The program of the concert by Aleksander Dębicz and the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra, conducted by Marta Kluczyńska, will feature improvisations on traditional songs, works by Jewish composers, and songs from the period of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of Dębicz’s composition titled “Yellow Daffodil,” written especially for the 83rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Uprising.
Aleksander Dębicz grand piano
Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra
Marta Kluczyńska conductor
Aleksander Dębicz
Improvisations and arrangements based on Jewish songs from the time of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
“Reflection” for strings and piano
“Yellow Daffodil” performed with the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra under the baton of Marta Kluczyńska (premiere)
The concert, marking the 83rd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, has been designed by Aleksander Dębicz, who will take on multiple roles—as pianist-soloist, arranger, and composer.
In the first part of the concert, the artist will perform his improvisations and arrangements based on Jewish songs from the time of the Uprising. The second part will feature two of Dębicz’s original compositions, performed with the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra: Reflection for strings and piano, and the premiere of "Yellow Daffodil," composed specifically for this occasion and performed by a 23-member orchestra under the baton of Marta Kluczyńska.
Aleksander Dębicz was inspired by the theme of deep human feelings in the face of peril and fright.
"Yellow Daffodil" is a piece in which I attempt to engage with the theme of a sensation one feels when faced with a serious threat. As an artist, I first encountered this subject directly while working on a production directed by Tomasz Cyz, based on the book "And There Was Love in the Ghetto" by Marek Edelman and Paula Sawicka.
I found this theme so significant and compelling that I decided to return to it—this time creating an entirely autonomous musical work, while still referring to the same events in the Warsaw ghetto. The daffodil of the title is a symbol of remembrance of the Uprising, but also of hope—and it is precisely this duality that I sought to express in the organization of sound.
Elements of suspense and dread are interwoven with contrasting emotions. I was inspired by a cinematic mode of narration—when thinking about the form, I imagined the movement of a camera through the changing landscape of the Warsaw ghetto. I also searched for a particular sound in which the traditional roles of the solo piano and the orchestra are at times deliberately disrupted.
I do hope that "Yellow Daffodil" will provide a space of reflection and positive emotions for the audience.
- Aleksander Dębicz
Aleksander Dębicz – pianist, composer, arranger, and musical director—is among the most versatile and innovative artists on the Polish music scene. Author of a distinctive cinematic classical style, combining classical music, the narrative qualities of film music, and improvisation, first introduced on his debut album Cinematic Piano (Warner Classics, 2015). His body of work includes compositions for piano, chamber ensembles, orchestras, as well as theater and film music.
Aleksander performs worldwide, appearing both with classical orchestras and at popular music festivals. As an arranger and musical director, he has collaborated with numerous distinguished artists, consistently bridging tradition and modernity. For many years, he has worked closely with countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.
Sinfonia Varsovia – an orchestra founded in 1984 through the expansion of the Polish Chamber Orchestra. The enlargement of the ensemble and the development of Sinfonia Varsovia were initiated by Franciszek Wybrańczyk in collaboration with Yehudi Menuhin, who served as its first guest conductor. The orchestra has performed with numerous distinguished artists, including Krzysztof Penderecki, Marc Minkowski, Alexis Weissenberg, Mariusz Smolij, Claudio Abbado, Salvatore Accardo, Maurice André, Martha Argerich, Juri Bashmet, Teresa Berganza, José Carreras, Sarah Chang, José Cura, Plácido Domingo, Augustin Dumay, Charles Dutoit, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Philip Entremont, James Galway, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy, Witold Lutosławski, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Ewa Małas-Godlewska, Mścisław Rostropowicz or Maksym Wiengierow.
Marta Kluczyńska —a conductor with a broad operatic, ballet, and symphonic repertoire. In 2025, she was appointed Deputy Director of the Polish Royal Opera. She previously served as Music Director at the Polish National Ballet and has been associated with the Grand Theater – the National Opera as a conductor since 2008. She is the recipient of the Jan Kiepura Theater Music Award (2025) in the category of Best Conductor. She is also the initiator and conductor of a concert series devoted to rediscovered Polish operas at the Grand Theater – the National Opera. She collaborates with leading orchestras in Poland and internationally.
