Listenings, undertones, and distant echoes of imagined musical realms — waves of 'successive contrasts' will envelop us in the harmonies of the living voice, acoustic instruments, and digitally generated sounds. We invite you to experience this unexplored sound realm at the concert.

What remains in your mind at the moment when sudden silence falls after a sound? Could it be 'listenings' like the 'afterimages' of Władysław Strzemiński? Do you also, when playing a well-known record, almost hear the first song before its first notes sound? What music plays when you walk along the Masurian trail on a warm summer night? Imagined sounds are not just an abstract concept of avant-garde composers; they are also part of our everyday life, which we sometimes pass by indifferently. It is worth stopping and looking at this amazing, phantasmagorical realm, to which no one else has access. It is inhabited by instruments, objects, and above all — familiar voices.

We invite you to collectively experience the abundance of meanings in the sound of the human voice, whose vibrant presence binds all the pieces programmed in the Listenings concert. To begin, we will hear Sławomir Kupczak's Lullaby, which had its premiere during the pandemic lockdown at the Ad Libitum festival in 2020. The semi-open score invites performers to follow their own intuition and the moving sound of the vocal part.

The Hashtag Ensemble celebrates its 10th anniversary by presenting the colorful personalities of the cooperative members in the role of soloists and setting new challenges for them. This time, the solo piece will be performed by Marta Grzywacz, who will combine singing with the interpretation of the instrumental part at the piano for the first time. Agata Zubel's Three Songs utilize extended performance techniques but remain intimate in expression and open a space to listen to the buzzing of strings and the sighing of breath.

The third piece in the program, the titular Listenings, will be performed for the first time and was commissioned by the Hashtag Ensemble from composer Marcin Stańczyk with the support of the Composer Commissioning Program. With the guest participation of mezzo-soprano Magdalena Deptuła, this piece is inspired by Polish traditional music and transforms simple melodies into ephemeral 'successive contrasts.'

🔸 Program:

Sławomir Kupczak 'Lullaby'

Agata Zubel 'Three Songs'

Marcin Stańczyk 'Listenings' (premiere)

🔸 Performers:

Marta Grzywacz — voice, piano

Ania Karpowicz — flute

Łucja Chyrzyńska — flute

Adam Eljasiński — clarinet

Marta Piórkowska — violin

Aleksandra Demowska-Madejska — viola

Dominik Płociński — cello

Mateusz Loska — double bass

Magdalena Kordylasińska-Pękala — percussion

and

Magdalena Walburga Deptuła — mezzo-soprano (guest)