The collaboration between the Atom String Quartet and the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra has lasted for almost a decade resulting in many inspiring projects, including jointly released albums. During the concert, the musicians, led by Christian Danowicz, will reinterpret the compositions included on the albums by, among others, Hanna Kulenty-Majoor and the artists of the Atom String Quartet. The evening will begin with the premiere of the Industrial Sinfonia No. 2 for string orchestra and multimedia by Adam Wesołowski.

Of the catalogue of works by this Polish composer active today and based in Silesia, the 2018 Industrial Sinfonia has attracted particular interest in recent years. In this piece, the artist fuses tradition with modernity, combining the acoustic sound of string instruments with the sounds of heavy industrial machinery. As with every premiere, there is also a dose of uncertainty here: will the Industrial Sinfonia No. 2, which will be premiered by the musicians in the NFM Main Hall, explore these tropes even more deeply?

Hanna Kulenty-Majoor’s Concerto Rosso is based on a type of instrumental baroque concerto known as concerto grosso and was created with both the Atom String Quartet and the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra in mind. As the composer emphasises, her starting point was the word “rosso” (Italian for “red”), which perfectly reflects her new compositional style – musique surréalistique, towards which she has been working for years. “Its aim is to transform not only nature or musical conventions, but above all the emotions associated with music,” says Kulenty-Majoor. The score combines strict musical notation with room for improvisation. She also emphasizes that she is only interested in being partly “the architect of the idea, in which the musical tissue is more under the control of the performers”. This idea fits perfectly into what the Atom String Quartet do. Their concert repertoires often include their own compositions and arrangements. They are not only renowned improvisers – each of them composes too, the effects of which can be heard during this concert. The works by Krzysztof Lenczowski which feature in the programme were released on a joint album by the Atom String Quartet and the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra conducted by Christian Danowicz – Supernova. It was awarded a Fryderyk, the most prestigious honour in Polish phonography.