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Adam Makowicz in Kalisz, Poland

Szymon Ratajczyk saw the Polish piano veteran, now 84, play orchestral arrangements of his own tunes and solo renditions from the GAS and Dvořák

“Welcome Back, Adam” – this is how the second concert in the jubilee season of the Kalisz Philharmonic was titled. For on Friday, 20 September 2024, the legendary jazz pianist Adam Makowicz performed with the Kalisz Phil under the baton of Ruben Silva in a concert that referenced Makowicz’s traditional performances with symphony orchestras. Years ago Makowicz was a multiple soloist with world orchestras and chamber ensembles that included the National Symphony of Washington, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, to name a few.

Adam Makowicz is regarded as one of the greatest Polish jazz musicians, famous for his improvised playing. During his time in the United States, he shared the stage with some of the greatest jazzmen, including Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Al Foster, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden and Herbie Hancock. In Poland, he has performed with Tomasz Stańko, Andrzej Kurylewicz, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Urszula Dudziak and Leszek Możdżer. He has recorded over 60 albums and performed countless times in major concert halls around the world.

Friday’s concert marked the maestro’s fourth performance with the Kalisz Philharmonic, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in the artistic period of 2024/2025. He previously performed in Kalisz in the 1991/92, 1992/93 and 2008 seasons. Makowicz was also a frequent guest on the stage of the International Jazz Piano Festival in Kalisz, where he played nine times: in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1996, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2020 and 2022.

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This concert began with an hour-long performance with the orchestra during which four compositions by Makowicz were heard – Composition No. 20 – Sopot 100, Early June In The Central Park, A Song From My Past and Living High In Manhattan, as well as two pieces by Fryderyk Chopin – Scherzo in E major Op. 54 and Prelude in A major Op. 28 No. 7.

After a short break for stage rearrangement, Makowicz presented a solo recital. The pianist revealed his artistry and virtuosity, playing compositions by Jerome Kern (All The Things You Are), Duke Ellington (Don’t Get Around Much Anymore), Antonín Dvořák (Humoresque), Hoagy Carmichael (Small Fry), George Gershwin (Fascinating Rhythm), and in his own composition Lullaby For Georgia Clover (written for his granddaughter).

The concert ended with a thunderous standing ovation, as well as an award of honorary membership of the Association of Polish Piano Tuners to the maestro.

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Makowicz played the entire concert on an Arnold Fibiger M-280 piano produced in the Fibiger factory in Kalisz in 1938. Makowicz – as he emphasised several times during the performance – was enchanted by the sound and quality of this historic instrument, which in his opinion can compete with the best pianos in the world.

Adam Makowicz performed in the Professor Jerzy Rubiński Auditorium of the Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Poland, 20 September 2024

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Text and photos: Szymon Ratajczyk (ratajczyk.art)
Editor: Damian Kacprzak

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