Program notes

Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) was a prodigious pianist and violinist who performed her first concerto with an orchestra at the age of 12, and became concertmaster of the Polish Radio Orchestra only nine years later. She studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, where her reputation as a composer flourished, as well as her career as a violinist - she toured Europe as a soloist, premiering most of her seven violin concertos herself. During World War II, she stayed on in occupied Warsaw, premiering her compositions at secret underground concerts.

Her Piano Quintet No. 1 (1952) reflects her unique personal style - both lyrical and dissonant, technically demanding, and emotionally passionate. The piece opens mysteriously and unsettlingly, eventually gaining momentum through bursts of playful energy. The piece develops with a Polish folk dance, a devastating and aching slow movement, and a furiously intense finale.

This performance at Equinox Festival 2023 cemented our idea that Bacewicz is the standard repertoire of the future. We unfortunately lost the full-length video in the Great Equinox Hard Drive Fiasco of 2023, but luckily Ellie had these two minutes saved for us to enjoy slack-jawed until we perform the piece again.

Photos by Caroline Bittencourt