On Sunday 10th November 2024, at the Kadimah Theatre in Melbourne, the ASPJ hosted a concert of works by twentieth century Jewish-Polish composers. The performance featured artists Karolina Mikołajczyk and Iwo Jedenecki.

Th duo is considered one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles, being the winner of Grand Prix and First Prizes at international music competitions and having performed at Carnegie Hall, the Guangzhou Opera House and the Warsaw Philharmonic. Karolina played a 1776 Duke violin and Iwo a Pigni Sirius Millenium accordion.

For the ASPJ, Karolina and Iwo performed compositions from somewhat neglected Jewish-Polish  composers of the early 20th century, including: Gregorz Fitelberg’s Berceuse, Roman Ryterband’s Trois Ballades Hebraiques, Aleksander Tansman’s Cinq Pieces, Ignacy Friedman’s Romans and Szymon Laks’s Suite Polonaise.

The audience included the Polish Embassy Charge D’affairs, Mr. Marcin Kowałowski, from  Canberra, the Polish Consul General, Mr. Piotr Rakowski, from Sydney and Ms. Beata Koropatwa from the office of Honorary Polish Consul in Victoria.

The concert, sponsored by the Polish Embassy in Canberra, attracted an appreciative audience for an event, the type of which was a first for our organisation. Acting Ambassador Mr Marcin Kawalowski advised how the Polish Embassy was proud to support such initiatives that celebrate Polish-Jewish culture in co-operation with the ASPJ.

ASPJ President  Ezra May noted how the concert fits the ASPJ’s Statement of Purpose: To preserve and promote the historical and cultural heritage of Jewish life in Poland. He also remarked that, on the 86^th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, this was one appropriate way to remember – by listening to the music of these Polish-Jewish composers whose lives, like so many millions of others, were destroyed by the Nazis.