcast on stations like Radio 4 Nederland, NPO, Radio Classique, ARD, ZDF, SWR, and NHK Tokyo.

The ensemble doesn’t limit itself to concert halls but also visits schools and youth centers, often in collaboration with Rhapsody in School, with the goal of introducing the classical music audience of tomorrow to the genre.

“These artists maintain all the complexity of classical music” — Süddeutsche Zeitung
“Here express five musicians, who are, above all, great performers, accomplished artists who master their instruments completely, allowing them to play all kinds of music without sticking to one genre” — L’Alsace
“They have the potential to convincingly blend pop and dance influences with classical music” — De Volkskrant
“A true phenomenon on the classical music scene, akin to Yo Yo Ma or the Kronos Quartet, but with more vivacity” — American Record Guide

Sinfonia Varsovia

The Early Years
In April of 1984, Waldemar Dąbrowski, director of the St. I. Witkiewicz Studio Centre for the Arts in Warsaw and Franciszek Wybrańczyk, director of the then extant Polish Chamber Orchestra invited the legendary violinist Sir Yehudi Menuhin to perform in Poland as soloist and conductor. To match the exigencies of
the planned repertoire, the orchestra increased the number of its members, inviting renowned musicians
from all over Poland to perform together. The ensemble’s initial concerts under the direction of Yehudi Menuhin were enthusiastically applauded by audiences and praised by critics, while Lord Menuhin himself did not hesitate to accept Waldemar Dąbrowski’s and Franciszek Wybrańczyk’s proposal to become the first guest conductor of the newly established symphony orchestra named Sinfonia Varsovia.

Concert Tours (International Career)
The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra was soon invited to play concerts in the United States and Canada, with more invitations to follow – from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Switzerland and Greece, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Sinfonia Varsovia has performed in the world’s most celebrated concert halls, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Théatre des Champs Elysées in Paris, the Barbican Centre in London, Vienna’s Musikverein, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Suntory Hall in Tokyo and Herkulessaal in Munich.

Festivals
The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra played at renowned festivals in Salzburg, Gstaad (the Yehudi Menuhin Festival), Aix-en-Provence, Montreux, La Roque d’Anthéron, Schleswig-Holstein, the Pablo Casals Festival, Würzburg, Alte Oper (Frankfurt am Mein), Beethovenfest Festival in Bonn, La Roque d’Antheron, Festival de Musique de Menton, Queen Elisabeth Musical Voyage – the Mediterranean Sea Music Festival and many others.
The celebrated La Folle Journée music festival organised by the French C.R.E.A. association and its director René Martin holds a special slot in the orchestra’s performing calendar each season. The festival is held in France, Spain and Japan.
Sinfonia Varsovia regularly takes part in major musical events in Poland and is a regular guest at the Chopin and His Europe festival, the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, the Warsaw Autumn festival and the Chain festival, devoted to Witold Lutosławski.

La Folle Journée de Varsovie
In 2010 the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra organised the La Folle Journée – Chopin Open Festival in Warsaw for the first time. Subsequent editions: Les Titans (2011), Russia (2012) and Music of France and Spain (2013) and America (2014) have met with great enthusiasm of Polish audiences. The ingenious works of the greatest American composers attracted a record number of 36 846 listeners. 1000 performers played 60 concerts in the course of three days. The La Folle Journée Festival is organised in Poland by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, C.R.E.A. and by the Ogrody Muzyczne Foundation, jointly with the Grand Theatre – National Opera which
will host the sixth Warsaw edition of the festival on 25-27 September 2015.

Sinfonia Varsovia To Its City
Of special note is the Franciszek Wybrańczyk Sinfonia Varsovia To Its City Festival. This unique project was initiated in 2001 by Franciszek Wybrańczyk, the founder and long-time Director of the orchestra. The festival is accessible to the public at large and it has become a landmark on the cultural landscape of Warsaw, becoming a favourite among music-lovers of the capital of Poland. The festival aims to showcase the greatest works of music literature as performed by the Sinfonia Varsovia with famous soloists and conductors. Each year in early autumn the orchestra performs free concerts in various parts of the capital which are not normally associated with mainstream cultural events. The concerts are directed by outstanding Polish conductors, including Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jacek Kaspszyk, Jan Krenz, Krzysztof Penderecki, but also by a younger generation of artists, like Łukasz Borowicz, Michał Dworzyński, Monika Wolińska and Jakub Chrenowicz. The festival is organised by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra and by the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation.

Repertoire
The orchestra’s repertoire is exceptionally extensive, ranging from 18th century works to contemporary compositions. The orchestra has played Polish and world premieres of works by, among others, John Adams, Krzesimir Dębski, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Witold Lutosławski, Paweł Mykietyn, Onute Narbutaite, Krzysztof Penderecki, Marta Ptaszyńska, Marcin Stańczyk and Paweł Szymański.

Conductors and soloists
Sinfonia Varsovia has performed with many distinguished conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Charles Dutoit, Lawrence Foster, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Jacek Kaspszyk, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Emmanuel Krivine, Witold Lutosławski, Lorin Maazel, Paul McCreesh, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Yehudi Menuhin, Marc Minkowski, Andres Mustonen, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Jerzy Semkow.

During its numerous concerts, the orchestra has accompanied such renowned soloists as Piotr Anderszewski, Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky, Teresa Berganza, Rafał Blechacz, Frank Braley, Alfred Brendel, Gautier Capuçon, Renaud Capuçon, Piotr Paleczny, José Carreras, José Cura, Placido Domingo, Augustin Dumay, Nelson Freire, James Galway, Stephen Hough, Sharon Kam, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy, Gidon Kremer, Aleksandra Kurzak, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Radu Lupu, Albrecht Mayer, Mischa Maisky, Shlomo Mintz, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Olga Pasiecznik, Murray Perahia, Maria João Pires, Ivo Pogorelić, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Vadim Repin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Heinrich Schiff, Howard Shelley, Henryk Szeryng, Fou Ts’ong, Maxim Vengerov, Andreas Vollenweider, Christian Zacharias, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Tabea Zimmermann and Grigori Zhyslin.

Recordings
Sinfonia Varsovia has made numerous recordings on compact disc and for radio and television. The orchestra boasts a discography of more than 270 albums, recorded for famous international labels: Decca, Denon Nippon Columbia, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Naïve, Naxos, Sony, Virgin Classics and for Polish labels, including BeArTon, CD Accord, DUX, Polskie Nagrania and Polskie Radio. Many of these recordings received prestigious music awards, including the Diapason d’Or, Diapason Découverte, Grand Prix du Disque and, on more than one occasion, the Polish Fryderyk award. The orchestra’s most celebrated recordings include Polish Symphonic Music of the 19th Century (CD Accord/ Polskie Radio), Martha Argerich – Live in the GrandTheatre – Polish National Opera (CD Accord), Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s Symphony No.3 (Naïve), Mozart’s Piano Concertos with Piotr Anderszewski as soloist (Virgin), a CD of works by Karol Szymanowski conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk (BeArTon) and The Romantic Clarinet with the famous clarinettist Sharon Kam (Edel Classics). Two albums with works by Bach and Haendel recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and featuring the virtuoso German oboist Albrecht Mayer were an artistic and commercial success, staying at the top of the charts for a long time. Featuring violin concertos by Mieczysław Karłowicz and Emil Młynarski, Nigel Kennedy’s and the Polish Chamber Orchestra’s Polish Spirit CD (EMI) was very well received around the world and contributed significantly to the promotion of Polish music. The orchestra’s discography also features many recordings made with lord Yehudi Menuhin as conductor, including the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert, recorded in 1996 for IMG Records to celebrate the artist’s 80th birthday anniversary.
In June 2008, three albums recorded by Sinfonia Varsovia and the Polish Chamber Orchestra received the prestigious German Echo Klassik 2008 music award. These were: Haendel and Telemann with Gábor Boldoczki (Sony/BMG Sony Classical), New Seasons with Albrecht Mayer (Universal/ Deutsche Grammophon) and Polish Spirit with Nigel Kennedy (EMI Classics). The Polish Spirit album was awarded the Polish Fryderyk 2008 award in the Album of the Year – Symphonic and Concert Music category, while the album with the music of Mieczysław Karłowicz with Jerzy Maksymiuk as conductor and Agata Szymczewska as violinist received a Fryderyk award in 2009. In 2010, a record of Chopin’s Piano Concertos with Jan Lisiecki and the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra conducted by Howard Shelley received the prestigious Diapason Découverte award. Sinfonia Varsovia’s latest CDs feature concertos by Witold Lutosławski performed by cellist Robert Cohen and pianist Ewa Pobłocka under the direction of Jerzy Maksymiuk (BeArTon 2013) and albums with the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky featuring pianist Boris Berezovsky and cellist Henri Demarquette (Mirare, 2013) and Chopin’s Concertos performed by Nikolai Lugansky (Naïve / Ambroisie, 2014); both recordings conducted by Alexander Vedernikov.

The Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation
The Orchestra’s artistic endeavours are supported by the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation. Established in the year 2000 by Franciszek Wybrańczyk, it is one of the organisers of the annual Sinfonia Varsovia To Its City Festival, which promotes in particular Polish composers and young talents. The Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation sponsors the Franciszek Wybrańczyk Artistic Scholarship for young, talented musicians. The activities of the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation are supported by the Polservice Patent and Trademark Attorneys’ Office.

Directors
Krzysztof Penderecki became the orchestra’s musical director in 1997 and its artistic director in July 2003, a position he still holds, often also working together with the ensemble as its conductor. The musicians perform together in Poland and abroad, playing many works by the composer, including the Sinfonietta per Archi, Sinfonietta No.2, the Flute Concerto, the Viola Concerto (also its versions for cello and clarinet), Stabat Mater, De Profundis, as well as Credo and The Seven Gates of Jerusalem. In January 2011 the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra played the first performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s A sea of dreams did breathe on me…, written for the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute for the conclusion of the Chopin Year celebrations. In November 2013 Sinfonia Varsovia played concerts that were part of the Krzysztof Penderecki Festival held on the occasion of the composer’s 80th birthday. Krzysztof Penderecki recorded a number of albums with the orchestra, including several with his own works.

In 2008-2012 the post of the orchestra’s musical director was held by the world-famous French conductor Marc Minkowski.

In 2004, Franciszek Wybrańczyk handed over the duties of the director of Sinfonia Varsovia to Janusz Marynowski – his assistant and long-time musician in the orchestra.

Council Cultural Institution
Until 31 December 2007, the orchestra operated from the St. I. Witkiewicz Studio Art Centre in Warsaw.
On 1 January 2008, the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra became a council cultural institution. The Orchestra’s coordinator is the Capital City Of Warsaw.
The Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra was honoured with the title of Zasłużony dla Warszawy [Distinguished in Service for the City of Warsaw], the Annual Honorary Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for achievements in creative output and dissemination of culture and with a diploma of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for outstanding achievements in the promotion of Poland around the world.

New Headquarters
In 2010 the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra has received a new home – the former Institute of Veterinary Science at 272 Grochowska Street in Warsaw’s Praga District. By a decision of the Council of Warsaw and Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, an open, two-stage international competition was held in June 2010 for the design of a new concert hall seating 1 800 and architectural development of the property located at Grochowska Street. The Grand Prix was awarded to Atelier Thomas Pucher of Graz (Austria). The design is unusual not only in the very characteristic frame surrounding the whole property, but also in the exceptional design of the concert hall itself, combining shoebox concert hall acoustics with a vineyard seating arrangement. According to the designers, the combination will provide an unsurpassed, unique listening experience. The authorities of the Capital City of Warsaw have decided to implement this project in Warsaw’s Praga district. In 2015, in the presence of the President of the capital city of Warsaw, Ms. Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, architect Thomas Pucher and Janusz Marynowski, director of the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra signed a contract for the delivery of design documentation for a new concert hall for Sinfonia Varsovia and for the development of the property at 272 Grochowska Street. The new Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra Music Centre will be more than just an attractive place to present classical music and other arts. It will also be a place to spend leisure time. It will be an important space for the residents of the Praga District, for all of Warsaw and for foreign tourists visiting Poland. An extensive artistic and educational programme will be prepared with an audience of all ages and various degrees of involvement in the arts in mind. The first concert in the new facility is to take place in October 2021.

Educational Activities
Educational projects organised in the Orchestra’s headquarters are an important aspect of Sinfonia Varsovia’s activities. In 2012 the Orchestra initiated its elite Akademia Sinfonia Varsovia programme – a cycle of workshops for students and young music academy graduates intended to prepare them to play in the best symphony orchestras. The workshops are led by Sinfonia Varsovia’s concert masters and principal soloists. The project has been implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Educational programmes for the youngest listeners include projects organised jointly with the Music is for Everyone Foundation: Smykofonia [Toddler Philharmonic], a programme of music for children up to five years of age and the Labyrinth Event, addressed to students and teachers in elementary schools. Summer Concerts at Grochowska Street merit special attention. This is a cycle of chamber music concerts performed by young, talented artists recommended by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra. The concerts are preceded by introductory lectures by musicologists and music critics. Admission to Summer Concerts at Grochowska Street is free.

The Anniversary
In 2014 the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra celebrated the 30th Anniversary of its activity.

Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra

The Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra has achieved worldwide acclaim for their sophisticated performances and dynamic programming. The orchestra was the inspiration of Nazib Zhiganov, former Chairman of the Composers Union of Tatarstan and Dean of the Kazan Conservatory. In 1966, he received authorization and funding from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Council of Ministers to create a symphony orchestra in Tatarstan. The TNSO gave its first concert, featuring works by Bach, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, under its first Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Natan Rakhlin on 10^th of April, 1967.

Under its current Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Alexander Sladkovsky, the TNSO has further developed its cultural and social influence through new festivals, artistic collaborations and educational and community outreach.

The orchestra regularly performs in Russian’s major cities and around the world through its extensive touring schedule. Its festivals and special events, including the Rakhlin Seasons, White Lilac, Kazan Autumn, festival of contemporary music “Concordia”, Miras and Denis Matsuev & Friends series, are amongst the most interesting cultural events in Tatarstan and Russia. It is also frequently featured at the Crescendo, Stars on Baikal, The Cherry Orchard and the Hibla Germava Invites festivals.

The TNSO enjoys a long, successful history of collaborations with renowned operatic and instrumental luminaries including Krzysztof Penderecki, Galina Vishnevskaya, Irina Arkhipova, Olga Borodina, Hibla Gerzmava, Albina Shagimuratova, Simone Kermes, Plácido Domingo, Roberto Alagna, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Nikolaj Znaider, Leonidas Kavakos, Sergei Krylov, Gidon Kremer, Pavel Milyukov, Lucas Debargue, Yuri Bashmet, David Geringas, Boris Berezovsky, Krzysztof Penderecki, Barry Douglas and Igor Butman among others.

The orchestra’s commitment to social and charitable causes has twice earned the Philanthropist of the Year award from the President of the Republic of Tatarstan. Through The Republic’s Heritage project, the TNSO supports both talented music conservatory students and local schools through a series of educational programmes and outreach. The orchestra’s Musical Healing programme is dedicated to helping severely ill and disabled children through a multi-faceted series of cultural events.

The TNSO is an exclusive Sony Music Entertainment Russia recording artist and has released several albums on the Sony Classical and RCA Red Seal labels. Their concerts have also been broadcast on Medici.tv and Mezzo.

VOCES8

“The singing of VOCES8 is impeccable in its quality of tone and balance. They bring a new dimension to the word ‘ensemble’ with meticulous timing and tuning.” Gramophone Magazine

“VOCES8’s gorgeous sound, impeccable ensemble and intense responsiveness to text, harmony and melodic shape is all of the highest quality. Hearing them sing is a joy.” BBC Music Magazine

“VOCES8 is the Rolls-Royce of British a cappella ensembles” The Arts Desk

Andrea Haines, soprano
Molly Noon, soprano
Katie Jeffries-Harris, alto
Barnaby Smith, alto and artistic director
Blake Morgan, tenor
Euan Williamson, tenor
Christopher Moore, baritone
Dominic Carver, bass

The 2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading musicians, orchestras, conductors and soloists. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble’s performance and education ethos which is shared both online and in person. They are the world’s top-streaming classical vocal group.

VOCES8 has performed at many notable venues since its inception in 2005 including Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, NCPA Beijing, Sydney Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall Singapore, Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City amongst many others. This season they perform over 100 concerts around the world, their 20^th Anniversary season, including a birthday celebration concert at the Barbican, London.

They have collaborated in concert and in the recording studio with musicians including Paul Simon, Jacob Collier, Eric Whitacre, Christopher Tin, Olafur Arnalds, Cody Fry, Rachel Podger, Jack Liebeck, Bomsori Kim, Jonathan Dove, Chanticleer, The King’s Singers, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and others.

VOCES8 is passionate about music education and is the flagship ensemble of music charity the VOCES8 Foundation which actively promotes ‘Music Education For All’. Engaging in a broad range of in-person outreach work that reaches up to 40,000 people a year, the Foundation runs an annual programme of workshops and masterclasses at the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church, London. Dedicated to supporting promising young singers, VOCES8 awards eight annual choral scholarships through the VOCES8 Scholars initiative. These scholarships are linked to the annual Milton Abbey Summer School at which amateur singers of all ages learn and perform with VOCES8. Through the separate VOCES8 USA Foundation there is another set of twelve talented Scholars.

VOCES8’s entrepreneurial and community spirit is fostered by Co-Founders Paul and Barnaby Smith. The Covid-19 pandemic gave the impetus for VOCES8 to transform its already exceptional offerings, nurturing a new online audience community providing a chance to engage with classical music in new ways. Pioneering initiatives include the LIVE From London online festival and the VOCES8 Digital Academy.

LIVE From London was created as a specific response to the pandemic. Winning praise for its collaborative approach with artists, press and audiences around the world the team has delivered twelve digital festivals to date, broadcasting over 150 concerts and selling over 250,000 tickets around the world. This season will see both Christmas and Summer online festivals. The VOCES8 Digital Academy is an online choral programme for high schools, colleges and individuals featuring live interaction with members of the ensemble, live and recorded lectures, and video resources to learn and perform music from the renaissance to today. Both LIVE From London and the Digital Academy are filmed by VOCES8 Studios, the in-house recording company.

Alongside their online work VOCES8 is heard regularly on albums, international television and radio. The ensemble is a Decca Classics artist, also releasing on its own label, VOCES8 Records. The Decca Classics recording of Christopher Tin’s “The Lost Birds” featuring VOCES8 and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was nominated for a Grammy-Award in 2023. Their new album is “Nightfall”, a collection of reflective and transcendent music inspired by the night. Recent releases are “A Choral Christmas”; “Home” conducted by Eric Whitacre, featuring his extraordinary work “The Sacred Veil” which reached the top of the classical charts in both the UK and USA; and “Seven Psalms” by Paul Simon in which VOCES8 was thrilled to participate.

VOCES8 is proud to be working with Ken Burton as the group’s Composer-in-Residence and Jim Clements as Arranger-in-Residence. The ensemble has premiered commissions from Jonathan Dove, Roxanna Panufnik, Roderick Williams, Paul Smith, Jason Max Ferdinand, Jocelyn Hagen, Melissa Dunphy, Ken Williams, Taylor Scott Davis, Alexander Levine, Alexia Sloane, Alec Roth, Ben Parry, Ola Gjeilo, Mårten Jansson, Philip Stopford, Graham Lack, Thomas Hewitt Jones and Owain Park and have commissioned a set of new pieces for its 20^th anniversary. They publish arrangements of its music, original compositions and educational material with the new digital VOCES8 Publishing house, as well as E.C. Schirmer with whom they curate the VOCES8 Foundation Choral Series, and with Edition Peters with whom they have published two anthologies and a series of single octavos. The VOCES8 Method written by Paul Smith is a renowned and unique teaching tool now available in four languages that adopts music to enhance development in numeracy, literacy and linguistics.

General Management of VOCES8 is provided by Robin Tyson at Podium Music Ltd.

www.voces8.com

www.voces8.foundation

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