Athens, Ga. – The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Founded in 1954, the Wroclaw Philharmonic is one of Poland’s leading symphony orchestras. Artistic Director Jacek Kaspszyk will conduct the orchestra in a program featuring both the Symphony No. 7 and the Cello Concerto by Antonin Dvorák.
From the beginning of its existence, the Wroclaw Philharmonic has drawn on the traditions of its home city, which has played host to such artists as Wagner, Mahler and Brahms, who conducted the premiere of his Academic Festival Orchestra there.
The Orchestra has given performances in concert halls throughout the world, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Musikverein in Vienna, International Arts Centre in Antwerp, Tonhalle in Zurick, Festspielhaus in Salzburg, Philharmonie in Cologne and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The orchestra also performed a concert in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York in memory of Pope John Paul II.
The Wroclaw Philharmonic’s recording of Lutoslawski’s Symphonies No. 2 and 4, conducted by Kaspszyk, received the 2011 Fryderyk Award (Poland’s Grammy) for Classical Album of the Year.
Maestro Kaspszyk has been the artistic director of the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006 and was appointed music director of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2009. In addition to recording awards, he was recently nominated for the prestigious Elgar Medal in recognition of his many fine performances of Elgar’s works throughout the years, joining distinguished colleagues such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andrew Litton and Leonard Slatkin.
Kaspszyk has conducted major symphony orchestras around the globe. He began the 2011-12 season in the Far East conducting the China Philharmonic and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra. In the United Kingdom, his debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra was followed by concerts with the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Nancy Riley a Ph.D. candidate in musicology at UGA, will give a pre-concert lecture 45 minutes prior to the Wroclaw Philharmonic performance. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Tickets for the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra concert range from $20 to $49, with special discounts for UGA students. Tickets may be purchased online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at 706/542-4400 or toll free at 888/289-8497.
Underwriters for the Wroclaw are SpringHill Suites by Marriott, the Holiday Inn, the Hilton Garden Inn and the Holiday Inn Express.
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