PARTICIPANTS UNIVERSITAS CANTAT 2017

Chamber Choir of the Faculty of Arts and Pedagogy, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
Conductor: Dr Beata Szymańska

Chamber Choir of the Faculty of Arts and Pedagogy, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
 chor.blog.pl/

The AMU Chamber Choir of the Faculty of Arts and Pedagogy (WPA) was established in 1996 on the initiative of Beata Szymańska, the choir's conductor. The ensemble comprises students and graduates of Artistic Education in Musical Art.

The choir has given concerts both at home and abroad, with performances in Germany, Italy, Sweden, Macedonia and Spain. It also participates actively in competitions, festivals and academic events. The most recent achievement of the choir was the First Prize at the Liviu Borlan International Choral Festival in Romania.

Although the group’s main focus is contemporary choral music, they enjoy singing pieces from other epochs as well. The choir has had a fruitful cooperation with the Symphonic Orchestra of the Kalisz Philharmonic. Together, the two ensembles performed pieces by W.A. Mozart, G.G. Gorczycki, W. Kilar and Z. Preisner.

Recordings of the WPA Chamber Choir include an album with Christmas carols, the Holy Mass sequence Lauda Sion by G.P. da Palestrina and a Polish premiere performance of Egil Hovland's Agnus Dei, concerto for bassoon and mixed choir a capella, together with basoonist Nikodem Antosik from the Kalisz Philharmonic.

This season the choir celebrates 20 years of artistic activity. The main anniversary concert took place on the 24 of February in the Garrison Church in Kalisz. The choir is also a co-organiser of the Kalisz Choral Festival.

Beata Szymańska

Jest wykładowcą dyrygentury chóralnej, wieloletnim dyrygentem Kaliskiego Chóru Akademickiego Polifonia, założycielem i dyrygentem Chóru Kameralnego WPA UAM w Kaliszu, z którym zdobywa liczne nagrody na konkursach krajowych i międzynarodowych (Włochy, Niemcy, Macedonia, Hiszpania). Jej zainteresowania repertuarowe obejmują światową literaturę chóralną XIX i XX wieku. Jest organizatorem Kaliskiego Festiwalu Chóralnego i jurorem regionalnych konkursów chóralnych i wokalnych.

  Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland