FILMS & TANGOS
with Duo Karolina & Iwo
Karolina Mikolajczyk, Violin
Iwo Jedynecki, Accordion
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
7.30 p.m.
PROGRAM
F. Chopin
Nocturne op. 9 no. 2
C. Saint-Saens
Danse macabre
C. Gardel
Por Una Cabeza
W. Kostrzewa
The Hollywood Fantasy I: 2002-2017
A. Piazzolla
Oblivion
W. Kostrzewa
The Hollywood Fantasy II: 1977-2001
A. Piazzolla / G. Jones
Libertango / I've Seen That Face Before
W. Kostrzewa
The Hollywood Fantasy III: 1940-1972
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Duo Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jedynecki is one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles of the young generation. Winners of Grand Prix and First Prizes at international music competitions (France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Poland) performing i.e. at Carnegie Hall, Guangzhou Opera House and Warsaw Philharmonic, where it enjoyed its debut to a sold-out audience. It has played recitals in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Georgia, United States, Cuba, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand.
The Duo's performances are described as perfect and mature, yet luminous and filled with youthful vitality. Many pieces gain new interpretations and original sounds thanks to Iwo Jedynecki's accordion transcriptions. Both artists boldly venture into renowned works of chamber music literature giving them new quality and delightfully diverse colouring. The ensemble also collaborates with leading Polish composers. In 2016, Marcin Błażewicz composed the first ever double concerto for violin, accordion and symphonic orchestra, dedicating it to Karolina Mikołąjczyk and Iwo Jedynecki. In 2019 the Duo collaborated with Krzysztof Penderecki arranging his Violin Sonata (1953) for a duo of violin and accordion, receiving an offical approval from the Master.
As of today, the Duo has recorded three CD albums – Premiére with original and self-arranged (i.a. Frartes by Arvo Pärt) contemporary music for violin-accordion, Orfeum Trio Plays Piazzolla and BŁAŻEWICZ, the latter nominated for the Fryderyk Prize - a Polish equivalent of a Grammy. The duo also shows an up-to-date approach in promoting its work by presenting video recordings in social media: the one with Mozart’s Violin Sonata gained more than a milion views on Facebook and YouTube, and was shared by the most popular internet platform devoted to classical music – Classic FM -followed up by Kreisler's Chinese Tambourine performed on the Great Wall of China as well as Bach’s Goldberg Variations and excerpts from film music-inspired The Hollywood Fantasy projects.
Karolina Mikołajczyk plays a Duke London violin from 1776. Iwo Jedynecki plays a Pigini Sirius Millennium accordion. The purchase of both instruments was financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.