Conductors impressed
The National Forum of Music was officially launched on 4 September last year. Immediately after, first performances as part of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival (a total of 2,427 events held throughout the year) demonstrated that the main concert hall would curry favour with eminent performers, including a long-standing leader of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. Maestro Zubin Mehta said that the main hall was just perfect for symphonic orchestras. Several months later, Semyon Bychkov, who came to Wroclaw with the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra made it clear that the acoustics of the main hall "allows a wide range of expression, as it combines the warmth and the clarity of the sound". Antonio Pappano, Artistic Director of London's Royal Opera House, who also conducted his orchestra in Wroclaw, thus described the hall: "Just great". No recommendation can be better than this, and it is on the record that famous orchestra leaders are simply delighted with the National forum of Music.
Awards for the NFM
The National Forum of Music, which took over all of the functions performed by the former Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra last year, has developed them to an unprecedented extent. They have the same patron, that is, Witold Lutosławski, who lent his name to the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra in 1994 and to the National Forum of Music in February this year. The new building has already won the title of the 2015 Building of the Year and the Grand Prize in the Beautiful Wroclaw ranking. It has also been mentioned in numerous publications on architecture. Journalist and architecture connoisseur Filip Springer has devoted a separate chapter to the NFM in his latest "Księga zachwytów".
Unforgettable performances
The National Forum of Music witnessed a number of wonderful performances (458 in all four halls!) last season, a lot of them particularly memorable (e.g. a dazzling performance by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Ivàn Fischer or jazz concerts by singer Dianne Reeves with her band and the NFM Orchestra), but also a number of events, such as the commencement of the European Capital of Culture, the Wroclaw Music and Theatre Awards Gala, the European Festivals Association Conference or the prestigious 63. International Composers' Tribune. The NFM is also promoted by Wroclaw ensembles and orchestras, including the Symphonic Orchestra, Leopoldinum, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Choir, Boys' Choir, Lutosławski Quartet, Polsh-Cello Quartet, Lutos-Air Quartet, NFM Ensemble and Leopoldinum String Trio. Their concerts both in Poland in elsewhere have gathered a total of 40 thousand listeners that are simply bound to remember the NFM.
Walk of Fame
In April, a Walk of Fame was launched that brings a series of plaques to commemorate major performances at the NFM. To date, two plaques have been installed, the first was unveiled by the Breslau-born conductor Christoph Eschenbach, the second by the former Wroclaw Symphonic Orchestra Director Maestro Stanisław Skrowaczewski. There is also a dwarves' orchestra in front of the building. They have a conductor, strings, brass and percussions.
Recorded at the NFM
The NFM has also held several recordings, including a new LP from Giovanni Antonini featuring his ensemble Il Giardino Armonico and singer Anna Prohaska (to be promoted at this year's Wratislavia Cantans) and beautiful sacred vocal music performed by Bartłomiej Pękiel and conducted by Andrzej Kosendiak. Only recently, Paul McCreesh has completed a recording session with his soloists, choir and orchestra. His take on "Four Seasons" oratorio by Haydn will be released next year.
A little something for little music lovers
The Forum also has a little something for children, and children's series have attracted over 10 thousand participants to date. Launched in the autumn 2015, the Educational Centre provides tuition to 286 children. One day they will frequenting the NFM's halls as an audience and, who knows, maybe also as budding or successful artists.
