Olesik / Zathey / ‘In the Orbit of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition’ - NOSPR

The art of violin playing at the highest level is not only about breathtaking technique, but above all the ability to switch instantly between emotional extremes. 

The natural starting point will be the music of Henryk Wieniawski. His Polonaise de Concert in D major is the quintessence of the brillant style, radiating pride, brilliance and salon elegance. For contrast, we will hear the solo Caprice 'La Cadenza', which mercilessly exposes every detail of the performer's technique in a display of pure, unvarnished virtuosity.

Mieczysław Weinberg’s Concertino brings an entirely different kind of sensibility – an exceptionally intimate work steeped in nostalgia, in which technical display gives way entirely to a melancholy narrative.

The Franco-Belgian tradition will be represented by the music of Eugène Ysaÿe, the legendary virtuoso who revolutionised the repertoire of his instrument. We will hear his Poème élégiaque, a dark, deeply tragic work that gave rise to a new type of violin poem. At the opposite pole of this aesthetic lies Rêve d'enfant – a fragile, captivating miniature, as delicate as a lullaby.

Witold Lutosławski's Subito provides a contemporary counterpoint to these Romantic flights of emotion. The piece strikes like a sudden impulse – sharp, extraordinarily concentrated and utterly unpredictable. It demands absolute precision and split-second reflexes from the duo.

The concert will be rounded off by Ysaÿe’s arrangement of Camille Saint-Saëns' Étude en forme de valse, which transforms a traditional dance into a thrilling display of dexterity, full of dazzling twists and turns.

This demanding programme will be performed by Zofia Anna Olesik, one of the most interesting Polish violinists of the younger generation and a prize-winner at numerous prestigious national and international competitions.

Still a student at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, she is actively developing her career as both a soloist and chamber musician, and this recital will be her final stop before the forthcoming 17th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition. She will be joined on stage by the distinguished and experienced pianist Joanna Zathey-Wójcińska.

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