Less is better? Szczecin Philharmonic invites you to participate in the MDF Festival, whose theme will be “Minimism”

Every year, the MUSIC.DESIGN.FORM Festival has a different theme. It is often a response to what is happening in the world.

It seems to me that after a long period of the pandemic, we need to calm down and focus on a simple form and show how different faces are in minimalism. We can see that “minimalism” in our lives is a very trendy phrase, and we want to show how different it is to understand it – explains Dorota Sirois, Director of the Philharmonic. Mieczysław Karłowicz in Szczecin.

Bauhaus Szczecin . invites you

The MDF Festival will start with “Bauhaus Szczecin”. It’s a performance composed by Pawe Mykietyn, who celebrated his fiftieth birthday this year.

She created a form close to music and theater. A little bit to listen, watch and explore. I don’t know what the impact of this research will be. I can only hope that the audience will not be disappointed – says the composer.

Kinga Rozkrut, Head of Art Events, stresses that it is a great honor for Szczecin Philharmonic that Pawe Mykietyn has agreed to write a special piece for the MDF Festival.

It is a challenge and a great joy for us to be able to participate in something different from our daily lives. There is no doubt that we will be participating in a unique event. He adds that the concept is really interesting.

space for active speech

Another element of the MDF Festival will be the “The Art of Living – Less is Better” conference. The Polish-German meeting will be a space to exchange experiences and talk about real-life topics.

– It turns out that the Germans work in artistic and life fields similar to the Poles. Hence the Polish-German conference that will allow us to invite Polish and German guests to talk together about simplification. But not in art and music, but in other aspects of our life – emphasizes Agata Kolasinska, Head of the Education Center of the Szczecin Philharmonic. – We will talk about how to experience simplicity, taking into account economic and geographic factors, as well as travel, nutrition and how and where we live. We will talk about how our lifestyle and everyday life relate to simplicity in art.

The Polish-German Congress will be chaired by Karol Paciurek. The event will begin on September 23 at 17 in the Music Room and online – on the ZOOM video conferencing platform and the Philharmonic profile on Facebook.

ocean vortex

On the same day (May 23), but at Gallery 20, Level 4 will be delivered to Trafostacja Sztuki, which invites you to the “little whirlpool in the middle of the ocean”. The title of the exhibition was taken from the simple composition La Monte Younga.

– We did not want to hold a historical exhibition. What is the point of this for a festival that deals with experience? We decided to take advantage of the various lessons that simplicity offered us, and we can see them today in art – explains Stanislav Roxa, Director of Trafostacja Sztuki and curator of the exhibition “A Little Whirlwind in the Midst of the Ocean”.

The exhibition will present works that at first glance may appear to be far from simplistic, or that are critical to the commercial abuse of this aesthetic. The point of “organization” is six works by female artists.

– Today, minimalism permeates many areas of human life, sometimes to exaggeration. On the other hand, it is a response to the catastrophe that is occurring before our eyes – emphasizes Stanisław Roxa.

Very strong electronic tone

From the Level 4 exhibition, it is worth going to the Philharmonic Hall, where on Friday (24 April) the participants of the MDF Festival will wait in a very electronic tone in the form of an Extrawelt concert.

The duo Extrawelt has been creating electronic music for nearly two decades. They have sailed the global waters to showcase business and electronics with their single “Soopertrack”. This is a duo that does not categorize itself into one musical genre, but is constantly looking for trends and does not follow them. In Szczecin, they will perform their live group for which they are so famous. Many people who have had the opportunity to listen to it confirm that these are unforgettable experiences – they cheer on Kinga Rosecrot.

Music therapy in the room hall

Also recommended is the AUTYPODY Therapeutic Ceremony aimed primarily at families. This is a unique project that started a year ago.

– That’s when we started talking with the private public elementary school No. 52 in Szczecin. The principal agreed that he should enter the school and take part in music therapy classes. All of our expectations exceeded what music could be a tool in therapy – adds Agata Kolasińska. – We will show the impact of several months of work during which we got to know the students. This concert is specially designed for those artists who will be students of private schools.

EXQuartet and Patrick Matwijczuk

The AUTYPODY and Extrawelt party isn’t the only one at the MDF Festival. Inspired by the work of the French composer, ÉxQuartet’s musicians invite you to a concert on Saturday 20th – pianist Patrick Matwijczuk will play with them.

– MDF Festival Profile is very unique when it comes to our times. This is a really good idea, because we pay tribute to simple music, which nowadays has a special meaning and has a deeper impact than before – emphasizes Łukasz Górewicz.

Concert guests will have the opportunity to perceive sounds in a completely different way, because they will be able to sit and lie on simple Foonka pillows with the idea of ​​nature.

The Grand Finale in the Golden Hall

The grand finale of the MDF Festival will take place in the Golden Symphony Hall, where the Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will play against the classics of minimalism. The orchestra will be conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer, who at an early age made a name for himself in the world of opera, symphonic and contemporary music. As a conductor, he has a great talent not only to give concerts, but also to work on an equal footing with different artists – no matter if they are young musicians, rappers or celebrities.

We decided to see this simplicity in music from many aspects. This party could not miss the Anglo-Saxon accent, because minimalism began in the United States. So John Adams can’t be missed. We will play his works from the early 1990s, namely “Shaker Loops” – adds Mateusz Czarnovsky from the Szczecin Philharmonic Education Center.