Podcasts about adam mickiewicz institute

In Marek Pędziwiatr there is a connection between the past and the present. The history of jazz and the African American musicians, who created it, and Polish innovators from Chopin through Krzysztof Komeda and Niemen. Marek is a hub, a central force pulling his golden threads of jazz, hip-hop, classical music, avant-garde, and Slavic folk. But his interest in weaving these genres together is driven by the human experience.  Marek is an award-winning musician and composer now based in Wrocław. His background in the 90s scene of sampling, rapping, and beat music has blossomed into a sophisticated and authentic jazz that crosses boundaries. He is co-founder of the trio Night Marks, the avant-garde improvised music collective Błoto, and EABS (Electro-Acoustic Beat Sessions). He has played with an incredible array of international musicians and his production work includes producing with Michał Urbaniak, a major figure in jazz fusion, on albums such as “Beats and Pieces” by Urbanator Days.  Like Michał, emotion is a vital aspect in every piece that Marek composes. The identification of this almost mystical quality of melancholy in Slavic culture, explored by generations of Polish artists, also fascinates Marek. And in the interview, he speaks about the importance of feeling in the music he is drawn to. And how he developed the opening of the composition he discusses from his album Slavic Spirits from 2019.  Stories of his own ancestry, poetic symbols, philosophies, and the expression of the complex emotion of being human run parallel to other incentives in his music. There is a deep learning he has gained through the tributes EABS has made such as the “Memorial to Miles” at the Jazz Festival in Kielce in 2015 and the unique Sun Ra with EABS' album “Discipline of Sun Ra” in 2020. There is a clear celebration of these influences and their ability to simply communicate the human spirit in Marek's music and in his eloquent way of speaking about it.  Music from the episode Przywitanie Słońca from the EABS album ‘Slavic Spirits'' Further reading EABS / bio on Culture.pl Marek Pędziwiatr debuts as Latarnik in a piano solo story of remembrance and passing / on Twistedsouldmusic.org Further watching EABS meets JAUBI /  on YouTube.com Jazz.pl: EABS  / on Culture.pl New Polish Jazz: Ones To Watch - Marek Pędziwiatr / on Facebook.com Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Debra Richards. The show is brought to you by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written and produced by Magdalena Stępień & Wojciech Oleksiak Executive production by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

To describe Joanna Duda as simply a pianist doesn't capture the extraordinary dimensions of the music she produces. Whether touching a broken keyboard, using the sound of a rewinding tape machine, or mixing in field recordings, her innate playfulness allows any instrument to blossom - you get a sense that one of her greatest strengths is to listen attentively to whatever she uses. Joanna is also an incredible editor, cutting and mixing with bold and surprising artfulness. It was a friend of the family who played electric bass in the band Kombi that first caught her attention and before she could even string a sentence together she would sit with a piece of wood pretending it was a bass. Like many of the Rebel Spirits, she is classically trained and has been influenced by both Baroque and minimalism. Part of her heritage is Chopin, of course, but it's also her parents' vinyl collection which included plenty of funk and jazz rock and there is often a groove that emerges in her work.  Be it leading the duo J=J, which is when she first came to my attention, or her current trio with Michał Bryndal and Max Mucha, on drums and bass, or playing solo, there is an essence which is clearly Duda. Finding her flow with collaborators is always uppermost and she found that recently with French horn player Morris Kliphuis from the Netherlands. Their project Wake the Dead is for electronics, improvisation, and a Baroque ensemble and premiers in October.  Alongside her love of communication between musicians, she has begun to appreciate a form of creativity that requires her to dig into herself as opposed to reacting to what is coming at her from the outside. Reading, traveling and connecting to nature are part of her current evolution and in this interview, she eloquently describes the ideas that inform her process.  Music from the episode ‘Grasshopper' by Joanna Duda Trio from the ‘Fumitsuke' album  Further reading Joanna Duda / bio on Culture.pl Joanna Duda's website  Further watching 'Grasshopper' music video / on YouTube Joanna Duda Trio in concert / on YouTube Joanna Duda in concert / on YouTube Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Debra Richards. The show is brought to you by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written and produced by Monika Proba Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Executive production by Move Me Media Edited by Monika Proba Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Monika Proba

In the history of jazz, there haven't been many musicians that give credit to their playing video games. But as a nine-year-old hardcore player, Kuba Więcek developed an affinity with repetitive practice and now feels the need for strategic thinking and fast decision-making has stood him in good stead as a bandleader today. After a pivotal moment as a teenager, which he talks about in the interview, when he improvised on his saxophone for the first time, his 10 hour-a-day, video gaming habit switched to music study. I particularly like musicians that approach jazz in an open and authentic way. It's not historical music. Jazz has always been an expression of emotion in the present moment, reflecting the social, political, and cultural atmospheres around us. That's what improvisation is. I think it's also worth noting that Kuba attended the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen of which I'm a big fan. Some of the most exciting artists like bass player, Petter Eldh, and vocalist Lucia Cadotsch studied there. We live in an era of many, many musics. And conservatories like this one in Denmark encourage the exploration of anything and everything. Whether it's Ornette Coleman, or Kanye West, Tomasz Stanko or Bjork. Kuba reveals he has that curiosity which is so vital to creativity. On a trip to New York, he bought some portable synthesizers and took to them as he had done his video games. And when you hear the interview, you'll get a sense of how experimentation is at the heart of his approach and relationship to which is also key to jazz. The interplay between musicians. In this case with his trio of Michał Barański and  Łukasz Żyta, carving new paths in any art will always have its critics. And these new waves of jazz artists face exclusion from jazz record labels and venues and festivals. When Więcek's first album, Another Raindrop was released in the renowned Polish Jazz series, there was a backlash. There were comments about his youth and playing skills. And yet the album won two prestigious awards for best jazz debut. You will hear Kuba weaving in stories of his background, his working methods, and what he's drawn to. You sense he has a quiet confidence and belief in what he is doing. But like all of the best artists, his commitment is to the music and not himself. Music from the episode Jazz Robots by Kuba Więcek Trio feat. Marcin Masecki from the album “Multitasking” Further reading Kuba Więcek / bio on Culture.pl Further watching Jazz Robots music video  / on YouTube Kuba Więcek & Piotr Orzechowski live performance / on YouTube Kuba Więcek Trio live  / on YouTube Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Debra Richards. The show is brought to you by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written and produced by Monika Proba Executive production by Move Me Media Edited by Monika Proba Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

Marcin Masecki considers that he has two parents, jazz and classical music. As a pianist, he is steeped in the tradition of learning piano as a young child with all the purity and precision that comes with that. In this interview, you get the sense of how that triggered Marcin's disruptive streak, and how that has been central to his approach to music. There is reverence and intellectual rebellion. Like many accomplished musicians, there is music in his family. Marcin has spoken of his grandmother teaching him piano exercises, and it was on her vintage Steinway that he recorded his album, Die Kunst der Fuge: Bach/Masecki, with a dictaphone. Yes, with a dictaphone. In fact, this is a key point, because Marcin's appreciation of the imperfect, the broken, and the cult of the Lo-Fi is what brings his soulfulness and natural feel for music to the fore. Such qualities can set musicians apart. Marcin has worked in many contexts, and there's a clear sense from his career, that it's important for him to be free to change his setup. He has recorded solo in a duo and sextet, in bands of nine and 10, as well as big bands. He's released classical jazz and alternative pop music, and even an album of Polish Carols sung in Arabic. In this interview, he focuses on his album of Polonaises. Using a 10-piece band, Marcin hoped to integrate this historical national dance of Poland with jazz and a bit of attitude, once again, bringing forward his appreciation of the defective and the unsettling. There is a picture of the complex journey this musician is on, one in which he continually challenges himself again and again. It's a fascinating insight into this artist. Music from the episode Deuxième Grand Polonaise from Marcin Masecki's album ‘Polonezy' Further reading Marcin Masecki / bio on Culture.pl Further watching Masecki/Młynarski Big Band / on YouTube.com Masecki/Rogiewicz Duo at Adam Mickiewicz Institute / on Culture.pl Masecki plays Scarlatti / on YouTube.com Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Debra Richards. The show is brought to you by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written and produced by Wojciech Oleksiak Executive production by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

  Like most Polish jazz musicians, Zbigniew Namysłowski learned the basics of jazz listening to Willis Conover's “Jazz Hour”. Originally starting his musical career playing piano, cello and trombone, Namysłowski became infatuated with the saxophone after meeting composer Krzysztof Komeda, who happened to be carrying an alto saxophone with him, on a train. During that chance encounter, Namysłowski gave the instrument a try and hasn't stopped playing the saxophone ever since. His original experiments mixing jazz and folk quickly caught people's attention and in 1962, Willis Conover himself invited Namysłowski and his band to the US to play at the Newport Jazz Festival. This incredible opportunity marked the eve of Namysłowski's brilliant international career. Time stamps [01:00] Jazz and communism [02:00] Sopot festivals [04:30] The alto saxophone [06:06] The Voice of America jazz lessons [10:02]The American tour [12:23] Jazz Jamboree [13:40] Folk [17:17] Komeda [18:52] Favorites [23:28] The passport [26:24] Polish-American jazz [27:00] Young talents Music from the episode [11:00]  Composition:  Kalatówki ‘59  Artist: The Wreckers Album: At the last moment [14:15]  Composition: Piątawka  Artist: Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet Album: Lola [19:47]  Composition: Winobranie / Jak nie ma szmalu to jest łaź   Artist: Zbigniew Namysłowski Album: Winobranie  Further reading Zbigniew Namysłowski // on Culture.pl Interview with Zbigniew Namysłowski // on londonjazznews.com Further watching Zbigniew Namysłowski performing in 2021 Zbigniew Namysłowski performing “Kujawiak goes Funky” in 1997  Zbigniew Namysłowski performing with folk musians during Jazz Jamboree in 1994 Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Translated by Mateusz Schmidt Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

Like most Polish jazz musicians, Zbigniew Namysłowski learned the basics of jazz listening to Willis Conover's “Jazz Hour”. Originally starting his musical career playing piano, cello and trombone, Namysłowski became infatuated with the saxophone after meeting composer Krzysztof Komeda, who happened to be carrying an alto saxophone with him, on a train. During that chance encounter, Namysłowski gave the instrument a try and hasn't stopped playing the saxophone ever since. His original experiments mixing jazz and folk quickly caught people's attention and in 1962, Willis Conover himself invited Namysłowski and his band to the US to play at the Newport Jazz Festival. This incredible opportunity marked the eve of Namysłowski's brilliant international career. Time stamps [01:00] Jazz and communism [02:00] Sopot festivals [04:30] The alto saxophone [06:06] The Voice of America jazz lessons [10:02]The American tour [12:23] Jazz Jamboree [13:40] Folk [17:17] Komeda [18:52] Favorites [23:28] The passport [26:24] Polish-American jazz [27:00] Young talents Music from the episode [11:00]  Composition:  Kalatówki ‘59  Artist: The Wreckers Album: At the last moment [14:15]  Composition: Piątawka  Artist: Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet Album: Lola [19:47]  Composition: Winobranie / Jak nie ma szmalu to jest łaź   Artist: Zbigniew Namysłowski Album: Winobranie  Further reading Zbigniew Namysłowski // on Culture.pl Interview with Zbigniew Namysłowski // on londonjazznews.com Further watching Zbigniew Namysłowski performing in 2021 Zbigniew Namysłowski performing “Kujawiak goes Funky” in 1997  Zbigniew Namysłowski performing with folk musians during Jazz Jamboree in 1994 Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Translated by Mateusz Schmidt Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

Adam Makowicz grew up in a house where a piano was the centre of the home. His mother had long planned for him to become a classical virtuoso, but a meeting with a musician who introduced him to jazz changed this path completely. Adam packed his bags and left for Kraków, where he moved into a jazz nightclub and immediately became part of the city's jazz scene. It was here where his thorough classical education and incredible talent led him to create his unique virtuoso style, one that merged the technique associated with classical music with the vibrance of jazz. In this episode, this standout Polish jazz pianist talks about freedom, beauty and interpretation in jazz music. Time stamps: [01:06] The centre of our home [02:03] Art Tatum [02:59] Radio [04:40] Rebel [05:09] Under the piano [06:49] Duo with Urszula Dudziak [09:30] John Hammond [11:06] Freedom [13:23] The first polish jazz virtuoso [14:04] Solo [15:10] Beauty  [15:58] New York [17:34] Martial Law [19:51] Chopin [22:20] Home Read the transcript of this episode Music from this episode [07:00] Composition: Darkness and Newborn Light Artist: Urszula Dudziak and Adam Makowicz Album: Newborn Light  [10:08] Composition: Chopin's Willows Artist Adam Makowicz Album: Adam  [20:44] Composition: Prelude No. 24 In D Minor Artist: Adam Makowicz, Leszek Możdżer Album: Możdżer vs. Makowicz at the Carnegie Hall  Further Reading  Adam Makowicz // on Culture.pl Willis Conover: The American Godfather of Polish Jazz // on Culture.pl Interview with Willis Conover // on memory.loc.gov Further Watching Adam Makowicz performing in 1986 Adam Makowicz performing with Leszek Możdżer Unit // Full album Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

Adam Makowicz grew up in a house where a piano was the centre of the home. His mother had long planned for him to become a classical virtuoso, but a meeting with a musician who introduced him to jazz changed this path completely. Adam packed his bags and left for Kraków, where he moved into a jazz nightclub and immediately became part of the city's jazz scene. It was here where his thorough classical education and incredible talent led him to create his unique virtuoso style, one that merged the technique associated with classical music with the vibrance of jazz. In this episode, this standout Polish jazz pianist talks about freedom, beauty and interpretation in jazz music. Time stamps: [01:06] The centre of our home [02:03] Art Tatum [02:59] Radio [04:40] Rebel [05:09] Under the piano [06:49] Duo with Urszula Dudziak [09:30] John Hammond [11:06] Freedom [13:23] The first polish jazz virtuoso [14:04] Solo [15:10] Beauty  [15:58] New York [17:34] Martial Law [19:51] Chopin [22:20] Home Read the transcript of this episode Music from this episode [07:00] Composition: Darkness and Newborn Light Artist: Urszula Dudziak and Adam Makowicz Album: Newborn Light  [10:08] Composition: Chopin's Willows Artist Adam Makowicz Album: Adam  [20:44] Composition: Prelude No. 24 In D Minor Artist: Adam Makowicz, Leszek Możdżer Album: Możdżer vs. Makowicz at the Carnegie Hall  Further Reading  Adam Makowicz // on Culture.pl Willis Conover: The American Godfather of Polish Jazz // on Culture.pl Interview with Willis Conover // on memory.loc.gov Further Watching Adam Makowicz performing in 1986 Adam Makowicz performing with Leszek Możdżer Unit // Full album Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

“Polish jazz group - 100$ a night” Displayed on the posters in Michał Urbaniak's band's van while playing across Europe in the 60s, this hippy travelling player was soon to become one of the most innovative Polish jazz musicians in history. Though his  European career was quickly evolving,  the old continent simply didn't feel like enough. From a very young age, Michał knew at heart that he was a New Yorker, eventually jumping at the first chance he got to move to the world's jazz capital and signing with the legendary Columbia Records. The rest is history. Time stamps [01:11]  The Boys of America [02:29]  An Introduction to Miles [03:22]  New Yorker at heart [07:52]  100$ a night [09:55]  The violin [11:23] New York [12:14]  Columbia [13:19]  Folk [16:16]  The impossible deal [19:08]  Young talents [19:52]  Meeting Miles [23:15]  Poetry & jazz [27:22]  Young musicians Music from the episode [07:33] Composition: Bengal Artist: Super Constellation Album editions: Super Constellation / Fusion I [14:13] Composition: New York Baca Artist: Michał Urbaniak/Michał Urbaniak's Fusion Album: Atma [20:34] Composition: Don't Lose Your Mind Artist: Miles Davis Album: Tutu [25:44] Composition: Square Park Sunday Artist: Urbanator Album: Urbanator Further reading Michał Urbaniak // on Culture.pl Interview with Michał Urbaniak // on Culture.pl Michał Urbaniak's web page Further watching  “New Yorker by Choice” // documentary film about Michał Urbaniak "Chameleon" by Urbanator // Music video Michał Urbaniak performing with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions. The project was carried out thanks to the cooperation with Polskie Nagrania / Warner Music Poland, Sony Music Publishing Poland Sp. z o.o and Urbaniak.com Foundation.

“Polish jazz group - 100$ a night” Displayed on the posters in Michał Urbaniak's band's van while playing across Europe in the 60s, this hippy traveling player was soon to become one of the most innovative Polish jazz musicians in history. Though his  European career was quickly evolving,  the old continent simply didn't feel like enough. From a very young age, Michał knew at heart that he was a New Yorker, eventually jumping at the first chance he got to move to the world's jazz capital and signing with the legendary Columbia Records. The rest is history. Time stamps [01:11]  The Boys of America [02:29]  An Introduction to Miles [03:22]  New Yorker at heart [07:52]  100$ a night [09:55]  The violin [11:23] New York [12:14]  Columbia [13:19]  Folk [16:16]  The impossible deal [19:08]  Young talents [19:52]  Meeting Miles [23:15]  Poetry & jazz [27:22]  Young musicians Music from the episode [07:33] Composition: Bengal Artist: Super Constellation Album editions: Super Constellation / Fusion I [14:13] Composition: New York Baca Artist: Michał Urbaniak/Michał Urbaniak's Fusion Album: Atma [20:34] Composition: Don't Lose Your Mind Artist: Miles Davis Album: Tutu [25:44] Composition: Square Park Sunday Artist: Urbanator Album: Urbanator Further reading Michał Urbaniak // on Culture.pl Interview with Michał Urbaniak // on Culture.pl Michał Urbaniak's web page Further watching  “New Yorker by Choice” // documentary film about Michał Urbaniak "Chameleon" by Urbanator // Music video Michał Urbaniak performing with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions. The project was carried out thanks to the cooperation with Polskie Nagrania / Warner Music Poland, Sony Music Publishing Poland Sp. z o.o and Urbaniak.com Foundation.

It may be hard to believe, but when Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski started playing music, jazz was censored in Poland. As a result of Stalin's cultural politics that governed what kinds of art and culture could be consumed in the country,  anything that may have been associated with western imperialism was formally excluded from public life. However, these rigid policies only made jazz more appealing, leading many young people across the country, like Ptaszyn, to fall in love with it. After Stalin's death in 1953, Ptaszyn entered the newly re-born jazz scene with a bang and quickly became the epitome of the genre. Not only one of Polish jazz's most brilliant musicians, Ptaszyn is also seen by many as its voice. For over 50 years he's hosted  “45 Minutes of Jazz” a Polish radio show dedicated to jazz that continues to inspire several new generations of musicians and jazz aficionados. Time stamps [01:11] Outlawed music [03:36] Forbidden love [04:21] Willis Conover [06:53] First jazz events [09:19] Sopot Jazz Festival [12:54] Warsaw - Newport [17:26] Polish Jazz records [20:01] What is Polish jazz? [21:03] Polish Jazz Quartet [22:37] The Polish Radio Jazz Studio Orchestra [24:48] 45 minutes of jazz [26:28] Cruise ships [28:05] The end of the communist regime [28:43] The nineties Music from the episode [06:53] Composition: Memory of Bach Artist: Sextet Komedy Album: Jazz 56. I Ogólnopolski Festiwal muzyki jazzowej  [19:42] Composition: One Step Nearer You Artist: Kurylewicz Quintet Album: Go Right [28:33] Composition: Czarownica   Artist: Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski Sextet Album: Komeda. Moja słodka europejska ojczyzna Further reading Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski // on Culture.pl 'Birds Of A Feather...' The Godfather Of Polish Jazz, Jan 'Birdman' Wroblewski, At Birdland // on top40-charts.com Watch more Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski performing in Poland in 1981 Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski performing at the Sibiu Jazz Festival in 2009 Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Bartosz Borowiec & Jan Burzyński Produced by Move Me Media Hosted by Paweł Brodowski Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Translated by Mateusz Schmidt Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

Urszula's love for unruly musical experiments got her kicked out from music school when she was a young girl. A few years later, like many young Poles, she stumbled upon The Voice of America - a radio station meant to bring American culture and censorship-free news to people locked up behind the Iron Curtain. This program is where Urszula heard jazz for the first time. Blown away by the uniqueness of the music, one of the voices she heard marked her particularly - the voice of Ella Fitzgerald. Hearing Ella made her realize the extent of creative freedom jazz could offer, specifically, her understanding that people's voices can serve as musical instruments. From then on, Urszula started developing her distinctive style of wordless vocalisation that can transport listeners to another dimension. Time stamps [01:55] The accordion [02:44] Trouble in school  [03:21] The Voice of America [04:44] Ella Fitzgerald [07:09] American jazz [08:35] Krzysztof Komeda [10:44] Love [11:29] Scandinavian restaurants [13:33] All that smoke [15:02] Discovering electronics [16:30] Duo with Adam Makowicz [19:16] New York [22:33] Papaya  [29:24] The best age Click here to read the transcript for this episode Music from the episode [14:08] Composition: Bengal Artist: Super Constellation  Album editions: Super Constellation / Fusion I  [17:37] Composition: Darkness and Newborn Light Artist: Urszula Dudziak and Adam Makowicz Album: Newborn Light  [22:33] Composition: Papaya  Artist: Urszula Dudziak Album: Urszula [26:18] Composition: Kama  Artist: Michał Urbaniak/Michał Urbaniak's Fusion Album: Atma Further reading Urszula Dudziak // on Culture.pl A Foreigners Guide to Polish Jazz // on Culture.pl Willis Conover: The American Godfather of Polish Jazz // on Culture.pl From bop to żal: how jazz became the voice of freedom in Poland // on Guardian.com Further watching Urszula performing in 1973 Urszula performing in 1998 Filipino soldiers dancing the Papaya dance Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Hosted by Paweł Brodowski Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Translated by Mateusz Schmidt Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

It may be hard to believe, but when Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski started playing music, jazz was censored in Poland. As a result of Stalin's cultural politics that governed what kinds of art and culture could be consumed in the country,  anything that may have been associated with western imperialism was formally excluded from public life. However, these rigid policies only made jazz more appealing, leading many young people across the country, like Ptaszyn, to fall in love with it. After Stalin's death in 1953, Ptaszyn entered the newly re-born jazz scene with a bang and quickly became the epitome of the genre. Not only one of Polish jazz's most brilliant musicians, Ptaszyn is also seen by many as its voice. For over 50 years he's hosted  “45 Minutes of Jazz” a Polish radio show dedicated to jazz that continues to inspire several new generations of musicians and jazz aficionados. Time stamps [01:11] Outlawed music [03:36] Forbidden love [04:21] Willis Conover [06:53] First jazz events [09:19] Sopot Jazz Festival [12:54] Warsaw - Newport [17:26] Polish Jazz records [20:01] What is Polish jazz? [21:03] Polish Jazz Quartet [22:37] The Polish Radio Jazz Studio Orchestra [24:48] 45 minutes of jazz [26:28] Cruise ships [28:05] The end of the communist regime [28:43] The nineties Music from the episode [06:53] Composition: Memory of Bach Artist: Sextet Komedy Album: Jazz 56. I Ogólnopolski Festiwal muzyki jazzowej  [19:42] Composition: One Step Nearer You Artist: Kurylewicz Quintet Album: Go Right [28:33] Composition: Czarownica   Artist: Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski Sextet Album: Komeda. Moja słodka europejska ojczyzna Further reading Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski // on Culture.pl 'Birds Of A Feather...' The Godfather Of Polish Jazz, Jan 'Birdman' Wroblewski, At Birdland // on top40-charts.com Watch more Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski performing in Poland in 1981 Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski performing at the Sibiu Jazz Festival in 2009 Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Bartosz Borowiec & Jan Burzyński Produced by Move Me Media Hosted by Paweł Brodowski Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Translated by Mateusz Schmidt Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.Meet the godfather and voice of Polish jazz.

Urszula's love for unruly musical experiments got her kicked out from music school when she was a young girl. A few years later, like many young Poles, she stumbled upon The Voice of America - a radio station meant to bring American culture and censorship-free news to people locked up behind the Iron Curtain. This program is where Urszula heard jazz for the first time. Blown away by the uniqueness of the music, one of the voices she heard marked her particularly - the voice of Ella Fitzgerald. Hearing Ella made her realize the extent of creative freedom jazz could offer, specifically, her understanding that people's voices can serve as musical instruments. From then on, Urszula started developing her distinctive style of wordless vocalisation that can transport listeners to another dimension. Time stamps [01:55] The accordion [02:44] Trouble in school  [03:21] The Voice of America [04:44] Ella Fitzgerald [07:09] American jazz [08:35] Krzysztof Komeda [10:44] Love [11:29] Scandinavian restaurants [13:33] All that smoke [15:02] Discovering electronics [16:30] Duo with Adam Makowicz [19:16] New York [22:33] Papaya  [29:24] The best age Music from the episode [14:08] Composition: Bengal Artist: Super Constellation  Album editions: Super Constellation / Fusion I  [17:37] Composition: Darkness and Newborn Light Artist: Urszula Dudziak and Adam Makowicz Album: Newborn Light  [22:33] Composition: Papaya  Artist: Urszula Dudziak Album: Urszula [26:18] Composition: Kama Ula Artist: Michał Urbaniak/Michał Urbaniak's Fusion Album: Atma Further reading Urszula Dudziak / on Culture.pl A Foreigners Guide to Polish Jazz / on Culture.pl From bop to żal: how jazz became the voice of freedom in Poland / on Guardian.com Further Watching Urszula performing in 1973 Urszula performing in 1998 Filipino soldiers dancing the Papaya dance Credits This episode of Rebel Spirits was hosted by Paweł Brodowski. The show is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Written by Wojciech Oleksiak & Monika Proba Produced by Move Me Media Hosted by Paweł Brodowski Edited by Wojciech Oleksiak Proofread by Adam Żuławski Translated by Mateusz Schmidt Design by Dawid Ryski Scoring & sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak Copyrights The publisher would like to thank all copyright owners for their kind permission to reproduce their material. Should, despite our intensive research, any person entitled to rights have been overlooked, legitimate claims shall be compensated within the usual provisions.

This week we've a special preview for you: Rebel Spirits! It's a podcast about five Polish jazz musicians who came of age in the 1950s and became mesmerised by the music they heard on the outlawed American radio station Voice of America. You'll hear how they went from learning to play jazz from worn-out vinyls to becoming icons that continue to inspire the music world today. Hosted by Paweł Brodowski, Rebel Spirits is brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Coming June 2021. Available wherever you get your podcasts, and on Culture.pl.

A podcast about five Polish jazz musicians who came of age in the 1950s and became mesmerised by the music they heard on the outlawed American radio station Voice of America. You'll hear about difficult decisions, compromises, and longing for a better world. How they went from learning to play jazz from worn-out vinyls to becoming icons that continue to inspire the music world today. Hosted by Paweł Brodowski, brought to you by Culture.pl, the flagship brand of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. ‘Rebel Spirits: The Story of Polish Jazz', coming June 2021. Available wherever you get your podcasts, and on Culture.pl.

Discover the relentless climber who changed the world's deadliest sport... In the early 1960s, a woman decided that the way men were dominating the world of mountain climbing didn’t make any sense. She went on to defy the whole community and became an icon, a trail-blazer who energised the whole community of female climbers and proved that women are capable of being self-sufficient, excellent climbers.   Her name was Wanda Rutkiewicz and to date, she is one of the most memorable female climbers, the first European to climb Mount Everest, the first woman ever to climb K2, and the only female climber of her time who could challenge men and prove to them women were equal.   However, underneath all this success there was loneliness, dejection, and desperate efforts to build a normal life outside of 8000-metre-high peaks…   Like our show? Sign up for our newsletter! Time stamps [02:06] A handful of facts before we go [06:56] Wanda’s first Himalayan Experiences [12:10] Mount Everest, K2 and other achievements [19:53] The Caravan of Dreams [23:40] The Decline and Kanchenjunga [29:10] But what is it that makes people climb? Further reading Death Before Failure: Wanda Rutkiewicz & The Golden Age of Polish Mountaineering / on Culture.pl Freedom Climbers by Bernadette McDonald / book on Amazon.com Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordan / book on Amazon.com Wanda Rutkiewicz / on Wikipedia.org A Caravan of Dreams by Gertrude Reinisch / book on Amazon.com Stairway to Heaven / infographic on Economist.com Further watching Art of Freedom / an Adam Mickiewicz Institute documentary about Wanda and other exceptional Polish climbers of the Himalayas Jennifer Jordan: Women of K2 / a WGBH Forum lecture about the first female climbers of K2 Thanks Bernadette McDonald / for sharing with us her memories of Wanda as well as opinions of other climbers that she gathered during the writing of her book Freedom Climbers. Bernadette is a Canadian-born author of several non-fiction books, primarily on mountain culture topics, including Brotherhood of the Rope, Tomaž Humar, and Freedom Climbers. Her most recent book Art Of Freedom, tells the story of another outstanding Polish climber: Voytek (Wojtek) Kurtyka Piotr Pustelnik / for taking time out of his busy day and sharing with us his views on Wanda and mountain climbing in general. Piotr is a legendary climber, and one of the few people who has successfully climbed all fourteen of the eight-thousanders. He recently released his autobiography: Ja, Pustelnik. Samuel Crowin / for putting his field recordings on the Internet and available under a creative commons license. Samuel travelled from the south of India to Nepal and back again in the winter and spring of 2015 and recorded hours of genuine music and ambiances. Thanks to his generous approach we were able to present you the most realistic local music you can get.   SFTEW Team: Wojciech Oleksiak, Adam Zulawski, Grażyna Soczewka & Michael Keller

Discover the Iron Curtain's unlikeliest music haven and the people who made it happen. In 1957, the Polish Radio Experimental Studio (PRES) first opened its doors in Warsaw, and would very soon become an important European centre for the creation of exciting and original electro-acoustic music. But how did such a place even come to be built in Poland, just a few years after the death of Stalin and the severe artistic restrictions of Social Realism? In this episode, you will find out what exactly went on inside the strange electronic depths of the PRES, and how through the efforts of its first director, Józef Patkowski, the studio became a 'window to the world', hosting the best composers from both the Eastern Bloc and the West. You'll also hear the remarkable story of Eugeniusz Rudnik, a technician from a small Polish village, who after spending countless hours helping out others with tape machines and signal generators found unexpected success and recognition. Like our show? Sign up for our newsletter! Further listening Psalmus by Krzysztof Penderecki, 1961 Etude aux Chemins de Fer by Pierre Henri Marie Schaeffer, 1948 Studie 1 by Karlheinz Stockhausen, 1953 Study for One Cymbal Stroke by Włodzimierz Kotoński, 1959 Symphony - Electronic Music by Boguslaw Schaeffer, 1966 Ode to Light (Sculpture) by Arne Nordheim, 1968 Mobile for Magnetic Tape by Eugeniusz Rudnik, 1965 Further reading The Story Behind the Experimental Music Haven that Escaped Communist Censorship / from Culture.pl The Musical Milestones of the Polish Radio Experimental Studio / on Culture.pl PRES Cheatsheet: Four Giants from Poland's Legendary Music Studio / on Culture.pl A Foreigner's Guide to Polish Electronic Music / on Culture.pl Eugeniusz Rudnik / biography on Culture.pl Full archive of PRES articles on Culture.pl A History of Electroacoustic Music in Poland from the Perspective of the Polish Radio Experimental Studio 1957-1990 / on Sound Exchange Spatial Music: Design and the Polish Radio Experimental Studio / on post at MoMA How Much Rudnik is in Penderecki, and How Much Rudnik is in Nordheim? Interview with Eugeniusz Rudnik / on post at MoMA   Further watching 15 Corners of the World / on Ninateka.pl (Click 'English version' to the right of the player for subtitles) Eugeniusz Rudnik Q&A / from the Polish Cultural Institute in London's Youtube channel Uncovering the Soul of the Polish Radio Experimental Studio link opens page / on Culture.pl's Youtube channel Thanks Antoni Beksiak / for kindly initiating us into the technological and musical history of the studio. Antoni is a music critic, musician and festival curator (Turning Sounds et al.). He leads the bands Niewte and Gęba.  Łukasz Strusiński / for inviting us to the International PRES Conference in Łódź (October 2017) and helping us navigate this topic. Łukasz is a classical music expert and part of the Master Project team at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Agnieszka Pindera / for sharing her knowledge about the studio and those closely involved with it, including Józef Patkowski, Eugeniusz Rudnik and Władysław Sokorski. Agnieszka is a curator at Muzeum Sztuki in Łodź and organiser of the International PRES Conference held at the museum in 2017. Paweł Nowożycki / for talking to us about the iconic Black Room at PRES and its planned re-construction at the new Museum of Modern Art (MSN) building in Warsaw. Paweł is a curator at MSN and head of the PRES reconstruction project. David Crowley / for shedding light on the historical and artistic background of the studio as a place of creative openness behind the Iron Curtain and its important links with Western studios and composers. David Crowley is the Head of the School of Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.   SFTEW Team: Wojciech Oleksiak, Adam Zulawski, John Beauchamp, Nitzan Reisner & Piotr Wołodźko

Learn how a strange unwanted building became a lasting symbol of a capital city. In the first of our two-part series on Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science, our hosts discussed the post-war rebuilding of the savagely-destroyed Warsaw and the controversial origins of the palace’s construction. In the concluding part of our series, our hosts dive deeper into the palace’s corridors and explore the massive impact it has had on Warsaw. For example, after initial deliberation, what was the palace actually used for? What did people think of this palace shortly after its creation?  What do they think about it now? Above all, how has this palace, despite the controversy surrounding it, become a cultural icon for the city? Like our show? Sign up for our newsletter! Time stamps [00:37] Brief recap of our last episode, about post-war Warsaw and the palace’s construction. [03:39] A guided audio tour through the palace itself. [11:20] What did Polish people think about the palace? [13:37] Why did people write letters to the palace and what did they write about? [18:00] How did the palace become the focal point of public debate after the fall of communism? [23:00] How has the palace come to be a lasting symbol of Warsaw? Further reading The Controversial Story of Stalin’s Palace in Warsaw / on Culture.pl Video: The Controversial Story of Stalin’s Palace / on Youtube How Warsaw Came Close to Never Being Rebuilt / on Culture.pl Palace of Culture and Science Website  / official website Belly of the Beast: The Controversial Side of the Palace / on Calvertjournal.com An Interview with Czesław Bielecki / on Freedom Collection Thanks Michał Murawski / for generously devoting his lunchtime to telling us about the social life of the palace. Michał is architecture and city anthropologist based at the Department of Russian, Queen Mary’s, University of London. Maria Wojtysiak / for telling us about her childhood ties with the palace, and explaining why she decided to fight to put it on the list of Poland’s Objects of Cultural Heritage. Maria is a renowned architect and a member of numerous organisations that aim to preserve Warsaw’s historical buildings. Czesław Bielecki / for sharing his ideas about turning the palace into a museum about communism. Czesław is an architect and political activist, a former political prisoner of the communist state, and a democratic dissident. Createtours / for kindly giving us an in-depth tour of the palace and telling us all their entertaining stories about it. The America Programme at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute / for inviting us to their conference about the palace and making the interview with Michał Murawski possible.   SFTEW Team: Wojciech Oleksiak, Adam Zulawski, Lea Berriault, John Beauchamp, Nitzan Reisner & Michael Keller

Find out about the creation of Stalin's controversial Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw. Following World War II, much of Poland lay in ruins and unfortunately found itself on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain.  Warsaw was no exception. By the end of the war, the city was virtually destroyed and for a short time many considered moving the capital elsewhere in Poland. Once the reconstruction efforts had begun, the Soviet Union, eager to spread their influence to the newly-formed communist nation, presented the Polish people with an architectural gift. That gift, the Palace of Culture and Science, was a 42-story Stalinist skyscraper that would be constructed right in the heart of Warsaw. In the first episode of our two-part series on Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science, our hosts discuss post-war reconstruction efforts in Warsaw and the strange origins of this Stalinist colossus. What were the immediate challenges of rebuilding a city that was almost entirely razed during the war?  Would the reconstructed city look like it did before the war? Or would older architectural designs be jettisoned in favor 'socialist realism'?  Lastly, why would this palace, a manifestation of Stalinist excess, be built in a city that still lay mostly in ruins? Like our show? Sign up for our newsletter! Time stamps [03:44] What did Warsaw look like after the Second World War? [05:06] Why did some government officials want to move the Polish capital? [07:02] What was the conflict between modernists and conservatives during the post-war reconstruction efforts? [09:28] What was the chosen solution for rebuilding Warsaw? [11:53] Why did they decide to build a skyscraper in the middle of a ruined city? [14:48] What problems did the palace present for the devastated city? [15:22] What were the plans for construction and how were they carried out?  [19:07] What happened to the palace after it was built? [19:55] Palace: Part II preview Further reading The Controversial Story of Stalin’s Palace in Warsaw / on Culture.pl Celebrating 60 Years of the Palace of Culture and Science / on Culture.pl Palace of Culture and Science / official website How Warsaw Came Close to Never Being Rebuilt / on Culture.pl Socialist Realism in Poland / on Wikipedia Marek Żuławski's diary: 'In The Shadow of the Mechanised Apocalypse: Warsaw 1946' / on TranslatingMarek.com The Warsaw That Wasn’t: Using VR to Explore a City Denied by WWII / on Culture.pl Thanks Beata Chomątowska / for kindly agreeing to tell us the story of Warsaw being resurrected from the ashes. Beata is a writer, journalist and the president and co-founder of the Association of Social and Cultural Initiatives Stacja Muranów. Michał Murawski / for generously devoting his lunch time to telling us about the social life of the palace. Michał is an anthropologist of architecture and cities based at the Department of Russian, Queen Mary, University of London. America Programme at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute / for inviting us to the conference about the palace and making the interview with Michał Murawski possible.   SFTEW Team: Wojciech Oleksiak, Adam Zulawski, John Beauchamp, Lea Berriault, Nitzan Reisner & Michael Keller

Vergil and guest host Stevenson Grammot shoot the s&#t with John Beauchamp. John is a half-British, half-Polish journalist, communications specialist and translator based in Warsaw. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Culture.pl, a website run by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute which promotes Polish culture abroad. He also runs Homegrown Media, a boutique content marketing and podcast production agency. John has over a decade’s experience in radio broadcast production and journalism, and has worked for Polskie Radio, Radio Netherlands, Radio Prague, Austrian Radio (ORF FM4) and the BBC. John has also worked for a European think-tank in Brussels, where he lived for a year, and a venture capital fund in Warsaw. Believe it or not, he provides the English-language “voice” on Warsaw transport, including the Metro.

We had the fantastic opportunity to travel to Wrocław, Poland to attend the storied World Music Days festival, where we met a wealth of Polish composers who are part of the living legacy of this vibrant cultural mecca. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Krzysztof Penderecki: Violin Concerto No. 2, Metamorphosen, V (excerpt) London Symphony Orchestra/Penderecki; Anne-Sophie Mutter, v. Witold Lutosławski, arr. Marta Ptaszynska: Paganini Variations Safru Duo and Slovak Piano Duo Hanna Kulenty: Breathe for String Orchestra Wrocław Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra/Ernst Kovacic Mateusz Ryczek: 28 Days of Moon Ensemble Kwartludium Marta Ptaszynska: La Novella d'Inverno (Winter's Tale) for Strings Polish Chamber Orchestra/Jerzy Maksymiuk Zygmunt Krause: Fête galante et Pastorale (excerpt) Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Jacek Rogala; Music Workshop Generous sponsorship of these episodes has been provided by LOT Polish Airlines and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

We had the fantastic opportunity to travel to Wrocław, Poland to attend the storied World Music Days festival, where we met a wealth of Polish composers who are part of the living legacy of this vibrant cultural mecca. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Jacek Sotomski: beautiful to me. ah (excerpt) NFOM Chamber Orchestra Leopoldinum/Ernst Kovacic; Rafał Łuc, accord.; Jacek Sotomski, live electronics Agata Zubel: Not I (excerpt) Klangforum Wien/Clement Power Michał Moc: stuntmen's relay AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of Tychy/Marek Moś Paweł Hendrich: Emergon αβ (excerpts) Ensemble Musikfabrik/Masson Zygmunt Krauze: Piano Concerto No. 1 (excerpt) Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Wojciech Michniewski; Krauze, p. Generous sponsorship of these episodes has been provided by LOT Polish Airlines and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.