The Museum of Man is a tribute to the memory of Krzysztof and Elżbieta Penderecki, who played a fundamental role in the history of Sinfonietta Cracovia. It was their support that helped the young orchestra at the time gain city patronage in 1994. Krzysztof Penderecki’s music has accompanied the ensemble through key moments of its artistic development, and the orchestra itself has been a vital performer and interpreter of his works.
Elżbieta Penderecka, who passed away in October 2025, was a member of the Honorary Committee of the Baltic Opera Festival (BOF). Her support as a leading figure in musical life and patron of culture was particularly valuable, motivating the creators of the Baltic Opera Festival to consistently and uncompromisingly develop largest opera event in this part of Europe.
In the 1980s, Marian Żak received Krzysztof Penderecki’s permission to create a contemporary choreography for the Partita for Harpsichord and String Orchestra. It became part of the production The Museum of Man which premiered on April 12, 1986, at the Silesian Opera in Bytom and was very highly regarded by the composer himself. The evening of July 6th will culminate in the premiere of a contemporary dance performance inspired by that production.
The concert The Museum of Man – Penderecki in Memoriam is a tribute from the Sinfonietta Cracovia orchestra, Marian Żak, and the Festival organizers to the legacy of the Pendereckis’. The event will serve as a gesture of gratitude for their shared history, while the evening’s program will showcase the multidimensionality of Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki’s musical language and his constant dialogue with tradition.
