“Chopiniana”, our local musical tribute to Frederic Chopin held for the very first time in 1993, had its 32nd edition last Sunday, at its home, the American Polish Cultural Center (APCC) in Troy.
Envisioned by its founder Noreen Śmiałek Sinclair as an intimate and elegant gathering and concert conjuring up the atmosphere of Parisian salons, where during the first half of the nineteenth century Frederic Chopin entertained and dazzled with his music, the event brought together over 300 people. They enjoyed music, presentations, dinner and even some dancing at the close.
It was an extraordinary two-fold celebration as this year the musical tribute to Chopin was combined with the 40th Anniversary Gala of the American Polish Cultural Society (APCS). Established in 1985, the APCS is the organization which in 1989 purchased what was then a museum of antiquities and bit by bit developed it in what it is today: the impressive American Polish Cultural Center, a multi-function popular venue with banquet halls, an award-winning Polish-style restaurant and library. The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame is also located there. Since 2001 the APCS has been offering scholarships to young Polish Americans. Throughout the years many memorable Polish events took place at the APCC, including musical and theatrical performances, New Year’s celebrations, and the activities of local Polish American organizations.
The concert on Sunday afternoon was dedicated to the memory of the late Jacqueline (Jackie) Kolowski who with unparalleled dedication, energy and passion chaired Chopiniana 12 times. When Jackie unexpectedly passed away earlier this year amid the preparations for this year’s event, Zdzisława Gumul picked up the mantel and with the committee consisting of Tomasz Kielar (co-chair), Zofia Duniec-Dmuchowski, Danuta Gurne, Zbigniew Martusiewicz, Barbara Slominski, Richard Z. Tarnicki and Bogumila Ewa Gala made sure that the event was as beautiful as Jackie would like it to have.
The evening had an expansive and varied program with the pinnacle being a two-part program of classical music, with the first part performed solo by the young and very talented pianist Derek Szlauer, followed in the second part by the excellent “Trio 72”, (Derek Szlauer, Joseph Gray and Brendan Callies) performing compositions by Hayden and Mendelssohn.
The audience was equally elated by Mr. Szlauer’s wonderful performances of Ballade No.3 in A-flat Major and Scherzo No.2 in B-flat Minor by Chopin and Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.3 in A Minor, and by the trio’s renditions of Hayden’s Piano Trio No. 39 in G Major, and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor.
Maestro Kazimierz Brzozowski, who introduced the artists and the music, was very pleased with their performances. All three of the young artists were under his tutelage at WSU. Derek Szlauer just graduated with a bachelor’s degree, while the cellist Brendan Callies is still an undergraduate student at Wayne. The violinist Joseph Gray, who out of the three has the longest list of engagements to his credit, is a Teaching Artist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. As a trio they have been performing for a couple of years.
Another proud teacher last evening was Jolanta Gmurowska, who like others in the audience knows Derek Szlauer personally. Derek twice participated in the Young Talent Show (Parada Młodych Talentów), when he was a student at the Adam Mickiewicz Polish Language School in Sterling Heights. After the concert a large group of students from the Adam Mickiewicz Polish Language School who attended the concert, flanked by their teachers, took a commemorative photo with the artists. It was remarkable to see so many young people at the concert; congratulations and bravo to their parents and teachers, Jolanta Gmurowska and Aneta Luzinski.
Students from the Adam Mickiewicz Polish Language School with their teachers, Aneta Luzinski and Jolanta Gmurowska, posing for a commemorative photo with the artists.
Among the honorable guests of the evening was Cecilia Larkin, president of the Washington-based American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC) and Jackie Kolowski’s sister, who was there to pay tribute to her older sibling. Ms. Larkin was one of many people who throughout the evening praised the APCS, an ACPC affiliate, for its many years of work promoting Polish culture. In her speech Ms. Larkin also made the observation that the large gathering of 300 people disproves the widespread belief that it is very difficult to get people to attend Polish American events and gave some credit for such a large turn out to her late sister, who collaborated with different Polish-American organizations on many projects.
The event was elegantly emceed by Zdzisława Gumul, Kazimierz Brzozowski and Henry Gumul. The beautiful flower arrangements for the tables were created by Barbara Lisiecka, who in the past chaired Chopiniana twice, before Jackie Kolowski took over.
During the Gala part of the event Mr. Richard Tarnicki presented the history of the APCS and praised the APCS 40th Anniversary and Chopiniana Committee who organized the event, while Father Bernard Witek said the Invocation.
The keynote address of the Gala was delivered by Richard Walawender, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Detroit. Mr. Walawender masterfully touched on all three topics of the evening: the APCS’s history, mission and accomplishments, Frederic Chopin, his music and unwavering patriotism, and the late Jackie Kolowski, for whose work he had very kind words of appreciation.
L to R: Brendan Callies, Joseph Gray, Derek Szlauer, Kazimierz Brzozowski, Tomoko Mack, Dariusz Klepko, Dr. Barbara Wisniewski and Richard Walawender, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland
In his talk Mr. Walawender also included the story of Chopin’s heart, which upon his death was per the artist’s request removed from his body and smuggled to Warsaw, to be years later embedded in a pillar of Warsaw’s Holy Cross Church. During the peril of the Warsaw Uprising the heart was saved by Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski a merciless killer of the insurgents and murderer of the civilian population of Warsaw, but nevertheless an admirer of Chopin.
The guests received a very informative program book which in addition to program notes, included greetings and congratulations to the APCS extended by, among others, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Polish Consulate in Chicago, Mayor of Troy Ethan Baker, Polish American Congress-MI Division, the Filarets Choir and many others. One can also read there a comprehensive history of the APCS written by Frank Dmuchowski.
In his address Mr. Walawender also brought up a definition of culture. One of its elements is food, and the guests very much enjoyed dinner with fine touches such as springs of fresh thyme over the butter, or beets carpaccio with arugula and edamame.
For the guests who after over three hours of celebrations still had some energy left, there was another treat awaiting at the end of the event: a performance by a multigenerational brass band, under the baton of Antoni Mączka. The performance encouraged people to sing along with the St. Florian’s choir, and even dance. Very appropriately the last musical piece of the evening was “Sto lat” performed by the band for Mr. Tarnicki, ACPS’s President and one of the event’s chief organizers.
Multigenerational brass band, under the baton of Antoni Mączka.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening, and the organizers deserve our congratulations and praise. The Polish Weekly wishes the American Polish Cultural Society a great many years in service to Polonia and very many successful events promoting the wonderful cultural heritage of Poland.
Photos: Alina Klin and Alicja Karlic
