Gheorghe Zamfir & Beethoven Academy Orchestra (Romania / Poland)

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(26.07.2008, 8:30 PM, Main Square)

 

Gheorghe Zamfir

Pan Flute virtouso, popularizer of this unusual instrument and Romanian folk music, also composer and creator of film music for many Hollywood productions („Picnic at Hanging Rock”, „Once upon a time in America” and others). He gained 120 golden and platinum albums, which were sold, so far, in over 120,000,000 copies... Gheorghe Zamfir developed and refreshed traditional Romanian style of playing Pan Flute, modifying the instrument itself by increasing the number of pipes from 20 to 22, 25, 28 and 30, which enhanced its diapazon and at the same time – thanks to his virtuoso technique of playing – allowed him to make 9 different sounds from each pipe.

 

Beethoven Academy Orchestra

The youngest professional symphonic orchestra in the country. It consist of enthusiasts – the most brilliant students and graduates of European music schools, such as Academia Muzyczna in Krakow, Hochschule Für Musik Und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, Royal Music Conservatoire in Brussels, Conservatoire International de Musique in Paris and Universitat für Musik und darstellen Kunst in Graz. The band started playing in 2003 after big success at the 53th edition of festival Jünger Künstler Bayreuth. In 2005, due to Elżbieta Penderecka, Beethoven Academy Orchestra had their concert debut, during 9th Easter Festival of Ludwig van Beethoven in Warsaw. They gained excellent reviews and many invitations for prestigious festivals in the country and abroad. In the same year they recorded their first studio album with Polish music, for the label DUX. Artistic and organizational patronage over the band is being kept from the beginning by the concert master Marcin Klejdysz – graduate of Academy of Music in Krakow, student of Robert Kabara. Beethoven Academy works under the direction of brilliant conductors – Krzysztof Penderecki, Maciej Tworek, Paweł Przytocki, Marek Pijarowski, Łukasz Borowicz, Fausto Nardi – and cooperates with many soloists of young generation – Wojciech Pławner, Łukasz Długosz, So-Ock Kim, Bartosz Koziak, Katarzyna Duda, Iwona Sobotka, Małgorzata Pańko, Rafał Bartmiński, Jan Krzeszowiec and others. Orchestra has recorded six albums so far, for labels: DUX Poland, Centaur Records USA, Le Foxx Music and Universal Music. Currently Beethoven Academy Orchestra is concerting in the country and abroad, realizing among others the tournée promoting the cycle B-9 with all of Beethoven's symphonies. Since March 2008 the orchestra has been working with Michał Dworzyński, who accepted the role of first conductor of the band, which was proposed to him.