Elżbieta and Krzysztof Penderecki - in memoriam

On Sunday 22 November at 6.00 pm, the Kraków Philharmonic will host a special concert in memory of Elżbieta and Krzysztof Penderecki.

The programme features Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93, and two works by Krzysztof Penderecki: the Adagio from his Symphony No. 3, in a version for strings, and Sinfonietta No. 3, ‘Leaves from an Unwritten Diary’.

The concert will feature internationally renowned Hungarian trumpeter Gábor Boldoczki, who gave the world premiere of Penderecki’s Concertino for Trumpet and Orchestra in 2015. In Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto, he will perform virtuosic cadenzas written by Penderecki himself.

Joanna Natalia Ślusarczyk will conduct Sinfonietta Cracovia, the Orchestra of the Royal Capital City of Kraków, whose establishment under the city’s patronage was championed by Elżbieta and Krzysztof Penderecki. Ślusarczyk won Second Prize at the 2022 La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors in Paris and was named Discovery of the Year at the 2024 Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej Awards.

The concert is presented by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association and the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Kraków, with financial support from the City of Kraków.

We look forward to welcoming you.

„Even the trumpet can sing bel canto… the purest bel canto, with brilliantly polished high notes, poured forth by the Hungarian Boldoczki on the trumpet.” (Michael Dellith, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)

Raised in Kiskőrös (Hungary), Gábor Boldoczki is considered an exceptional phenomenon among trumpet players of his generation. The international press regularly celebrates him as a magnificent trumpet virtuoso.

His definitive breakthrough came when he won the prestigious International Music Competition of the ARD in Munich and took first prize at the 3rd International Maurice André Competition, the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris.

He has collaborated with renowned orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Czech Philharmonic, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, as well as internationally acclaimed chamber orchestras. He is a regular guest in Europe’s major musical capitals.

Gábor Boldoczki was awarded the title “Doctor Liberalium Artium” by the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he serves as Professor of Trumpet. In addition, he has been honored with the “Franz Liszt Honorary Prize”, the highest distinction awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture in the field of music.

Gábor Boldoczki performs on B&S instruments.

Joanna Natalia Ślusarczyk is an award-winning Polish conductor whose international accolades include Second Prize at the La Maestra Competition 2022 in Paris, where she also received the European Concert Hall Organization – ECHO Prize and the French Concert Halls and Orchestras Committee Prize. She has also won First Prize at the London Classical Soloists Conducting Competition, Second Prize at the International Conducting Competition “Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest”, Third Prize at the First European Union International Conducting Competition in Sofia, and a Special Mention at The BMW International Conducting Masterclass and Competition in Portugal.

She was named Best Polish Conductor at the 11th Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors in Katowice and received the Main Prize of Rotary Club Siena at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana Festival in Italy.

Her achievements also include the Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej Award for Discovery of the Year. She was selected for the Mentoring Program with Peter Eötvös in Budapest and has held a position as Conductor-in-Residence at the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice.

Ślusarczyk has conducted widely across Europe and beyond, appearing in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Portugal, France, Germany, Israel, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Italy and Hungary. She has worked with orchestras including the Orchestre de Paris, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orchestre Pasdeloup, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre National de Metz, Orchestre National de Cannes and Orchestre National de Lille, as well as at the Opéra de Tours and with numerous philharmonic orchestras across Poland.

In recognition of her artistic achievements, she has received scholarships from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage and the Royal Capital City of Krakow, as well as the Krakow County Main Prize for outstanding artistic achievement.

One of Poland’s leading chamber ensembles. Its distinctive profile is defined by versatility, precision, and flexibility – qualities it successfully carries into larger symphonic formations. The orchestra is particularly renowned for its interpretations of contemporary music in its many forms, ranging from avant-garde to film scores. In exploring new formats, Sinfonietta Cracovia is actively involved in projects promoting new music and the work of Polish composers. It is especially noted for its interpretations of Krzysztof Penderecki’s music, with the composer serving as both mentor and patron of many of the orchestra’s initiatives.

As a municipal cultural institution, Sinfonietta Cracovia plays a key role in shaping Kraków’s cultural life for both residents and visitors. One of the central strands of its activity is the promotion of Kraków and Polish music internationally. The orchestra regularly appears on international tours and at major festivals, and takes part in international recording projects as well as in film and television productions, including work for platforms such as Netflix.