The Fifth Jazz & Film Meetings

Hmmm, kind of a strange one as it's neither a festival nor a one off event but a series of four evenings, between December and March, featuring jazz performances, discussions and the showing of a movie or documentary where the linking factor is, believe it or not, Jazz and Film! Looks like a pretty interesting and unique series of evenings but please bear in mind that the lectures and movies will be in Polish.

The opening night on the 5th December features a concert by Marysia Sadowska, a lecture by writer and film director Tadeusz Konwicki and a showing of his film 'The Last Day of Summer'.

The closing event, in March, is dedicated to composer Krzysztof Komeda and will feature a concert of some of his jazz scores played on solo piano by Andrzej Jagodzinski and a showing of Krzysztof Bukowskiego's documentary film "Those Chosen by God Die Young". A collection of reminiscences about Polish cultural icons who have passed on, including a section on the life and work of Komeda.

For more info and the full programme please click the link below.

when - 5th December - 9th March
where - Kino Kadr, Gotarda 16
more info - click here

Exhibition: Quilting Sessions

"Paul McCarthy & Benjamin Weissman. Quilting Sessions" sounds more like a Bohemian jam session rather than an art exhibition of collaborative pieces, but "Quilting Sessions" is very much the latter. In 1997, Paul McCarthy and Benjamin Weissman began their collaboration, during which they would sit together at a table and pass sheets of paper back and forth while conversing; these mixed media drawings would them be divided into groups according to the session from which they originated. These "Quilting Sessions" have continued from 1997 to the present, and a selection of the results will be up on display at the National Gallery of Art.

when - Until 25th March
where - Zacheta National Art Gallery, Pl. Malachowskiego 3
more info - click here

Revue: Teatr Sabat

During February and March Malgorzata Potocka's famed cabaret and revue presents three different shows for your delectation. The shows "Europe Together," "Kisses From the World" and "Revue, My Love" will be performed throughout the months, as well as the launch of a new revue called "Life is a Stage." Let Pani Potocka and her talented troupe of dancers, actors and singers take you back to an atmosphere reminiscent of pre-war Poland and indulge in an evening of fine dining, dancing and excellent entertainment.

when - Throughout March
where - Sabat Theatre, ul. Foksal 16
more info - click here

Concert: Nigel Kennedy and Jarek Smietana

It's only appropriate that a classical musician as odd and original as Nigel Kennedy would perform in a student club instead of the Philharmonic Hall, and that's exactly what he's doing this March at Stodola. The famous British violist, who now calls Krakow home, will be performing together with legendary jazz guitarist Jarek Smietana. The concert begins at 7 pm.

when - 12th March
where - Stodola, ul. Batorego 10
more info - click here

Concert: New Century Classics

After what seems like an aeon of agonizing delay, Cracovians New Century Classics are finally releasing their first full-length album. The album, titled Natural Process, will be released by the FDM record label, and is the cumulation of two years of the young band's material. Teetering on the experimental side of post-rock, New Century Classics plays melodic instrumental music influenced by Mozart as much as Mogwai, creating atmospheres rich in emotion and beauty. The five-piece is comprised of two Poles, a Canadian, an American and an Italian, making them quite possibly the most international band in the country. The end of March sees the band playing a week-long tour around Poland, so this may be the last time to catch them before they're huge!

when - 24th March
where - Jadlogajnia Filozoficzna, ul. Dobra 33/35
more info - click here

Lord of the Dance

This March, the famous dance show "Lord of the Dance" comes to Poland. The show, created, choreographed, and produced by Michael Flatley, with a soundtrack composed by Ronan Hardiman, is an Irish musical and dance production that has been wildly successful around the world and is now bringing its own combination of festive Irish song and dance to Poland. The show begins at 7:00 pm in the Palace of Culture's Congressional Hall.

when - 26th March
where - Sala Kongresowa, Plac Defilad 1
more info - click here

INTERNATIONAL COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY ART 5TH EDITION

The 5th edition of the Centre for Contemporary Art's International Art Collection will feature works from over 90 artists, including over 30 from abroad, incorporating different media such as painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, installations, video, recordings of art happenings and public projects. The exhibition will provide a sort of retrospective for the Centre, which has accumulated one of the best collections of modern art in Poland over its 20 years, reflecting the metamorphosis of the country through art. The works presented span the era from the early 1960s until the present decade, and feature both prominent Polish artists as well as those they drew inspiration from. The exhibition opens at the end of March and runs through the 6th of September.

when - 27th March until 6th September
where - Centre for Contemporary Art, Al. Ujazdowskie 6
more info - click here

Musical: Thriller Live

It seems that Broadway has finally made it to Warsaw, and this latest offering is destined to be a hit: "Thriller Live: A Musical Celebration featuring the hit songs of Michael and the Jackson 5." It seems Jackson fans have taken a cue from the wildly successful musical "Mamma Mia," which put new life into ABBA, and are trying to do the same for the now-troubled King of Pop. The musical is a fabulous history of the most outstanding pop artist in recent history, full of the biggest hits of the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson, performed live by equally excellent singers. Several dozen actors, dancers, a gospel choir, amazing choreography as well as the songs everyone knows and loves all come together for this unforgettable show. After a tour of performances on the world's most prestigious stages, this spectacular spectacle will take place in the Congressional Hall of the Palace of Culture. Tickets are priced between 70 and 250 zlotys.

when - 29th March
where - Sala Kongresowa, Plac Defilad 1
more info - click here

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN EASTER FESTIVAL

The Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival celebrates the works of the eminent composer with over a week of exhibitions, classes and conferences, and symphony concerts performing the works of several greats such as Haydn, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Strauss, and of course Ludwig van himself. Kicking off will be the inaugural concert, taking place on the 29th of March at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall and featuring Beethoven's Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus Overture Op. 43, Violin concerto in D major Op. 61, and Symphony No 7 in A major Op. 92.

when - 29th March until 10th April
where - Various Locations
more info - click here