 |
Phone: 48-22-8312240
The Warsaw Chamber Opera was founded in 1961 by Stefan Sutkowski who later has served as its Managing and Artistic Director. The company's inaugural production was G.B. Pergolesi's La serva padrona (4 September, 1961). At present, the Warsaw Chamber Opera consists of 2 directors, 2 designers, 7 conductors, over 75 soloists, and 2 small-size symphony orchestras (the Warsaw Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of Warsaw Chamber Opera). It also has the instrumental ensemble called Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense, a Mime Group, Chamber Choir and the Choir specializing in Old Orthodox Music.
The Warsaw Chamber Opera is pursuing a diverse activity. Its repertoire spans a wide variety of musical styles and genres: from medieval mystery plays to the operas of the Baroque and Classical periods, 18th century pantomimes, operas by Rossini and Donizetti, as well as works by contemporary composers. The Warsaw Chamber Opera ensembles also give regular concerts featuring chamber, oratorio and symphonic music of various epochs.
In 1984, the Warsaw Chamber Opera established the Research and Documentation Center of Early Polish Music. It deals with the research, publication, performance and recording of newly-discovered works by Polish composers.
The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has long occupied a prominent place in the Chamber Opera's repertoire. A series of successful productions encouraged the decision to organize the 1st Mozart Festival (15 June-26 July, 1991). Its program included all of Mozart's stage works. The Mozart Festival has been organized on an annual basis since then. The Warsaw Chamber Opera is the only company in the world to have Mozart's entire operatic output in its permanent repertoire. Small wonder that this unprecedented achievement won the Warsaw's company wide international recognition.
Another major artistic project realized by Stefan Sutkowski and the Warsaw Chamber Opera is the Baroque Opera Festival, held annually since 1993. The event enriched the company's repertoire with works by J. Peri, C. Monteverdi, H. Purcell, J. Blow, F. Caccini and J.B. Lully. Special attention was paid to Monteverdi's output, eventually giving rise to, in the autumn of 1995, the Claudio Monteverdi Festival, another annual fixture in the Warsaw Chamber Opera calendar. Within its framework, the company has produced all of Monteverdi's extant stage works, including three full-length operas L'Orfeo, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'incoronazione di Poppea.
The Pro Musica Camerata Foundation is another noteworthy initiative of the Warsaw Chamber Opera. Founded in 1992, it publishes critical editions of Polish music manuscripts from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. This is of much benefit for both musicologists and performers. The Foundation also produces CDs of the masterpieces of early Polish music, performed by the Warsaw Chamber Opera ensembles.
Since 1972 the Warsaw Chamber Opera has been promoting its attainments through foreign tours. It has performed in 16 European countries including Japan, the United States of America and Canada.
