Management
The Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra
Wojciech Rodek
Director and Principal Conductor
Director and Principal Conductor of the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra in Lublin was born in 1977 in Brzeg, Poland, the hometown of a famous conductor, Kurt Masur. Wojciech Rodek is one of the most prominent conductors of his generation. Following the traditions of Silesian musical culture cultivated in Wrocław, Otto Klemperer’s birthplace, he continues the best traditions of the Polish school of conducting. Remaining under the influence of the German performing tradition, during his studies in Moscow he encountered the greatest geniuses of the Russian art of conducting: Mark Ermler, Evgeny Svetlanov, Yuri Simonov. He was an assistant to great masters such as Kurt Masur, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Antoni Wit, Pinchas Steinberg, Marc Minkowski, Charles Dutoit. Since 2005, he has been affiliated with the Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchestra as a conductor and Music Director. The orchestra and the conductor establish a special bond which is unique on a European scale, involving mutual trust in intense development of a symphonic ensemble and nurturing the best sound features of the Central European style. Maestro Rodek was the Music Director of the Gliwice Music Theatre, Music Director of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic and Music Director of the Grand Opera Theatre in Łódź. He studied the piano from the age of eight in Namysłów and Wrocław. From 1998 to 2003, he studied conducting with professor Marek Pijarowski at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław; he also learnt Russian in the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow and at the University of Wrocław. In 2005, he won a competition for the post of assistant to Maestro Antoni Wit at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, where he worked from 2005 to 2007. Currently, he teaches conducting at the Academy of Music in Wrocław. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and he is the winner of the 2nd prize at the 3rd National Witold Lutosławski Competition for Young Conductors (2002). In 2011, he was awarded the Polish Theatrical Music Award in the Best Conductor category. In 2015, he was awarded the Medal of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for “Merit to Culture-Gloria Artis”. He conducted many symphonic ensembles, including the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, the Cracow Philharmonic, the Wrocław Philharmonic, the Polish Baltic Sea Philharmonic, the Ankara Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, the Izmir State Symphony, European Johann Strauss Orchestra, the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Camerata Bucharest, the Ostrava Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra. He performed with outstanding soloists, including Rafał Blechacz, Idil Biret, Gülsin Onay, Ingolf Wunder, Paweł Wakarecy, Lukas Geniušas, Alexandre Dubach, Alexander Markov, Konstanty A. Kulka, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Agata Szymczewska, Piotr Pławner, Johannes Moser, Gautier Capuçon. Wojciech Rodek prepared premieres for the Theatre Montansier in Versailles, the Wratislavia Cantans festival, The Grand Theatre-National Opera in Warsaw, the Grand Opera Theatre in Łódź, the Wrocław Opera. He has performed in the most prestigious concert halls across Europe and China, including Dresden, Hamburg, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Zürich, Beijing, Shanghai. He took part in the most important classical music festivals. Mr. Rodek’s recordings primarily include forgotten Polish music, contemporary works, as well as film productions, among others with music by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek /”City Island”, “Get Low”/. Wojciech Rodek’s conducting art is characterized by uncommon spontaneity. Described as “the god of rhythm”, he has the ability to lead great musical forms with an extraordinary understanding of structures and details. Mr. Rodek believes in the necessity to introduce young people into the world of music. On his initiative, the Youth Orchestra of the Wieniawski Philharmonic was established, which brings together the most talented young musicians from across eastern Poland.
Zuzanna Dziedzic
Deputy Director
Zuzanna Dziedzic was the General Manager of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic in Jelenia Góra for 26 years. During her long tenure, she contributed greatly to the building of a new Philharmonic concert hall almost from scratch, creating excellent conditions for the artistic development of the orchestra. The Philharmonic under her direction has become a cultural showcase of Jelenia Góra and the whole of Lower Silesia, occupying a significant place on the musical map of the country. As a director, she became involved in regional activities and cross-border cooperation in the Euroregion Nysa, successfully gaining funds for many years for concerts under EU projects with partners from the Czech Republic and Germany. Joint concerts with German and Czech choirs and orchestras took place throughout the Euroregion Nysa. In addition to concert activities and extensive musical activity among children and young people, she inspired, developed and enriched subsequent editions of cultural events organized by the Lower Silesian Philharmonic, which she initiated years ago. These include the Vienna Music Festival, the Theatre Music Festival, the International Chopin Competition for Children, the “Stars Promote” Festival and many others. As part of the “Young Philharmonic”, she organized symphony and chamber music concerts, opening the doors to the philharmonic stage to talented young musicians. She successfully collaborated with music academies such as the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw during the implementation of more than 20 editions of the National Festival “Stars Promote”, or the 6th International Chopin Competition for Children. She has been honoured and awarded many times for her merits. After the new Philharmonic building was put into service in 2004, she was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit. The city of Jelenia Góra awarded her with an award in the field of culture and the title of Meritorious for the City of Jelenia Góra. Also, she was appreciated by the Jelenia Góra community of the city and the Jelenia Góra region – receiving the “Man of the Year 2008” title in the poll announced in the local newspaper “Nowiny Jeleniogórskie”. She also received the Grand Prix of the Rector of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and the medal “For special services to the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music” and the “University Honorary Medal”. In 2010, she was awarded the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. In 2012, Zuzanna Dziedzic’s achievements won her the Golden Badge “Meritorious for the Lower Silesian Voivodeship” awarded by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Assembly, and in 2013 she received the SPAM Medal for merits to Polish Music. In 2016, she received the “Złoty Kluczyk 2016” Cultural Award of “Nowiny Jeleniogórskie” for many years of commitment to building the brand of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic in Jelenia Góra and creating one of the best cultural institutions in the region. For two terms (until 2016) she was a member of the board of the Polish Philharmonic Association.