WITOLD LUTOSŁAWSKI CONCERT STUDIO OF POLISH RADIO

The studio is located in the radio-television complex at. Jana Pawła Woronicza 17 street. Inaugurated in 1991 as Studio S1, it ranks among Poland’s best concert halls in acoustic terms, and is the best recording studio in this part of Europe. On 27th September 1996, Studio S1 was named after Witold Lutosławski, one of the leading composers of the 20th century, deceased in 1994. Witold Lutosławski was a frequent guest in the radio concert studio, even though he never conducted in the same. In May 1993 the Grand Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio, conducted by Antoni Wit, played his IV Symphony in Lutosławski’s presence. It was the Polish premiere of the work. After the National Philharmonic it is the most important concert hall of Warsaw. It has its own season and audience. It hosted the performances of famous artists, like Martha Argerich, Światosław Richter, Stanisław Bunin, Midori, Misha Maisky, Lucy Van Dael, Shlomo Mintz, La Petite Bande with Sigiswaldem Kuijkenem, Beaux Arts Trio, The Tallis Scholars, Kronos Quartet, Gabrieli Consort & Players with Paul McCreesh, Kuijken Quartet, Collegium Vocale Gent with Philippe Herreweghe; of Polish performers, mention should be made of Jadwiga Rappé, Ewa Podleś, Olga Pasiecznik, Urszula Kryger, Andrzej Hiolski, Jerzy Artysz, Piotr Paleczny, Janusz Olejniczak, Ewa Pobłocka, Piotr Anderszewski, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Kaja Danczowska, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Elżbieta Chojnacka, Andrzej Bauer, Silesian Quartet, Wilanów Quartet, Sinfonia Varsovia, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jan Krenz, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jerzy Semkow, Grzegorz Nowak, Jacek Kaspszyk, and radio bands: Polish Radio Orchestra conducted by Wojciech Rajski and Łukasz Borowicz, Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio "Amadeus" conducted by Agnieszka Duczmal, the National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio conducted by Antoni Wit and Gabriel Chmura, Polish Radio Choir conducted by Włodzimierz Siedlik.
Apart from cyclic symphony and chamber concerts, for ten years since 1995, also music mornings for children and young were staged once a month on a regular basis. Launched again in March 2008, weekly concerts have educational aims. Old and contemporary music, folk, music tales and the music world of opera, are all presented.
Some of the concerts staged in Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio and transmitted to other foreign radio stations, are Polish Radio’s contribution to the concert season of the European Broadcasting Union.

The Studio hosts music festivals and contests. Since 1995, Polish Radio has been co-organising the International Festival of Contemporary Music Warsaw Autumn, therefore, every year in the second half of September the studio features performances of the works of contemporary composers and 20th-century classics. Since 1997, it stages the Music Festival of Polish Radio, organised by Programme 2 of PR. 10 editions already took place: Szymanowski and his Europe, Mieczysław Karłowicz – Associations of Choice, Bach of the Millennium, Chopin 1999 – Sources & Contrasts, Witold Lutosławski, Romantic Fatherlands of Stanisław Moniuszko, Parisians, 80 Years on Air, Wieniawski – Prologue to the Grand Contest, and Szymanowski’s Distant and Close Worlds. Since 1998, once a year it hosts the Folk Music Contest New Tradition, inspired by the Folk Culture Radio Centre. In 1999, Polskie Radio BIS for the first time organised a music contest for youngest performers. The following editions took place: Chopin Junior, Bach Junior, Haydn Junior - addressed to pianists, Wieniawski Junior and Paganini Junior for violinists, Segovia Junior for guitar players. Many of the recordings done at Concert Studio gained distinctions of the International Composers’ Tribune in Paris. Also, many were edited on CD disks by i.a. Polish Radio, Sony, BMG, EMI, CD Accord, RCA, Opus 111, CPO, Pony Canyon, Koch. Numerous recordings received prestigious Polish and foreign distinctions and awards. Among them, the following should be named: Polish Romantic Overtures performed by Orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Grzegorz Nowak; selected Bach cantatas played by Jadwiga Rappé and the band Concerto Avenna conducted by Andrzej Mysiński, Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concerts interpreted by Janusz Olejniczak and Orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Grzegorz Nowak, Mieczyław Karłowicz Songs performed by Jadwiga Rappé and Ewa Pobłocka, Frederic Chopin Waltzes played by Wojciech Świtała. One of many rarities among studio recordings edited on records, is the concert of Martha Argerich with Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Grzegorz Nowak, one of the first phonographic editions of the studio, plus a complete set of works of a 17th-century Polish composer Adam Jarzębski, Canzoni e Concerti performed by musicians of Orchestra of the 18th Century, conducted by violinist Lucy van Dael.
Foreign performers arrive to the radio studio increasingly often. Records were produced here i.a. for Ian Hobson, Kuijken Quartet (Mozart’s and Haydn’s quartets) and La Petite Bande conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken (symphonies and Mozart violin concerts), Yehudi Menuhin with Sinfonia Varsovia recorded in 1997 all Franz Schubert symphonies, in January 1998 a record with opera overtures of Rossini. Also, the latest recording of this great artist was done in our studio.

Apart from classical music, the stage of the Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio also hosts some slightly lighter music from time to time. Popular Polish artists have performed here, such as Ewa Bem, Kayah, Justyna Steczkowska, Edyta Bartosiewicz, Halina Frąckowiak, Zbigniew Wodecki, Hanna Banaszak, Brathanki, Wojciech Młynarski, Grzegorz Turnau, Krzysztof Krawczyk, Stanisław Sojka, Janusz Strobel, plus the cream of jazz musicians like Włodzimierz Nahorny, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Krzysztof Ścierański, Urszula Dudziak, Anna Maria Jopek, Leszek Możdżer, Michał Urbaniak. Also, foreign artists as renowned as the legendary guitar player Jim Hall with his trio, Sadao Watanabe Band, Al Di Meola and Dino Saluzzi and many others, all also performed in our studio.

Another interesting form staged in the studio, are theatre-music performances. It is impossible to name all of them. A major event of 1998 was the Marathon with „Pan Tadeusz”. Leading Polish actors read the complete national epic. This 14-hour performance was edited as a 12-record album at the end of the Mickiewicz Year. The following year, in association with the Słowacki year, two events took place - Juliusz Słowacki’s hourly thoughts, and radio opera „Balladyna” according to Słowacki, with music by Maciej Małecki. In 2000, the concert version was staged of Władysław Żeleński’s opera „Goplana”. A year later, Stanisław Wyspiański’s „Wesele” (The Wedding) on the 100th-anniversary of its premiere, Norwid Homeless – Bal with music by Zygmunt Konieczny, and performance „Various Thoughts” (Myśli różne) according to Ignacy Krasicki, based on the poet’s works. On the 130th anniversary of the death of Stanisław Moniuszko (2002) a semi-stage production of his opera „Hrabina” (Countess) was performed. Other theatre performances presented in the studio were the Roman Triptych of John Paul II, developed and staged by Janusz Kukuła, and „Maria” (Mary), staged on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize awarding to Maria Skłodowska-Curie. All these events were joined by outstanding performers, meeting with enthusiastic reception by viewers and listeners.
The Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio, in order to accomplish complicated vocal and instrumental recordings, may be connected to other recording studios located at Woronicza street (S2 – 32 NEXUS system digital lines) and control room of studio S4/6 (at disposal 32 analogue lines, 32 NEXUS system digital lines, plus 2 visual).

It is equipped with two Steinway pianos model D, factory numbers 504665 and 520685. Both located under the stage. Trapdoor enables to carry them to the Studio stage at any time. We may also provide performers – at additional fee – also with two Neupert harpsichords, one contemporary and a copy of the instrument F. E. Blanchet, Paris 1737, plus celesta and harmonium. Instruments are kept in storage room outside the studio. Wardrobes offer comfortable space to musicians of a large symphony orchestra plus 90-person chorus. Soloists and conductor have at their disposal separate wardrobes with piano and upright piano. The Concert Studio is air-conditioned. It is adjusted to the requirements of television recording, features external connections to mobile transmission unit. The studio is equipped with closed-circuit TV and internal intercom systems.

Concerts are recorded and registered in studio by professional sound directors:
- classical music - Gabriela Blicharz, Lech Dudzik, Zbigniew Kusiak, Andrzej Solczak, Ewa Guziołek-Tubelewicz
- light music - Tadeusz Mieczkowski, Wojciech Przybylski, Jarosław Regulski.

Studio
stage area: 330 m2
auditorium area: 420 m2
cubage: 10,000 m3
places in auditorium: 410
echo time: 2 seconds

Sound system (Surround 5.1)
5-channel suspended system MEYER SOUND UPA-1P (8 units) + subbas 650-P (2 units), processor Yamaha DME 32
Digital console: Yamaha DM2000 (48 microphone tracks)
Monitors: Cervin Vega SM150 (8 units - 8 tracks)
Echoes: Lexicon PCM 70

Control room
console Studer 904A 32
Digital system for registering and editing recordings: Pyramix 4.3
Converters A/D/A: Apogee ROSETTA 800 (24/96) - 2 units
Goniometre: DK-AUDIO MSD600M/SA
Recorders DAT Sony PCM-2800 - 2 units
CDP - Sony PCM 2700
Lamp preamp with converter A/D type Studer D19
Audio monitoring B&W Nautilus 801 with amplifier Pass Lab typ X250, Genelec 1031A, Klein&Hummel 092
Processors TC M5000, Lexicon 960, TC Finalizer - 96K

Microphones – broad choice
condenser microphones:
Schoeps - MK 4; MK 3; MK 41; MK 2S; MK 21; MK 2; BLM 3;
Brauner type VM-1,
Neumann - TLM 50; SM 69; TLM 170; U 87; U 47i; KSM 84;
B&K - 4009; 4006; 4011;

Dynamic microphones:
Electro-Voice RE 20;
AKG - D 222; D 202E; D 190;
Sennheiser 421; 441;
Bayer M 88; M 260;
Shure Beta 58; Beta 87;
wireless microphones – 6 units.

Lighting equipment:
18 winched lighting bars equipped with 3 independent 5kW regulated circuits. Each one can carry 100kg.
The studio also features:
21 units - spotlights 5kW P.O.
21 units - spotlights 2kW P.O.
2 units - spotlights 1kW P.O.
Regulated circuits operated by lighting console Strand Lighting series 300.
Additional power socket 125A behind studio stage.

Please address orders to:

Radiowa Agencja Nagrań i Koncertów
Dział Zarządzania Studiami Nagraniowymi
 ul. J.P. Woronicza 17,
00-977 Warszawa (Warsaw);
phones 22 645-58-46, 22 645-98-58
fax 22 645-39-95,
e-mail: studiawynajem@polskieradio.pl