On 3 and 4 April 2025, two unique events dedicated to Krzysztof Penderecki will take place in Bilbao, Spain: a concert at the Palacio Euskalduna and a lecture at the Guggenheim Museum. Experts and music lovers will have the opportunity to explore the influence of one of the most important composers of the 20th century on contemporary music, and to examine the connection between the master’s work and nature.
Concerto grosso at the Palacio Euskalduna
Penderecki was an avant-garde composer who remained deeply rooted in the musical traditions of the past. Drawing inspiration from Baroque forms, he composed Concerto grosso for three cellos. This piece, alongside Orava by Wojciech Kilar and the Fourth Symphony by Johannes Brahms, will be performed on 3 and 4 April 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palacio Euskalduna, home of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. The concert will be conducted by Eduardo Strausser, with the solo parts performed by three distinguished cellists:
- Prof. Michał Dmochowski – Professor at the Professional Conservatory of Music in Toledo;
- Prof. Adam Klocek – Director of the B. Huberman Philharmonic in Częstochowa;
- Prof. Orfilia Saiz – Professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Granada.
Rehearsals for the concert “Penderecki y la Cuarta de Brahms”, photo thanks to the courtesy of the organiser.
Concert programme:
- WOJCIECH KILAR (1932–2013): Orava, for string orchestra
- KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI (1933–2020): Concerto grosso for three cellos and orchestra
- JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897): Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
The concert will last about 2 hours. Tickets are available on the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra website. The project is carried out in cooperation between the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Global IberArtis S.L., the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, and the Polish Institute in Madrid.
“Creative Process. Melody of Trees” – about Penderecki at the Guggenheim Museum
For those who want to explore the composer’s legacy, on 4 April 2025 at 12:00 p.m., the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao will host a lecture entitled “Creative Process. Melody of Trees” about Krzysztof Penderecki’s inspirations from nature. This session will be devoted to the creative process of an outstanding Polish avant-garde composer. Penderecki’s characteristic atonal compositional style is distinguished, among others, by his interest in nature and trees, which were his main source of inspiration. The Master even founded his own Arboretum in Lusławice – an extraordinary park with over 1,500 tree specimens. Conductor Janusz Marynowski will meet cellists Michał Dmochowski and Orfilia Saiz Vega in a conversation led by Borja Pujol, Technical Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. The lecture will last about an hour and will be held in Spanish. The event is organised in cooperation with the Polish Institute as part of the Museum’s TopARTE programme. More information is available on the website of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
The lecture and concerts will be accompanied by a photographic exhibition by Janusz Marynowski and Tamara Pieńko, presenting Krzysztof Penderecki and his Arboretum.