Prepare for an immensely entertaining evening as we present Opole, the National Philharmonic of Poland, performing Europe's most celebrated music in their popular "Vienna Gala" program.

You will hear some of the most famous waltzes, marches and polkas by the Strauss family dynasty in the 18th and 19th century Viennese musical tradition, as well as the best-loved works by Mozart and Franz Lehar in this program that includes orchestral, violin and vocal arrangements. 

Reviews

"Maestro Dawidow and the Polish Philharmonic offered great melodious lines, pathos and intense playing with great Slavic spirit." -Wiener Zeitung

Opole, Philharmonic of Poland

Boguslaw Dawidow
Music Director and Conductor

Orchestra Biography

The history of the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland can be traced back to the years immediately following World War II. One of Poland’s leading Orchestra’s, the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland was founded in 1947 and became the resident Orchestra of Opole. In 1952, a major Performing Arts Center was built in the city of Opole as permanent home to the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland. In June of 1969, the Orchestra was awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Poland the State Award for Arts Excellence in honor of the great Polish Composer Jósef Elsner.

The Opole, Philharmonic of Poland has performed with most outstanding piano, violin, and vocal soloists in the world. Since 1960, the Orchestra has participated regularly in prestigious Polish cultural events such as the Festival of Contemporary Music in Wroclaw, the Chopin Festival in Duszniki, the Moniuszko Festival in Kudowa-Zdrój, Poznan Musical Spring, and the International Festival of Oratorio and Cantata Music in Wroclaw. Since 1973, the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland has annually appeared as resident Orchestra of the Opole Days of Oratorio Music Festival. The Opole, Philharmonic of Poland has toured extensively abroad to countries as far reaching as Spain, France, Holland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, South America, Hungary, Japan and most recently to Italy and Germany where the Philharmonic performed music of contemporary Polish composers to great critical and popular acclaim.

In September of 1999 Boguslaw Dawidow was appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Opole, Philharmonic Orchestra. Under Maestro Dawidow’s leadership, the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland has hosted a continually growing number of world-famous musicians, winners of international piano, violin and conducting competitions. The Opole, Philharmonic of Poland was the only Polish Orchestra invited to participate in the Gala Concert in Rome to mark the 80th birthday of Pope John Paul II in May 2000. In the Winter of 2011 under the Direction of Maestro Dawidow the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland will undertake for the first time an transcontinental tour of the United States of America.

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Boguslaw Dawidow

Music Director and Conductor
Opole, Philharmonic of Poland

Biography

Internationally renowned for his musical knowledge, immense enthusiasm, as well as being highly valued for his extraordinary stage presence, Maestro Boguslaw Dawidow has served as Music Director of the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland since his appointment by the Ministry of Culture of the government of Poland in September of 1999.

Maestro Dawidow has been highly involved in forming the artistic shape and raising the international stature of the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland in his capacities as both Music Director and General Director of the Philharmonic, and will lead the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland on their first intercontinental tour to the United States of America in the Winter of 2011.

Born in Sopot, Poland, Maestro Dawidow studied conducting under Bohdan Wodiczko and Krzysztof Missona, and later continued his conducting studies and musical education in Vienna and Italy. The most significant influence on Maestro Dawidow’s musical personality came from legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Over the years of his brilliant musical career, Maestro Dawidow has conducted leading Orchestras all over the world including ensembles from  France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Holland, South America, Hungary, China, and Japan. Maestro Dawidow has made numerous audio recordings with the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland, including recordings of the works of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Szymanowski and Elsner that have been met with both great critical and commercial acclaim.

Between the years of 1991 and 1995 Maestro Dawidow was a resident conductor of the Polish Chamber Orchestra and from 1994 until 2002 served as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Russian National Academic Symphony Orchestra, which is one of Russia’s oldest Orchestras, having been established in 1879.

In the 1980s Maestro Dawidow founded the Chopin Chamber Orchestra in Krakow, Poland, with which he continues to tour throughout Europe. In addition to his title of Music Director of the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland, in 1998 Maestro Dawidow was appointed to the post of Principal Guest Conductor of Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra in the United States of America.

Thanks to his exceptional musical talents and wide range of musical experience and management in 2002 the American Biographical Institute in New York bestowed Maestro Dawidow with the title “Man of the Year” in honor of his musical accomplishments on both sides of the Atlantic and extending to the Far East and African continent.

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