Poland's Mazowsze folk ensemble tours US, Canada

Poland’s Mazowsze Folk Song and Dance Ensemble is touring the United States and Canada, with upcoming performances scheduled in Toronto on Wednesday and Chicago on Friday, following earlier shows in Washington and New York.

The Mazowsze Folk Song and Dance Ensemble.

Photo: Wojciech Pędzich, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The nearly three-hour programme features traditional Polish songs and dances, as well as works by composers including Fryderyk Chopin, Stanisław Moniuszko, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Szymanowski and Wojciech Kilar.

The repertoire also includes selections from American musicals.

The ensemble of about 150 performers—singers, dancers and instrumentalists—is led by music director Jacek Boniecki.

Photo: PAP/Daniel Gnap

Billed as "The Magnificent Mazowsze," the tour marks the group’s return to North America after 16 years and forms part of a Polish cultural project marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.

On May 3, Poland’s Constitution Day, members of the ensemble are set to take part in the annual Polish Parade in Chicago and a wreath-laying ceremony at the city’s Kościuszko Memorial.

Mazowsze was founded in 1948 by composer and conductor Tadeusz Sygietyński.

Tadeusz Sygietyński. Photo: NAC/Public domain

After his death, his widow, Mira Zimińska, a prewar Warsaw cabaret star, served as artistic director for more than 50 years, until her death in 1997 at age 96.

The ensemble has performed on around 300 international tours in more than 50 countries.

(mk/gs)