19th Festival of Polish Music in Cracow
Final Concert – Opera Gala

29 July 2023 at 7 p.m. in the Nowa Huta Cultural Center

Izabela Matuła, soprano
Stanislaw Napierała, tenor
Sinfonietta Cracovia
Maja Metelska-Räsänen, conductor

Program:

S. Moniuszko: overture to the opera “Paria”, overture to the opera “Halka”, highlander dances from the opera “Halka”, Neala’s recitative and romance from the opera “Paria”, Aria of the Countess from the opera “The Countess”, Halka’s recitative and aria from Act 4 of the opera “Halka”, duet of Halka and Jontek from the 4th act of the opera “Halka”, Stefan’s recitative and aria from the opera “The Haunted Manor”
W. Żeleński: Janek’s aria from the opera “Janek”
R. Statkowski: scene and aria Philaenis from the prologue of the opera “Philaenis”
J. M. K. Poniatowski: overture to the opera “Pierre de Medicis”
F. Nowowiejski: Doman’s aria from the opera “The Legend of the Baltic”

More information: https://fmp.org.pl/en/29-lipca/

Published book “Score Reading of Orchestral Music”

Author: Maja Metelska-Räsänen
Publisher: Met-Music Publishing (Aug, 2022)

A comprehensive guide to score reading of orchestral music for conductors, musicians, music readers and students. It presents methods on synthesising a score, creating a sounding image of the score in the mind, reading in clefs, decoding single and multiple transpositions, making piano reductions. Topics are complemented with a wide range of practice examples from 18th – 20th century orchestral repertoire.

Available to order from leading retailers such as Lulu, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher Met-Music Publishing.

Concerts with the Helsinki Concertino Orchestra and Espoo Music Institute soloists

16 February 2022, Tapiola Hall in Espoo, Finland

Helsinki Concertino Orchestra
Soloists of the Espoo Music Institute
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
O. Rieding, F. Seitz, G. F. Telemann, A. Vivaldi, F. Küchler, A. Sonninen

Concert of the Helsinki Concertino Orchestra celebrating the 100th anniversary of Polish-Finnish diplomatic relations

13 February 2020, Finnish National Archives in Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki Concertino Orchestra
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Ignacy Jan Paderewski – Melody in G major (arr. M. Metelska)

Leevi Madetoja – Elegy op. 4
Jean Sibelius – Romance op 42
Frederic Chopin – Valse op. 64 no. 2 (arr. M. Metelska)
Frederic Chopin – Polonaise op. 40 no. 1 A major (arr. M. Metelska)

TAMPERING FESTIVAL Final Concert

26 August 2017, Tampere Concert Hall

Tampering Ensemble
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Ilkka Hammo – Melting Crystals (premiere)
Tero Lanu – Four Impressions (premiere)
Cecilia Damström – Unborn
Minna Leinonen – Intre
Tristan Murail – Désintégrations

Concerts with Szymon Nehring and the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland

“Through the Mirror of Music” – “Musica Ars Amanda”
4 & 5 Feb 2016, Krakow Philharmonic

Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra
Szymon Nehring – piano
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Igor Stravinsky – Pulcinella Suite
Johann Sebastian Bach / arr. L. Stokowski – Toccata and Fugue in D BWV 565
George Thalben-Ball – Variations on a Theme by Paganini for Organ Pedals
Sergei Rachmaninov – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43

World premiere of the opera “Orphee” composed by Dariusz Przybylski

15 Dec 2015, Warsaw Chamber Opera
Nominated to the Corypheus of Polish Music Award as the best event of 2015!
Next performances: 16 Dec 2015, 17 Dec 2015, 9 Jan 2016, 10 Jan 2016

Dariusz Przybylski – Composer & Libretto
Margo Zalite – Stage Director, Scenography & Libretto
Marlena Skoneczko – Costumes
Marek Zamojski – Multimedia
Maja Metelska – Music Director & Conductor

Cast:
Eurydice – Barbara Zamek
Middle Orpheus – Robert Gierlach
Young Orpheus – Jan Jakub Monowid
Old Orpheus – Andrzej Kilmczak
Monk – Witold Żołądkiewicz
Apollo – Anna Radziejewska
Hermes – Mateusz Zajdel
Orpheus’ alter ego – Sextet proMODERN
Maciej Frąckiewicz – accordion
Warsaw Chamber Opera Soloists, Vocal Ensemble and Sinfonietta
Maja Metelska – Conductor

A new reading of the myth about the Greek artist, who descended into hell to find his beloved Eurydice. “My Orpheo is more and more lost, he is not able to seperate life from art, which permeates him and doesn’t let him be in peace. He falls into madness, his only dream is to sing – while running away from the love of his life – Eurydice”, says the composer Dariusz Przybylski

World premiere of the opera “Olympia of Gdansk” composed by Zygmunt Krauze

20 November 2015, The Baltic Opera
Next performances: 20 Nov 2015, 21 Nov 2015, 22 Nov 2015

Zygmunt Krauze – Composer
Krystyna and Blaise de Obaldia – Libretto
Jerzy Lach – Stage Director
Hanna Szymczak – Scenography
Marlena Skoneczko – Costumes
Maja Metelska – Music Director & Conductor

Cast:
Robespierre – Jan Jakub Monowid
Stanisława – Anna Mikołajczyk
Olimpia – Monika Ledzion
Stanisław – Stanisław Kierner
Saint Just – Przemysław Baiński
Prince Philippe – Mateusz Teliński
Marquess – Dariusz Górski
Simone, Abel, Officer, Amedine, Zelina – Marzena Ostryńska, Marcin Miloch, Witalij Wydra, Joanna Wesołowska, Magdalena Nanowska
Choir and Orchestra of the Baltic Opera
Maja Metelska – Conductor

The writer Stanisława Przybyszewska, historical figure, is working on her new work a novel about Maximillien Robespierre and Olympe de Gouges, author of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, 1791. “Olympia of Gdańsk is a play about possession. It may lead to a desire of rising above mediocrity motivated by revenge. Possession can be like an addiction to totalitarian power or to fame for any price, to drugs, to forbidden desires, to escape in madness. The road to liberation is finding one’s own truth even for the price of life”, explains the libretist Krystyna de Obaldia. “In opera I seek the person, it’s character, attitude, emotions. Singing is to multiply experiences and emotional conflicts of the characters. […Olimpia of Gdańsk] continues the mainstream of theatrical-dramatic opera” – says the composer, Zygmunt Krauze.

Symphonic Concert with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland

8 May 2014, Turku Philharmonic

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Janne Mertanen – piano
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Frederic Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor
Antonin Dvorak – Symphony No. 7 in D minor op. 70

Audience Favourites Concerts with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland

23 & 24 May 2013, Turku Philharmonic

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Giuseppe Verdi – Overture to the opera “Force of Destiny”
Claude Debussy – Afternoon of the Faun
Igor Stravinsky – Firebird Suite 1909
Modest Mussourgsky / arr. Maurice Ravel – Pictures at an Exhibition

Concert tournee with orchestras in Japan

1 March 2013, Tokyo Opera City
5 March 2013, Aichi Arts Center in Nagoya
9 March 2013, Osaka Symphony Hall

Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra,
Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra
Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Richard Strauss – Don Juan
Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 1 in E minor op. 39

CD Recording with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra

Bird Gossip and Other Poems – Witold Lutoslawski for Children
Polskie Radio Katowice CD129 / ZAIKS 2013

Beethoven Academy Orchestra
Anna Borucka – mezzosopran
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Witold Lutoslawski – Five Folk Melodies for String Orchestra
Witold Lutoslawski – Songs for Voice and Chamber Orchestra
Witold Lutoslawski – Six Children Songs for Mezzosoprano and Chamber Orchestra

Educational Concerts with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Upper Silesian Centre of Culture in Katowice, Poland

21 April 2010, Program:
Gioacchino Rossini – Overture to the opera “Wilhelm Tell”
Bedrich Smetana – Tabor from “My Homeland”
Artur Malawski – Hungaria 1956
Dimitr Schostakovitch – Symphony No. 11 mov. 4

18 Feb 2009, Program:
Stanisław Moniuszko – Overture “Fairytale”
Mieczyslaw Karlowicz – Song of Eternal Being from “The Eternal Songs”
Richard Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel

Symphonic Concert with the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra

13 June 2008, Silesian Philharmonic

Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra
Wojciech Waleczek – piano
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Johannes Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor op. 15
Johannes Brahms – Symphony No. 4 in E minor op. 98

Debut Concert with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

9 June 2006, Warsaw Philharmonic

Waraw Philharmonic Orchestra
Magdalena Makowska – violin
Miku Omine – piano
Maja Metelska – conductor

Program:
Henryk Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor op. 22
Sergei Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major op. 26
Johannes Brahms – Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 73

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