Mission and Activity

Sinfonietta Polonia realizes its mission under its current general and music director Cheung Chau with remarkable consequence and resilience. According to critics, the development of the orchestra is notable—in the high quality of its musicians following the brave and far-looking interpretations of their conductor, with rich color palette and a truly diverse range of expression. The joy of music making, the palpable enthusiasm of the musicians and the conductor alongside the realization of many ambitious projects cause Sinfonietta Polonia to quickly transform from a purely educational to a truly professional ensemble of high quality. Members of the orchestra include pedagogues, alumni and students of the Music Academy in Poznan, members of professional Polish orchestras (including from Poznan, Bydgoszcz and Kalisz), as well as guest musicians (current or former members of institutions including Longy School of Music, Szczecin Philharmonic, London Philharmonia Orchestra) who join Sinfonietta Polonia periodically, enriching the musical experience for all involved. Members of the orchestra are talented musicians, soloists, chamber musicians, prize winners in numerous national and international competitions.

Besides realization of meaningful and diverse repertoire, the orchestra aims to give young musicians a rich and necessary orchestral experience, preparing them for successful auditions and careers in fully professional orchestras. 

The following highly acclaimed projects representing some of the most important accomplishments of Sinfonietta Polonia to-date attest to the range Sinfonietta Polonia has been known to display in its short history: concert featuring world renowned cellist Colin Carr; world premiere of “Leszczynska Wieza Babel” (Leszno Babel Tower) written by Polish composer and Sinfonietta Polonia member Marcin Herman, in collaboration with musicians from Germany, Czech, USA and Poland; Polish premiere of Mahler’s Das lied von der Erde sung with original Chinese text; concert entitled “Inter musicam et scientiam” in the Poznan Cathedral’; inaugural concert of the 30th Days of Karol Szymanowski Music Festival in Zakopane; three-time participation in the Mozart Festival in Poznan; the Greater Poland premiere of John Rutter’s Requiem with St. Wiechowicz Teachers’ Choir of Ostrow Wielkopolski (nominated as the “event of the year” of the city); inauguration of the 40th H. Wieniawski International Festival in Szczawno-Zdroj; concert entitled “Where is the fountain” [Where are you, the fountain] with Poznan Boys Choir presented a world premiere of Ralf Y. Gawlick’s “Zrodlo” [Fountain] based on text by John Paul II; Yellow River Concerto representing the very first time Chinese music resounded among the walls of the famed Adam MIckiewicz University Hall in Poznan with Ning An as soloist. 

Sinfonietta Polonia collaborated with soloists including cellists Colin Carr and Daniel Veis, pianists Ning An and Andrzej Tatarski, flutist Pierre-Yves Artaud, oboist Nathan Hughes, trumpeter Roman Gryn, violinists Blanka Bednarz, Dominika Falger, Adrian Levine, Ben Sayevich, Anna Maria Staskiewicz, Natalia Walewska and Ying Zhang, scientist/violinist Mark Ptashne, violists Ulrich Knörzer and Marcin Murawski, singers - Chunqing Zhang, Heike Hardt, Donata Hoppel, Anna Karasiñska, Ewa Maksymowicz, Piotr Friebe, Keqing Liu, Tomasz Raczkiewicz, Jaromir Trafankowski, Ingolf Seidel and guest conductors Markus L.Frank, Renchang Fu and Stephan Hardt.

Sinfonietta Polonia receives annual invitation to perform New Year concert tours in the Wielkopolska region, in cities including Poznań, Pila, Konin, Leszno, Obra and Pleszew.  In December 2009/January 2010 the orchestra toured China, performing in Tianjin, Dalian, Shenyan and many other cities.  It's first CD was released under Acte Préable with the world premiere recording of Polish composer's Roman Palester's Serenade forTwo Flutes and String Orchestra with soloists Pierre-Ives Artaud and Ewa Murawska, and chamber works of Palester and Paul Kletzki performed by Blanka Bednarz, Marcin Murawski, Ewa Murawska and Cheung Chau on cello.Sinfonietta Polonia's undertaking of the project entitled "Kunst
macht Frei" (Art makes Freedom), presenting works by composers of the Holocaust imprisoned at the Theresin camp as well as works by their contemporaries written in the spirit of dialogue between cultures, mutual respect and friendship, involving international artists from the Czech Republic, Germany and Israel, and materialized in various cities in Poland has also been notably successful and critically acclaimed.