The 29th International Festival of Music in Old Cracow, 15th-31st August 2004 ('Muzyka w Starym Krakowie).
This weekend, one of the star musical events of the year will kick off, the Festival of Music in Old Cracow.
Like many of us, you may remember classical concerts from school when you were forced to listen to them, much as you were forced to eat sprouts by some moustachioed matron. If so, cast aside those painful memories, as this event is a gem.
The basic premise of the festival is to infiltrate Cracow's most inspiring historical buildings - palaces, churches, synagogues and museums - for a sublime blend of sound and setting.
Cracow has some magical venues and some equally magnificent musicians to play in them. However, what makes this event doubly exciting is its international dimension - the cream of Cracow's musicians will be joined by maestros from across the world.
This year star guests include the Borodin Quartet, Moscow's legendary ensemble. Ida Haendel will also be performing - a former child prodigy whose first taste of world fame came in 1935 when she won the 1st International H.Wieniawski competition in Warsaw. She'll be playing violin in Kazimierz's splendid Tempel Synagogue, accompanied by renowned pianist Walter Delahunt (August 30th).
You can find all of these events listed in our events calendar (just click on events at the top right of this page, and go on through to the calendar.)
The festival will end with a bang as Capella Cracoviensis (the city's finest orchestra) will be joining forces with the Silesian Chamber Orchestra and Cracow's Radio Choir. They'll be playing Beethoven's tumultous Ninth Symphony in the aptly gothic church of St. Catherine's (f.1343). This magnificent venue has the best acoustics of all the churches in Cracow (no small accolade when one considers that there are as many churches here as there are craters on the moon). Enjoy!
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