Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s 2025 Music Programme

The Adam Mickiewicz Institute brings Polish culture to people around the world. Being a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art through strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects, supports international cooperation and cultural exchanges. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showing the diversity and richness of Polish culture.

The activities supported by AMI cover a wide range of artistic expressions: theatrical performances, film screenings, performances, concerts, exhibitions, art installations, publications, which find their way to, among others, international festivals and major art events. Initiatives are supported by AMI’s portals and websites devoted to artists and phenomena occurring in Polish culture, including the widely acclaimed Culture.pl.

AMI’s cultural programme accompanying the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition 

On 13 April 2025, the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition – the largest and most important cultural and economic event in the world – opened in Osaka. Poland’s participation is accompanied by a cultural programme organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute under the slogan Po!land ポ！ランド, which extends beyond the national pavilion to the very heart of the city. 

As part of the programme, at the beginning of October, the Polish-Japanese music festival Sound Culture took place in the heart of Osaka, featuring performances by, among others, Klawo, Małe Instrumenty, Mitch & Mitch, and Kinga Głyk. The beginning of October also marked the beginning of the concert tour by Sinfonia Varsovia with the legendary pianist Martha Argerich in the major concert halls of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. 

UK/Poland Cultural Season 2025 

UK/Poland Season 2025 is a cultural programme of unprecedented scale, featuring several dozen events across multiple cities in both Poland and the UK. Running until November 2025, the season marks a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, revitalising cultural dialogue and strengthening existing ties between the two countries. For residents of both countries, it offers a unique opportunity to explore the most exciting artistic phenomena from both sides – encompassing film, theatre, visual arts, design, and music. In Poland, the events are organised by the British Council, while in the UK – by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute, and the British Council. The organisation of the Season in the UK and Northern Ireland was supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland. 

One of the most important moments of the UK/Poland Season 2025 was this year’s edition of the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) held under the theme “The Truth We Seek”, for the first time in the festival’s history enriched by Focus on Poland – a unique section dedicated to Polish music. Between 9 and 18 August, audiences had the opportunity to listen to outstanding Polish artists: Piotr Anderszewski, the VOŁOSI ensemble, the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, and the Wrocław Baroque Ensemble. The programme also featured performances of iconic works by Polish composers, interpreted by award-winning violinist Bomsori Kim and the acclaimed young pianist Ryan Wang.

Polish repertoire will be presented on 25 October and will include Andrzej Panufnik’s “Sinfonia Sacra” and the world premiere of “Tamboo-Bamboo Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra” by Matthew Rooke, interpreted by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. On 29 October 2025, AMI invites music enthusiasts to Oxford to a concert of Marcin Masecki, which will take place in collaboration with the Bodleian Libraries and the Oxford Science and Ideas Festival. The event is organised to celebrate the digital release of “Selenography” (1647) – a work by Johannes Hevelius, the eminent astronomer and first foreign member of the Royal Society.

On 23 November 2025, the London Sinfonietta will perform a programme of contemporary music, highlighting the dynamic artistic relations between Poland and the UK. During the prestigious Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival works by Laurence Osborne, Marta Śniady and Pawel Malinowski will be heard. Another important item of the programme will be the world premiere of a new work by Marta Śniady, commissioned especially for this occasion.

Poland-Romania and Romania-Poland Cultural Season 2024-2025

The first ever Polish-Romania Cultural Season was inaugurated in June 2024 and will last until November 2025. It is taking place under the slogan “We Share a Common Language”, referring to the language of culture that allows gaining extensive knowledge and understanding through the diversity of forms, means of expression, and traditions. The Polish-Romania Cultural Season is a joint undertaking of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, supported by the Polish Institute in Bucharest as well as the Romanian Ministry of Culture, and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw.

This year’s Season kicked off with the Polish presence at the Classix Festival 2025 in Iasi. On 1 March 2025, Arte dei Suonatori orchestra, specialising in performing Baroque and classical music, performed a concert titled “The Harmony of the Kings: In the Polish Royal Court.” 

The programme will be crowned by a concert of Szymon Nehring together with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania that will take place on 7 November 2025 at the Radio Concert Hall in Bucharest.  This unique musical event will link two extremely important occasions: the conclusion of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025 and the celebration of the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Romanian Radio Academic Choir. As part of this jubilee event, the audience will have the opportunity to listen to remarkable works of classical music performed by outstanding artists. 

One of the final events of the Season will also be a concert by Dagadana and Subcarpați bands in Bucharest, which will take place on 30 November 2025. This is the greatest musical event in Bucharest, since for the very first time Subcarpați invited a foreign band – Dagadana – to participate in its main birthday concert. 

The international cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025 

Between January and June 2025, in the period in which Poland held Presidency of the Council of the European Union, over 200 events took place in 30 European countries, with the participation of over 1,200 artists from Poland and abroad. The international cultural programme, implemented by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute owing to the involvement of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, became one of the key soft power tools of the Polish Presidency. It drew attention of over 350,000 direct participants and consciously extended beyond the borders of the European Union, reaching such countries as Serbia, Georgia, North Macedonia, and Moldova. The programme covered a broad spectrum of the art world – from visual arts, through music, literature, film, theatre, to dance and performance – and presented the work of recognised artists and a new generation of authors alike, the promotion of whom was one of the pillars of the programme.  Creators from countries at war and suffering repressions, who found a safe space for creative expression, were invited to participate in the events.

Representatives of Polish music – from the most prominent classical music performers to the representatives of the Polish techno scene – occupied an important place in the Presidency’s programme. In mid-February, Brussels hosted Poland’s flagship festival of an already established international renown, namely the Unsound Festival, focusing on the latest phenomena in Polish electronic and experimental music. The “Peel Slowly and See” festival in Leiden, the Netherlands, featured three Polish bands and a female artist from the electronic music scene: Waclaw Zimpel with James Holden, Zamilska, Trupa Trupa and Atol Atol Atol.

The international cultural programme of the Polish Presidency was crowned with a jubilant gala at Flagey in Brussels. The highlight of the evening was the world premiere of “Unity,” a piece composed especially for the occasion by Aleksander Dębicz, one of the most versatile Polish pianists and composers of the young generation. Accompanied by an ensemble of outstanding Polish instrumentalists, the world-renowned countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski – an artist who has graced the largest opera stages and sang at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris – performed on the stage.

Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s Record Productions and Co-Productions

The Adam Mickiewicz Institute has long been a key collaborator with esteemed music labels and publishers, supporting the production of recordings and the creation of groundbreaking albums. A notable example is the series of recordings released by the renowned British label Chandos, featuring masterpieces by some of Poland’s most celebrated 19th- and 20th-century composers, including Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosławski, Grażyna Bacewicz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, and Mieczysław Weinberg.

In addition, albums such as “Polish Heroines of Music” and “Laeta Mundus” were developed in partnership with Anaklasis, a label specializing in contemporary, experimental, and electroacoustic music.

Among the Institute’s latest projects is “The Krasiński Codex”, produced jointly with the Polish Music Publishing House. This three-disc album revives the music of 15th-century Krakow and was awarded the prestigious Gramophone Classical Music Award in the Early Music category in October 2025 — an accolade often referred to as the “classical Oscar.”

Through these collaborations, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute continues to promote Poland’s rich musical heritage on the global stage, fostering innovative projects that connect the past with the present.

Calendar of music events organised by AMI

 

August 2025 

 

9-18 August 2025: Focus on Poland at the Edinburgh International Festival (Edinburgh; Usher Hall, Queen’s Hall, other venues) 

Running continuously since 1947, the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) is the oldest, largest, and most renowned British festival bringing together music, theatre, and dance. Every August, for three weeks, Edinburgh transforms into the cultural capital of the UK, with world-class artistic events presented each day and attracting both global media attention as well as millions of visitors. For the first time in the festival’s history, this year’s programme, under the theme “The Truth We Seek”, will feature Focus on Poland – a unique section dedicated to Polish music. Between 9 and 18 August the audience will have a chance to listen to performances of outstanding Polish artists, including Piotr Anderszewski, the VOŁOSI group, the NFM Orkiestra Leopoldinum, and the Wrocław Baroque Ensemble, as well as interpretations of iconic works by Polish composers, performed by award-winning violinist Bomsori Kim and the exceptionally talented young pianist Ryan Wang. 

Poland’s presence at this legendary festival has been made possible thanks to a partnership between the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute in London, the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music, and PWM Edition, and owing to the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. 

Focus on Poland programme at the Edinburgh International Festival: 

• 9 August 2025 – VOŁOSI concert, The Hub 

• 10 August 2025 – NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra in concert, Usher Hall 

• 11 August 2025 – Piotr Anderszewski in concert, The Queen’s Hall 

• 11 August 2025 – Leopoldinum Orkiestra NFM concert Tribute to Menuhin, Usher Hall 

• 13 August 2025 – screening of the “Bacewicz x Bomsori” film directed by Jakub Piątek. Following the screening, a conversation with Bomsori Kim and special guests of the Edinburgh International Festival, as well as a solo violin performance by the artist will take place at the Dominion Cinema. 

• 14 August 2025 – Bomsori Kim and Thomas Hoppe in concert, The Queen’s Hall 

• 16 August 2025 – Wrocław Baroque Ensemble in concert, The Queen’s Hall 

• 18 August 2025 – Ryan Wang in concert, The Queen’s Hall 

 

September 2025 

 

28 September 2025: concert of music composed by Zbigniew Preisner featuring Lisa Gerrard (Barbican Centre, London) 

 The cooperation with Serious Agency will begin with the co-organisation of a prestigious concert a month before the EFG London Jazz Festival. It will be the presentation of music by Zbigniew Preisner, with participation of Lisa Gerrard, the vocalist famous for her career with Dead Can Dance. In addition, the stage will feature: The Guildhall Session Orchestra and Choir as well as accompanying musicians: Edyta Krzemień, Konrad Mastyło, Radosław Pujanek, Mitch Dalton. 

Zbigniew Preisner is celebrating his 70th birthday this year, and the concert will feature musical themes from such films as, among others: “Three Colours,” “The Decalogue,” “The Double Life of Veronique,” and “Requiem for My Friend.” 

 

October 2025 

 

4–12 October 2025: Sinfonia Varsovia concert tour in Japan

Sinfonia Varsovia, a Polish orchestra of international acclaim, will embark on a unique artistic journey to Japan, presenting a series of concerts in support of Poland’s participation in EXPO 2025. The tour will feature seven performances in the most prestigious concert halls of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto.

The core of the repertoire will be piano concertos by Frederic Chopin, whose music enjoys near-cult status in Japan. In addition to Chopin, the audience will hear compositions by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Beethoven, Mozart, and Dvořák – a programme that blends Polish musical sensitivity with the universal language of classical music. 

The uniqueness of the project is highlighted by Sinfonia Varsovia’s collaboration with international soloists, including the legendary pianist Martha Argerich and virtuoso Ivo Pogorelich, who will perform alongside young Japanese talents Aimi Kobayashi and Kyohei Sorita, both renowned for their achievements in Chopin competitions. The orchestra will perform under the baton of Austrian maestro Christian Arming.

Conductor: Christian Arming, Soloists: Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelić, Aimi Kobayashi, Kyohei Sorita, Partners: Sinfonia Varsovia

 

25 October 2025: Scotland and Poland: A Celebration. Panufnik as interpreted by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Glasgow Concert Hall, Glasgow)

The project titled: “Scotland and Poland: A Celebration” is a special event scheduled for 25 October 2025 in Glasgow, with a concert being its centrepiece. The programme will feature Polish repertoire, including Andrzej Panufnik’s “Sinfonia Sacra”, as well as the world premiere of the “Tamboo-Bamboo Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra” by Matthew Rooke. The concert will be preceded by a meeting about the film production and the premiere of a short documentary film, “Grandpa Zig Zag’s Journey”, created in collaboration with youth of Polish descent and Polish musicians from the orchestra. The film shows how music connects young people from Scotland and Poland and highlights their shared heritage.

The concert is the central element of the RSNO 2025/2026 artistic season in Glasgow, which commemorates the 10th anniversary of the opening of the orchestra’s new home—the New Auditorium at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The project aims to draw attention to the contribution of young Poles living in Glasgow to the development of the city and its cultural life, as well as to strengthen intercultural ties and emphasize the Polish-Scottish heritage.

 

26 October – 8 November 2025: UNSOUND NYC at Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, Pioneer Work center and Nowadays club

The twelfth edition of Unsound in New York will feature performances by more than a dozen Polish and international artists in the most important halls of the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts complex like Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Atrium. In addition, the festival will include events at Pioneer Works – Brooklyn’s art centre – a gallery and space for workshop and performance activities, as well as a party at one of New York’s trendiest clubs – Nowadays – organised in partnership with the Dripping collective. 

Presentations of unique special projects commissioned by Unsound will be held from 30 October to 2 November 2025 at Lincoln Center and on 26 October 2025 at Pioneer Works. Artists to be heard during the Unsound festival: Sinfonietta Cracovia, Aleksandra Słyż, Adam Gołębiewski, Heinali & Yasia, Rp Boo & Gary Gwadera.

A detailed schedule:

• Sinfonietta Cracovia – Orchestra of the Royal Capital City of Krakow will perform on 01.11.2025 at the Alice Tully Hall with an expanded lineup (30 persons), performing a programme by a British composer Miki Levi and a piece called “Pure Voices” by Aleksandra Słyż as part of the programme. The event will be accompanied by a performance by Argentine artist Lucrecia Dalt. The orchestra will also perform in Krakow as part of Unsound and that is where the rehearsals for the New York event will be held to reduce the costs of rehearsals and related logistics while in the US. 

• Aleksandra Słyż – a Polish composer and producer of electronic music known for her performances at such festivals as Unsound, Warsaw Autumn and Sacrum Profanum, but also excelling in electronic and theatrical music performances. She will perform with the aforementioned Sinfonietta Cracovia during the New York Unsound, but she will also perform during a club night at the Nowadays club during the Dripping series on 06.11.2025. 

• Adam Gołębiewski – a Polish drummer and composer will perform a solo concert during the 6-hour screening of Matthew Barney’s film “The River of Fundament” at the Grand Mason Lodge in New York on 08.11.2025. The event will be co-organised by Unsound, Matthew Barney Studio, as well as by New People’s Cinema. 

• Heinali & Yasia – the Ukrainian duo will perform their material from “Hildegarda” – an album released on the Unsound label – on 02.11.2025 at David Geffen Hall, opening the evening for John Cale’s band. 

• Rp Boo & Gary Gwadera – the U.S. premiere of the new Unsound special project; a collaboration of Chicago footwork music (a type of electronic dance music) guru with the sounds of Gary Gwadera’s Polish percussion instruments, alluding to Polish oberek dance.

 

29 October 2025: concert of Marcin Masecki in Oxford, in collaboration with the Bodleian Libraries and the Oxford Science and Ideas Festival (University Church of St. Mary The Virgin, Oxford)  

On the occasion of the Bodleian Library’s scheduled digital publication of the work “Selenography” (1647) by the eminent Gdansk-based astronomer Jan Hevelius (1611-1687), found in the collection of the Oxford University library, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, in cooperation with the IF Oxford Science and Ideas Festival and the Oxford Polish Association, will organise a concert featuring an outstanding Polish jazz musician Marcin Masecki, who will perform a piece inspired by the scientist’s work. The event will be held at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, one of Oxford’s oldest and grandest buildings, and will primarily target young academics and residents of the city.

The aim of the project will be, on the one hand, to promote Polish jazz music among young audiences in the UK, and on the other hand, to recall the figure of Jan Hevelius – a prominent astronomer from Gdansk. “Selenography” is the first work of the scientist, which brought him international fame. Hevelius’ authority and close ties to the English scientific world are evidenced by his admission to the Royal Society of London, of which he was the first ever foreign member. 

 

November 2025 

 

3 November 2025 – June 2026: Polish Focus 

The Polish Season in Lyon is a programme planned for the 2025/2026 artistic season in cooperation with two concert halls in Lyon: the Auditorium de Lyon and the Chapelle de la Trinité. As part of the Polish Season at the Auditorium, the following concerts featuring Polish performers and Polish artistic work are planned:

Auditorium de Lyon:

• 03.11.2025 – Arte dei Suonatori, Krzysztof Firlus - viola da gamba, Marcin Świątkiewicz - harpsichord & artistic direction; the programme features works by J. S. Bach (Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major BWV 1068 - version for strings), J. G. Graun (Concerto in D minor for viola da gamba and strings IA 927), G. Ph. Telemann (Polish Concerto in G Major TWV 43:G7), G. Goldberg (Harpsichord concerto in D minor);

• 04.11.2025 – Equilibrium String Quartet, Tobias Koch – historical piano; the programme features works by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (Capriccio in E minor op. 81 No. 3), L. van Beethoven (String Quartet in C minor op. 18 No. 4), K. Kurpiński (Fantasie in C major for string quartet), J. Zarębski (Piano Quintet in G minor op. 34);

• 13 and 15.11 2025 – Antoine Tamestit – viola, Orchestre National de Lyon, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider – conductor; the programme features works by G. Bacewicz (Ouverture), A. Tansman (Symphonie No. 2), H. Berlioz (“Harold en Italie” for viola and orchestra);

• 18.11.2025 – Simply Quartet; the programme features works by W. Lutoslawski (String quartet), J. Haydn (String quartet in A major op.20/6), D. Shostakovich (String quartet no. 3);

• 07.01.2026 – Ciné-concert (cinema-concert - Film “Tabou” by Friedrich Wilhelm Marnau), Karol Mossakowski – organ;

• 03.02.2026 – Quartet Orchestre National de Lyon; the programme features works by M. Weinberg (String Trio, Violin Sonata no.2, Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes, Piano Trio);

• 05 and 07.02.2026 – Orchestre National de Lyon, Marta Gardolińska – conductor, Thomas Zehetmair – violin; the programme features works by P. Tchaikovsky (Polonaise from the opera Eugene Onegin), K. Szymanowski (Violin Concerto no. 2 op. 61) and W. Lutoslawski (Concerto for Orchestra);

• 10.03.2026 – Yulianna Avdeeva – piano; the programme of the recital features works by F. Chopin (2 Nocturns from op. 62, Fantasie in F minor op. 49, Polonaise in A Flat Major op. 53, 24 Preludes op. 28), W. Szpilman (Mazurka in F minor, Piano Suite „Life of the Machines“)  and I.J. Paderewski (Cracovienne fantastique, Op. 14 No. 6).

Chapelle de la Trinité:

• March 2026 – Cohaere Ensemble; the programme features music by French and Gdansk Baroque composers from the ensemble’s debut albums.

• June 2026 – Wrocław Baroque Ensemble and vocal ensemble; the programme includes works by K. Forster, G.G. Gorczycki, J.S. Bach.

 

7 November 2025: A concert of Szymon Nehring together with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania at the Radio Concert Hall in Bucharest 

This is a unique musical event that links two extremely important occasions: the conclusion of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025 and the celebration of the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Romanian Radio Academic Choir.

As part of this jubilee event, the audience will have the opportunity to listen to remarkable works of classical music performed by outstanding artists. The first part of the concert will feature the First Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 15 by Johannes Brahms, performed by one of Poland’s most talented pianists of the young generation, Szymon Nehring, who will perform with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania conducted by Cristian Mandeal.

The second part of the concert will feature the monumental Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 52 “Lobgesang” by Felix Mendelssohn. The work, which is a unique combination of symphony and cantata, will be performed by the Romanian Radio Academic Choir with soloists: Veronica Anusca (soprano I), Lilia Istratii (soprano II) and Andrei Petre (tenor), conducted by Cristian Mandeal.

This event is a tribute to the musical traditions of Poland and Romania, as well as an excellent opportunity to highlight international artistic cooperation. The concert is the culmination of dozens of joint projects of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025, which brought together two nations, people, and institutions, thus starting new friendships, creating long-term collaborations, and an unforgettable atmosphere of mutual respect and artistic exchange.

 

23 November 2025: London Sinfonietta at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (Huddersfield, United Kingdom)

In collaboration with the London Sinfonietta, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute has created a programme to be presented during the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, highlighting the long-term and fruitful artistic relations between Poland and the UK.

The programme will include compositions by young artists from Poland and the UK, thus emphasising the ideas of international cooperation and inclusivity in music. The aim of the project is to promote contemporary Polish music on one of the most prestigious stages in the UK, as well as to create a platform for dialogue between young artists from both countries. It is important to mention here the world premiere of a new piece by Marta Śniady, How Can I Help You, commissioned specifically for this project. Its Polish premiere will take place in September at the Warsaw Autumn Festival.

Programme: 

• Laurence Osborne – Mute 

• Marta Śniady – How Can I Help You   

• Paweł Malinowski – floating disappearance 

London Sinfonietta, one of Europe’s leading contemporary music ensembles, guarantees world-class performances while reaching broad audiences. The project will help increase international recognition of Polish music and strengthen cultural ties between Poland and the UK.

The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//) is one of the most important international events dedicated to contemporary music, renowned for promoting works that transcend traditional boundaries between genres. Held annually in November in Huddersfield, the festival attracts leading composers, performers, and music lovers from around the world, presenting innovative artistic projects of the highest calibre.

30 November: concert by Dagadana & Subcarpați, Bucharest – second closing of the season 

The concert performed by Dagadana & Subcarpați will be one of the biggest musical events in Bucharest. For the first time, Subcarpați invited a foreign band – Dagadana – to participate in its main birthday concert. Dagadana will play a 30-minute solo concert, followed by a joint performance by the two bands, presenting works created during the artistic residency and joint exploration of Polish-Romanian musical traditions. Afterwards, Subcarpați will perform their own concert. 

Subcarpați blend traditional Romanian melodies with electronica and hip-hop rhythms to create an energetic and modern sound. Meanwhile, Dagadana present melodic, polyphonic music through combining Polish, Romanian, and Ukrainian traditions with elements of jazz, electronica, and pop, thus creating a deep, emotional, and multicultural narrative.

 

Media contact:
Malwina Malinowska
[email protected]