History
The Polish Radio Choir was founded in 1948 by Jerzy Gert. The Choir was then directed in turn by Adam Pałka, Jerzy Kurcz, Maciej Ogarek, Stanisław Krawczyński, Bronisława Wietrzny, Małgorzata Orawska, Włodzimierz Siedlik. Since June 2010 this function has been performed by Artur Sędzielarz.
From the day of its foundation until 1994 the Choir was an integral part of the collective body named the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra and Choir. Starting in January of 1994 it has been functioning independently within the structures of the Polish Radio S.A.
The Choir's repertoire includes a cappella music as well as music forms combining vocal and instrumental elements. The Choir performs works representing all styles and epochs, with particular attention given to Polish music. Apart from giving concerts, the Choir has had performances recorded, including archival recordings, for Polish Radio and Television, as well as for many local and foreign phonographic companies.
The Choir has performed many compositions by Polish contemporary composers such as Three poems of Henri Michaux by Witold Lutosławski under the direction of the composer and the works of Krzysztof Penderecki. The Choir also took part in the following numerous festivals in Poland and abroad: Wratislavia Cantans, Ludwig van Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, the Warsaw Autumn, the Poznań Musical Spring, the Duszniki Chopin Festival, Music in Old Cracow, Rossini Opera Festival, Settimana in Monreale, le Festival de la Musique Contemporaine Centre Pompidou, Oratorio und Cantata Festival Rateburg, among others.
At the turn of 2000 and 2001, together with the Israel Kibbutz Orchestra, the Choir took part in a concert tour performing the following works: Szymanowski's Stabat Mater, Mozart's Mass in C-minor, and Schubert's Stabat Mater under the direction of Avi Ostrowski.
In November 2001 the Choir participated in the Europalia Festival in Brussels where, together with the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, it performed Szymanowski's Stabat Mater under the direction of Antoni Wit.
In February 2002 the Choir toured Switzerland, where, together with the Polish Radio Orchestra, it performed Prokofiev's cantata Alexander Newski.
In July 2008 the Choir was once again invited to Israel, this time by the Rishon Le Zion Symphonic Orchestra, there, the Choir perfomed the following works during the concerts: Bethoven's IX Symphony, Poulenc's Gloria, as well as a cappella pieces by M. Zieleński, H.M. Górecki, K. Penderecki, P. Sydor, A. Koszewski, P. Twardowski, among others.
In 2009 the Choir gave concerts in South Korea and Canterbury, as part of the Polish Year. In February 2010 the Polish Radio Choir, together with the National Polish Radio Symphonic Orchestra in Katowice, took part in the first realization of the work entitled Dixi by the Georgian composer G. Kancheli. In the same month the first execution and recording of M. Nyman's Out of the ruins, for mixed choir and organ, was realized by the Polish Radio Choir. As part of the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, in March 2010, the Polish Radio Choir under the direction of Łukasz Borowicz, took part in a concert realization and CD recording of C.M. von Weber's opera Euryanthe, whereas in June 2010, the Choir took part in the concert performance and CD recording of the comic opera L'Hirondelle Inattendue by Szymon Laks.
The Polish Radio Choir cooperates closely with two outstanding Polish composers: Krzysztof Penderecki and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. Every year the Choir gives several concerts in all of Poland performing the a capella works of K.Penderecki. These concerts are directed by the maestro himself.
Numerous archival recordings for the Polish Radio (including world premieres) are the result of the Choir's cooperation with H.M. Górecki, the highlight being the double album issued in 2008.
The Polish Radio Choir is one of the few choirs which has Arnold Schonberg's opera Moses and Aaron in its repertoire. In 1998 the Choir was invited by the Staatstheater in Darmstadt for a joint performance of this work. In 2002 the Choir performed in Palermo in Teatro Massimo, in 2003 in the Stuttgart theater and in 2004 it gave a concert as a guest of the Hamburgische Staatsoper. The Polish Radio Choir has been invited by the Théâtre de la monnaie in Brussels to perform in 2011 the King Roger opera by Karol Szymanowski and to give an a capella concert in the European Parliament to celebrate the inauguration of the Polish Presidency in the European Parliament.