Kwadrofonik

The Kwadrofonik band was formed in 2005 as a result of the merger of two duets: percussion and piano. Magdalena Kordylasińska and Milosz Pekala (Hob-Beats Duo) and Emilia Sitarz and Bartholomew Wasik (Lutoslawski Piano Duo) form the only such quartet in Poland and one of only a few in the world. Together they perform music of the twentieth and twenty-first century, songs composed especially for the band, transcriptions of symphonic works as well as their own compositions inspired by traditional Polish music.

The band's career began with the Folklove project, which received an enthusiastic reception at the “Nowa Tradycja” 9th Festival of Folk Music where the band was awarded the Grand Prix, the Award of the Mayor of Warsaw and Audience Award known as the “Durze Braw” Award. Critics described the band as visionary and creating new paths in folk music. In 2007 Kwadrofonik was awarded the prestigious Special Award 3 of the "Svetozar Stracina"Competition of the European Broadcasting Union EBU in Bratislava. The award for modernity, innovation and loyalty to tradition, was awarded for the first time in the history of the competition. The quartet has also won the Folk Record of the Year - Award for the best phonographic folk album of 2007.

In 2010, for the first time the band presented the work entitled "I've been here. Frederick "which is a musical collage inspired by Chopin's music, traditional music and contemporary techniques. At the Warszawska Jesień Festival in Warsaw in the same year the band performed the monumental work "Różnia” written by Wojciech Ziemowit Zych specifically for them. It was the most anticipated premier of the festival. Over a number of years the band has prepared a number of transcriptions, including “Mikrokosmos” of B. Bartok, “Harnasie” of Karol Szymanowski. The band also performed - along with cellist Andrzej Bauer and composer Cezary Duchnowski, Witold Lutoslawski's “Koncert wiolonczelowy” in a version for cello, prepared pianos, percussion and electronics.

The band has performed a few dozen contemporary works (including by W.Z. Zych and M. Jablonski,) and also the first fully Polish performance of a piece by Steve Reich entitled "Music for eighteen musicians". The last four premiers written for the band and the mezzo-soprano Barbara Majewska Kinga (A. Gryka, W. Blecharz, A. Kwiecinski, S. Wojciechowski) were the main event at the Instalakcje festival organized by the Teatr Nowy Warsaw. The band has toured in many Polish cities as well as throughout Europe, the Middle and Far East and the Americas playing at such venues as the Filharmonia Narodowa, Studio im. W. Lutosławskiego, Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, the Berlin Philharmonic, Izumi Hall (Osaka), Hall of Central Conservatory in Beijing. The band also toured several times at the invitation of Polish Embassies and Institutes. After the concert in Chicago the "New Herald Tribune" described the band to be extremely revealing and its performance of Preludia e-moll F. Chopina, as absolutely brilliant.

When working on their songs the musicians often improvise and use their experiences and explore various sounds, in order to maximize the possibilities of two pianos and percussion. The band is appreciated by the audience not only for the high level of their performances, but also for the surprising ideas they apply when using percussion instruments and piano. It is worth adding that these concerts have become beautiful spectacles, during which musicians often use dozens of instruments. Musicians also conduct master classes and educational concerts of contemporary music for pre-school children.

As of 2013 the quartet has been collaborating with the jazz vocalist Dorota Miśkiewicz, with whom they have prepared new interpretations of the children's' songs by Witold Lutoslawski to the words of Julian Tuwim. a record with this material was released by SONY which received a gold record award three months after the launch and was nominated for a phonographic Frederick award.

In the coming years the musicians intend to focus primarily on performing the newest music and promotion of the latest Polish compositions written especially for the band. Currently the band is in talks regarding contracts for the 2015/2016 season. Also the band is preparing a new project associated with the celebration of the Oskar Kolberg year inspired by traditional Polish music of mourning.

In the year 2015 Kwadrofonik will also be the host of the first marathon of Contemporary Chamber Music to be held in Warsaw.