Dark Lights

The cultures of Poland and Ukraine have been and are intertwined by a fascinating, though complicated, common history. In October at NFM, Lyatoshynsky Trio — one of the most important bands on the music scene of our eastern neighbor — will prove it. The artists will present works by artists of three different nationalities: Andrzej Panufnik, Zoltan Almashi and Gabriel Prokofiev.

Lyatoshynsky Trio was formed in 2019 on the initiative of two Ukrainians — violinist Mykhayl Zakharov and pianist Artem Yasynskyy — and Polish Susanne Szambelan. Already in the first year of activity, the group released an album with chamber music of its patron Boris Latoshinsky. This composer, active in Soviet times, until now known in our country primarily as a symphonist, was, among other things, the teacher of the popular today Valentin Silvestrov. During the concert of this band at NFM, the work of another contemporary artist from Ukraine - Zoltan Almashi, born in Lviv cellist and organizer of the musical life of his country, will sound. The dedicated Lyatoshynsky Trio Somewhere There Is Light was created during the ongoing war with Russia and is inspired by domestic resistance to the aggressor and hope for peace.

This piece will be preceded by a performance of the Trio Op. 1, an early work by Andrzej Panufnik. It was created before the Second World War, during the artist's studies in Warsaw under the direction of Kazimierz Sikorski. The history of the composition is also marked by conflict — the original burned down in the Warsaw Uprising, and today we only know the version reconstructed by the author from memory. The evening will culminate with the eponymous Dark Lights by Gabriel Prokofiev — creator, DJ and music producer. This project combines the sound of a piano trio with modern electronic dance music. Its author intended to make a fusion of material characteristic of different eras. Techno appears here next to gawot, and funk next to polka, instruments next to EDM. “I wanted to confront the robotic energy of electronic samples with the freedom of live musicians — to get a sound that captures the way we live today: constantly connected to technology, yet deeply human,” explains the artist.

The concert will be preceded by a gala presentation of the Sume Superbiam statuette — an award of the Ossolinski National Institute, awarded for the first time as part of the celebrated Year of Ossolineum, and intended for a person who donates private funds to Polish public collections for the purchase of works of art, library collections or objects of historical value or donates his own significant collection to the public domain. This distinction is also intended to honor long-term supporters of Polish cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations operating in the field of culture and artistic projects of European and national importance. The official announcement of the results of the first edition of the award will take place just before the start of the musical part of the evening.