The MPP presents the Cracow Duo's guest residency on Wednesday, March 6th, 2024.
Dodge 620 | 2:40 PM
Dodge 622 | 4:00 PM
About the Cracow Duo:
Magazine “The Strad” wrote about the Cracow Duo: “Kalinowski and Szlezer, friends since childhood, have a wonderfully natural rapport and there is an arresting quality to their playing that gives life to the music”. They studied together in Cracow and Paris and began to perform together as Cracow Duo twenty years ago. Since that time their concerts and recordings received the highest critical acclaim in Poland and abroad with reviews in such media outlets as Polish National Radio, Slovenski Rozhlas, Radio Suddeutsche Rundfunk and important magazines and websites such as ClassiqueInfo, Classical Music Review, Res Musica, American Record Guide, Ruch Muzyczny, Twoja Muza, The Strad and Gramophone.
Musicians performed on the most prestigious stages, including: Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Alfred Newman Hall in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico, Salle Cortot in Paris, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. They made a few-weeks-long tours promoting Polish music in such countries and regions, as: Middle East (2006); Caucasus (2013); Georgia (2014); USA and South Korea (2015); Mexico (2015; 2016); Brazil and Argentina (2016; 2017); USA (2017); China (2018); Georgia (2019); Moldova (2021); USA (2022); Republic of Korea (2022) and Brazil (2023) among others. In 2010, they represented their hometown at Krakow Days in Nanjing (China).
Cellist Jan Kalinowski and pianist Marek Szlezer share a special commitment and fascination with music written by rarely performed Polish composers. They tirelessly perform their works. Among their many programs, the Cracow Duo frequently presented compositions for cello and piano by Fryderyk Chopin, Aleksander Tansman, Karol Szymanowski, Zygmunt Stojowski, Szymon Laks, Ludomir Rożycki and Tadeusz Majerski, as well as works by contemporary Polish and foreign composers written specially for them. Since 2009, Cracow Duo regularly records and releases CDs. Their albums have received numerous awards and distinctions: Aleksander Tansman - works for cello and piano (DUX, 2009), Fryderyk Chopin – complete chamber works (DUX, 2010; with Bartłomiej Nizioł, awarded French critics' award La Clef de ResMusica and nomination for the Polish Music-lovers Award of Polish Radio Program 3rd), Krzysztof Penderecki - chamber music vol. I (DUX, 2014; awarded the Gramophone Editor's Choice award). The musicians also took part in the recording of the real life song album by Joanna Freszel (DUX, 2015; awarded the Prix de la SACD). They recorded Dedykacje (DUX, 2014) presenting compositions written for Cracow Duo by Krakow composers. On the occasion of 15 years of joint artistic activity the book Spod Estrady (2016) was published, Mateusz Borkowski’s interview with artists, as well as the album Memories (DUX, 2016). In 2018, the Warner Classics released the Polish Music Experience album recorded with the Orchestra of the Royal City of Krakow Sinfonietta Cracovia under the baton of Jurek Dybał. In 2021, on the 20th anniversary of the Cracow Duo, musicians recorded an album entitled Classics & Discoveries (DUX, 2021), composed from the most famous pieces for cello and piano combined with lesser-known extraordinary musical discoveries. In 2023, DUX released another album from the Dedications series (vol. 3, DUX, 2023), presenting compositions written for Cracow Duo by Polish composers in years 2015-2022. Recordings of musicians, in addition to favorable reviews have received numerous nominations for the Fryderyk Award (Polish Phonographic Industry Award).
In 2019 they were recognized with Global Music Awards Outstanding Achievement for the best duo performance in Classical Music.
A similar understanding of music and common artistic vision coupled with a virtuosity and a concert experience have produced interpretations that are emotional, sincere and spontaneous.
