Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir - NOSPR

The choir was created in March 2013, and its initiators were prof. V. Bielecka and M. Nałęcz-Niesiołowski. The core of the ensemble consists of long-time members of the „Cantica Cantamus” Białystok Chamber Choir, led by its current conductor and artistic director – prof. V. Bielecka. Currently, the choir has the honour of collaborating with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, participating in subsequent editions of the “Chopin and his Europe” International Music Festival. It was there that, together with Europa Galante, an Italian instrumental ensemble specialising in early music performance, under the baton of Maestro F. Biondi, they presented concert versions of the operas „I Capuleti e i Montecchi” and „Norma” by V. Bellini and „Macbeth” by G. Verdi. The two ensembles recorded “Macbeth” in its original 1847 Florence version and released it with the Glossa label (2018). In 2018, celebrating Moniuszko’s Year, they came back together to record the composer’s two operas: „Halka” and „Haunted Manor”. January 2019 saw them inaugurate Moniuszko’s year with another performance together, this time on the stage of the Grand Theatre – National Opera, presenting S. Moniuszko’s „Halka” in Italian (a 19th-century translation).

The choir’s collaboration with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra resulted in numerous exquisite concerts and recordings of F. Nowowiejski’s oratorio „Quo vadis” op. 13 for soprano, baritone, bass, mixed choir, symphonic orchestra and organ, as well as S. Moniuszko’s “mythological cantatas” „Nijoła” and „Milda” conducted by Ł. Borowicz. From 2009 to 2012, the ensemble was performing under the baton of the contemporary Polish composer Maestro K. Penderecki, with whom they performed such works of his as: Symphony No. 7: Seven Gates of Jerusalem, Symphony No. 8 "Lieder der Vergänglichkeit", and „Polish Requiem”. Their collaboration with the Ludwig van Beethoven Association resulted in album recordings and performances of concert versions of the operas „Euryanthe” by C.M. von Weber and „Maria Padilla” by G. Donizetti with the Polish Radio Orchestra conducted by Maestro Ł. Borowicz.

The choir gives numerous concerts both in Poland and abroad (they have visited such countries as: Belgium, Belarus, France, Lithuania, Moldova, Germany, Romania, Ukraine, Italy). They perform in prestigious concert halls and are invited to participate in renowned festivals, such as: Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, “Chopin and his Europe” Festival, „Wratislavia Cantans” International Festival, „Warsaw Autumn” International Festival of Contemporary Music, „Gaude Mater” International Sacred Music Festival, “Singer’s Warsaw” Jewish Culture Festival. The Choir’s concerts are enthusiastically received by audiences and find acclaim with conductors and reviewers alike. A rapturous ovation followed the ensemble’s performance under the baton of Maestro V. Gergiev with the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra at the 16th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival at the Warsaw Philharmonic, presenting S. Prokofiev’s „Alexander Nevsky” cantata.

The ensemble’s repertoire comprises programmes of a cappella choir music, oratoria, opera, operetta, musical, and the greatest works of sacred music, performed with outstanding Polish and foreign ensembles, including: the Europa Galante, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, the Orchestras of the Warsaw Philharmonic and the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, the Sinfonia Varsovia, the Sinfonia Iuventus, the orchestras of the Poznań, Podkarpacie and Łódź Philharmonics, and others et al.

The ensemble has premiered numerous pieces by contemporary Polish composers, such as: K. Penderecki, S. Moryta, M. Małecki, M. Borkowski, P. Łukaszewski, J. Świder, R. Twardowski, M. Bembinow, J. Krutul, and M. Fedorov. They have made 30 album recordings and many recordings for the radio. They have won several „Fryderyk” Polish Recording Industry Awards, for the albums: „Pieśni Kurpiowskie: Górecki, Moryto, Szymanowski” conducted by V. Bielecka in the category: Debut Recording of the Year (2009), “Symphony of Providence” by P. Łukaszewski with the soloists: A. Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział, A. Rehlis, J. Bręka, the Polish Radio Choir in Kraków and the OiFP Orchestra conducted by M. Nałęcz-Niesiołowski in the category: Album of the Year Contemporary Music (2016), „Symphony on the Mercy of God” with the soloists: A. Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział and M. Nerkowski, Children’s Choir and the Orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic conducted by W. Michniewski in the category: Album of the Year Contemporary Music (2017), „III and VI Symphony” by Paweł Łukaszewski (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers), with Anna Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział and the Orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic conducted by Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk in the category: Album of the Year Symphonic Music (2022), and „Kantyki Supraskie” (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers) conducted by Violetta Bielecka (2023).

Interesting interpretations of choral music a cappella can be found on the albums: M. Gumiela „Sacred Works”, K. Szymanowski – H.M. Górecki – S. Moryto „Pieśni kurpiowskie”, S. Moryto „Muzyka chóralna”, S. Rachmaninoff „All-Night Vigil” published by DUX Recording Producers and Classic Produktion Osnabrück. Unique pieces, gems of the Uniate Church in the 17th-century Polish Commonwealth, were published in December 2023 on the album „Kantyki Supraskie” (Wydawnictwo: DUX Recording Producers) with Honorary Patronage from prof. Piotr Gliński, Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

For outstanding achievement in choral music, the Marshal of the Voivodeship awarded the ensemble the Honorary Badge of the Podlaskie Voivodeship (2017). For the F. Nowowiejski „Quo vadis” album, recorded with the Poznań Philharmonic orchestra conducted by Ł. Borowicz and with W. Chodowicz (soprano), R. Gierlach (baritone), W. Gierlach (bass) and S. Kamiński (organ), they won one of the most prestigious recording awards in the world: the ICMA 2018 (International Classical Music Award).

In addition to numerous artistic presentations related to performing a cappella and vocal-instrumental music, they perform as a choral ensemble with stage movement, acting and choreography capabilities. On the theatre stage, they perform in the operas „Haunted Manor” by S. Moniuszko, „Traviata” by G. Verdi, „The Magic Flute” by W.A. Mozart, „Carmen” by G. Bizet, „La bohème” and „Turandot” by G. Puccini, musicals „Korczak” by Ch. Williams, „The Phantom of the Opera ” by A. Lloyd Webber, „Fiddler on the Roof” by J. Bock and „Doctor Zhivago” by L. Simon, as well as in operettas „Die Fledermaus” and „The Gypsy Baron” by J. Strauss and „The Merry Widow” by Franz Lehár. The wide range of their stage activities is additionally complemented by the staging of P. Łukaszewski’s mystery „Via Crucis” (2023).