The large-scale performance marked the conclusion of Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The event was organised by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) to celebrate the end of Poland’s six-month EU presidency.
Held under the Poland Pavilion's official slogan, “Heritage That Drives the Future,” the performance explored themes of diversity, creativity and coexistence.
Created by award-winning composer and producer Łukasz L.U.C. Rostkowski—named by Variety in 2023 as one of the world’s top 15 film composers—Symbiosis Symphony invited audiences on a unique, one-night-only journey through 12 chapters of European history.
The performance blended classical, electronic, and folk music with real-time visual art and AI-generated imagery.
The result was a multisensory experience: a symphonic poem audiences could both hear and see.
Twelve original compositions—each representing a different historical era—were premiered by nine acclaimed European composers.
The works were performed through a collaboration between the international collective Rebel Babel Orchestra, which includes more than 12,000 musicians from 20 countries, and Japan’s Amabile Philharmonic Orchestra, based in Osaka.
Among the featured musicians were Emmy-winning UK composer and producer Nick Wood; French classical-contemporary pianist Emilio Piano; Ukrainian pianist and composer Lubomyr Melnyk; and Maria Pomianowska, a world-renowned Polish master of traditional instruments known for blending folk and classical music in cross-cultural projects.
The visual component of the event was produced by Breakthru Films, the Academy Award-winning studio behind the animated film Loving Vincent. The visuals offered a painterly, immersive aesthetic that transformed the stage into a moving canvas.
From the primal rhythms of ancient drums and flutes to reinterpretations of Hildegard von Bingen’s medieval chants, the grandeur of Bach and Vivaldi, Chopin’s lyrical piano, and the pulsing energy of Berlin techno, the concert embodied both the harmony and tension of Europe’s cultural evolution.
Poland wrapped up its EU presidency with a full day of events at the World Expo, emphasizing a broad definition of security and highlighting Polish civic initiatives, creativity and cultural diplomacy.
(ab/gs)
Click on the audio player above for a report by Agnieszka Bielawska.