The Artur Rubinstein State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz
Maja Babyszka piano
The School Symphony Orchestra of the Artur Rubinstein State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz
Henryk Wierzchoń conductor
Maja Babyszka piano
Maja is currently studying in the Talented Student Class in the Artur Rubinstein State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz in the piano class of Professor Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń and Adam Zok.
Maja actively participates in the artistic activities of the city, the region and Poland by performing at shows and concerts organised on various occasions.
She took part in many competitions, winning top prizes, including:
- 18th National Young Pianists’ Workshops (Koszalin, 2009) 1st place
- involved in the “Chopin’s Longest Birthday” concert (Warsaw, 2010)
- 22nd National Young Pianists’ Workshops (Koszalin, 2010) 1st place
- Prize for outstanding performance of a work by A. Cwojdziński
- Prize for outstanding performance of a concerto
- 10th “Young Virtuosos” International Competition (Sofia, 2014) 2nd place
The School Symphony Orchestra of the Artur Rubinstein State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz
The School Symphony Orchestra boasts a wealth of tradition and many significant achievements. The school orchestra was established and performed for the first time on 6 April 1939, playing Mozart’s Requiem under the direction of Alfons Rösler. The orchestra has always worked under the direction of renowned conductors.
Since 1996, the orchestra has been under the direction of Henryk Wierzchoń, who has conducted more than 130 of the ensemble’s concerts. Its repertoire encompasses approximately 120 works ranging from the classical period to contemporary music, including J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. Schubert, F. Chopin, S. Moniuszko, J. Brahms, P. Tchaikovsky, C. Debussy, W. Lutosławski, W. Kilar, H. M. Górecki and R. Twardowski.
The School Symphony Orchestra of the State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz has performed at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw twice with winners of the 1st and 4th “Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam” International Competition for Young Pianists (Valentina Igoshina in 1998 and Piotr Żukowski in 2001).
With the Polish-Austrian Society, the orchestra played concerts on the occasion of the celebration of Austria Days (2000, 2003). The orchestra has played many times on the stage of the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz – during the celebration of the school’s 75th anniversary and during many other school events, and in cooperation with various cultural institutions in the city. Its cooperation with the Polish Union of Choirs and Orchestras (PZChiO) resulted in the orchestra’s participation in the National Review of Men’s Choirs (2003), in the Musica Pomerania concert (2000) and in the 25th anniversary concert of Children’s and Youth a cappella Choirs (2005). Together with church choirs, the orchestra played a concert on the occasion of the feast of St. Cecilia – the patron of music, which took place in November 2003 in the church of St. Jadwiga in Bydgoszcz. In December 1999, together with soloist Rafał Blechacz, the orchestra concluded the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Chopin in the Polski Theatre in Bydgoszcz, playing Part I of Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E minor. In March 2003 in the “Adria” Theatre, the school orchestra played with jazz drummer Karol Szymanowski to celebrate the birthday anniversary of the city of Bydgoszcz.
The orchestra also performed in the Festival of Music Competition Laureates, organised by the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz.
The orchestra has been working together with the school choir since 1997. In October 1997 both ensembles played in a concert for flood victims which took place in Dwór Artusa in the city of Toruń. In December 1998 the ensemble played Stanisław Moniuszko’s ballad Pani Twardowska in the Polski Theatre on the occasion of the 200th birthday anniversary of Adam Mickiewicz. Also in December 1998, the orchestra and the mixed choir of the State Music School Complex and soloist Antonina Kowtunow played a concert of Christmas carols under the direction of Szymon Kawalla. When in 1999 the School Mixed Choir was transformed into a Female Choir, the orchestra commenced cooperation with the Male Choir of the Salesian General Secondary Music School in Lutomiersk. The three ensembles played many joint concerts and established the tradition of Christmas carol concerts played in Bydgoszcz and in Łódź. In 2000 the ensembles performed extensive fragments of works by J. S. Bach and G. Ph. Telemann and in December 2001 they played Mozart’s Missa Brevis in B-flat major at the Pomeranian Philharmonic on the occasion of the final stage of the “Ignacy Jan Paderewski as Pianist, Composer and Political Activist” competition.
In 2011 the Orchestra placed 1st at the 1st National Tournament of Chamber Orchestras in Radom, under the patronage of the Centre for Artistic Education in Warsaw.
In 2012 and 2013 the Orchestra performed at the La Folle Journée Festival in Warsaw.
In March 2013 the ensemble played in the Pomeranian Philharmonic in the Concert of Laureates of International and National Competitions – students of the Artur Rubinstein State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz.
The Orchestra has recorded a number of albums, some of which also feature the Female Choir of the Secondary General Music School in Bydgoszcz and the Male Choir of the Salesian General Secondary Music School in Lutomiersk.
Henryk Wierzchoń conductor
Professor Henryk Wierzchoń graduated from the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw. He commenced work as conductor and choir leader in the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz. He prepared the choir for several dozen première performances of operas and concerts. He was involved in the production of operas and operettas and several times held the position of music director. In 1989 he established the Chamber Choir at Opera Nova.
He is a professor at the Department of Music Education in the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz since 1985.
He has led the symphony orchestra in the Artur Rubinstein State Music School Complex in Bydgoszcz since 1996. He has conducted the ensemble in concerts at the National Philharmonic, the Łódź Philharmonic, the Pomeranian Philharmonic and at many festivals.
At Opera Nova, he has prepared the opera choir for 63 first performances and 11 masses. He conducted 563 opera performances and 157 concerts of symphonic music.
With Opera Nova he completed 7 foreign concert tours in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Malta.
He was the director of 21 operas, worked in the production of 24 première performances, prepared the choir for 60 opera performances and sat in juries of competitions 60 times.
Henryk Wierzchoń also reviews doctoral dissertations.
