2024 Inductees into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame Gala
Nov
14
5:30 PM17:30

2024 Inductees into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame Gala

Introducing the 2024 Inductees into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame

In recognition of their contributions to the State of  Connecticut and celebration of their immigrant heritage:

The Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame celebrates the diverse ethnic heritage of our state and country by honoring individuals and institutions who exemplify the best of their immigrant heritage and who have made outstanding contributions to the cultural, economic and civic development of the United States. We strive not only to preserve this heritage, but to educate the public about the importance of immigrant heritage to the identity of the United States and the contributions of immigrants and immigrant communities in making America the envy of the world.

This year’s inductees are:

PROF.  ANDRE BLASZCZYNSKI

DR. AZITA EMAMI,

MR. JAMES MICHEL

THE RODRIGUEZ FAMILY

This year IHHF Induction Gala ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT. There will be a cocktail hour at 5:30 PM, followed by a formal dinner and program which will include Honorary Keynote Speaker, Chris George, the recently retired CEO of IRIS. Brief video presentation about each inductee and a cultural presentation reflecting each inductee’s background.

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Polish Language School - Use What You Learned on ZOOM:
Sep
30
to Oct 2

Polish Language School - Use What You Learned on ZOOM:

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Use What You Learned on ZOOM:

Join us for our new conversational class. Practice what you learned in class.

Class meets once a week for 5 weeks.

Each 5-week session is $69.

Class One Tuesday, 6:7:15 PM ET. Starting July 30, 2024

Class Two Monday, 6:00-7:15 PM ET. Starting December 2, 2024

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Emotional Landscapes for Soprano and Piano
Jul
24
6:00 PM18:00

Emotional Landscapes for Soprano and Piano

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Join Us for an Evening of Emotional Landscapes for Soprano and Piano!
Date & Time: July 24th, 2024 6 PM
Venue: Davidson Hall at CCSU, New Britain, CT

Admission: Free!

Eleonora Wojnar, soprano
Bridget de Moura Castro

Program:

M. Karłowicz (1876-1909)
Two songs, “Zasmuconej” and “Z Nową Wiosną”

F. Chopin (1810-1849)
Selections from Polish songs, op. 74

F. Liszt (1811-1886)
“Oh! Quand je dors,” S. 282
“O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst,” S. 298


R. Strauss (1864-1949)
“Morgen!,” op. 27 no. 4
“Beim Schlafengehn” from “Four Last Songs”

E. Grieg (1843-1907)
Two Lyric Pieces:
“Notturno,” op. 54 no. 4 and
“Wedding Day at Troldhaugen,” op. 65 no. 6

“Solvieg’s Song,” from Peer Gynt, op. 23
“Ich Liebe Dich,” op. 5, no. 3
“Ein Traum,” op. 48, no. 6

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Ewa Pobłocka Concert at Torm Theater at CCSU
Jan
26
6:00 PM18:00

Ewa Pobłocka Concert at Torm Theater at CCSU

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S. A. Blejwas Endowed Chair in Polish Studies at Central Connecticut State University is proud to announce the Polish Studies Program Celebrating 50th Anniversary 1974-2024 by joining us for an evening of beautiful Polish music performed

by

Ewa Pobłocka

Friday, January 26, 2024 at 6:00PM

Torp Theatre, located in Davidson Hall Building CCSU, New Britain, CT

 The event is FREE and open to the public.

Ewa Pobłocka

Ewa Pobłocka is a prize-winner of the 10th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (1980), the International Viotti Music Competition in Vercelli (1977) and the International Festival of Young Laureates in Bordeaux (1979). She has performed throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as in China, Indonesia, the RSA, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Australia, not only as a soloist, but also as an accomplished chamber musician. She has given numerous first performances and made world premiere recordings of works by Polish contemporary composers. She has recorded more than 50 discs for Deutsche Grammophon, Polskie Nagrania, CD Accord and Bearton, among many others. She has also recorded and performed period instruments from Chopin’s era. Many of her recordings have won prizes and critical acclaim. She is the first Polish pianist in history to record both volumes of Das Wohltemperierte Klavier by Bach. Recently she has performed both the volumes during the recitali series in many venues in Europe. She is a distinguished pedagogue, teaching at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. Pobłocka has given numerous master classes all around the world. She has been a jury member of many international piano competitions, such as the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Artur Rubinstein Competition in Tel-Aviv and Competitions in Hamamatsu or in Ettlingen, among many others. Ewa Pobłocka also willingly devotes herself to literary activities – her first book, ‘Forte-piano’, was released in 2021. Since 2020, she has been running the broadcasts ‘Start with Bach’ and ‘Bach’s Cases” in Polish Radio.

The concert is supported in part by The Tadeusz Sendzimir Fund at Connecticut Community Foundation,

The Polish American Foundation of CT, The Music Department and The Community Engagement and Social Research at CCSU

To learn more about Polish Studies Program go to: https://www.ccsu.edu/polishstudies/ 

And to support the program go to: https://ccsu.networkforgood.com/causes/4011-polish-studies-program

Please contact Magda Jacques at jacquesm@ccsu.edu or 860 832-3010 if you have any questions.

For parking information, please go to  https://www2.ccsu.edu/campusMap/

            *Please contact me at jacquesm@ccsu.edu if you would like to be removed from the Polish Studies mailing list.*

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2023 Summer Concert Series
Jul
26
6:00 PM18:00

2023 Summer Concert Series

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Corbin Beisner, piano

Mr. Beisner has been active as a classical pianist throughout the United States and Europe since his solo recital debut in 2005. Notable performances have included recitals at the Conservatoire Liceu in Barcelona Spain, the Liszt Saal at the Accademia d’ Ungheria in Rome, Italy,  recitals throughout Switzerland, including an all-Liszt recital in the famous “Le Troi Rois” hotel in Basel, repeated invitations at the Schmiedenhof Zunftsaal, also in Basel, numerous concerts in Budapest, Hungary, and performances at the Summer Liszt Academy in Schillingsfürst, Germany. In the United States, he has been invited to perform by Chopin societies in Connecticut, Texas, the Chopin Foundation in Florida, and the American Liszt Society. Mr. Beisner has performed with orchestras in Indiana, throughout Connecticut, and Nevada in the USA,  Basel, Switzerland, and Brescia, Italy, (Artematica Organization) and has also collaborated with various chamber musicians and opera singers throughout the United States and Europe. He is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut, USA (BMus) and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music (Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem) in Budapest, Hungary (M.M.) In 2018 and 2019, he received rave reviews in the German/Swiss newspapers “Die Neue Fricktaler Zeitung” and “Badische Zeitung” for his recitals, notably his performances of the music of Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, and Liszt.  He is also a 1st prize winner of the London Liszt Society Competition. His debut CD, presenting the works of Franz Liszt, was released in late 2020 under the German label “Perfect Noise.”

Eleonora Wojnar, soprano

“lyrical soprano voice of beautiful color with great extension […] particularly suitable for the works of Mozart as a natural instinct.”

“unquestionable artistic quality.” Raina Kabaivanska

“An extraordinarily beautiful voice”' Vesselina Kasarova

“her artistic spirit is full of fantasy and her presence on stage – extraordinary! Her clear voice shows transparency of fine and warm personality.” Elisabeth Glauser

“this happened to be the natural grandeur of her role as Pamina in ‘The Magic Flute’ by Mozart, with modest emotionality and elegantly led musical line, with perfectly controlled registers and passages implemented in this so difficult role”  Review

Young soprano Eleonora Wojnar was born in Warsaw, Poland. There, she gained her first singing experience in the children's choir "Alla polacca" at the Warsaw National Opera and took part in many different opera productions. The opera-laden stage atmosphere left a strong impression on her, and it was then that Eleonora decided to make her voice a source of inspiration for her audience and for herself. She continued her solo training at the J. Elsner Music School in Warsaw and already then won several prizes in competitions as a soloist. Even before the official graduation at J. Elsner Music School, Eleonora secured a place at the Fredric Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw. In summer 2005, she was selected by Grace Bumbry as the youngest participant at her master class. The successful finale of the course was celebrated in the form of a brilliant concert at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Parallel studies at the Academy of Music in Basel (with Prof. Isolde Siebert) and at the Music Academy in Warsaw (Prof. Urszula Trawińska-Moroz) deepened her vocal knowledge from multiple perspectives. Among many roles, Eleonora performed as the Countess in "Le Nozze di Figaro" under the direction of conductor Rodolfo Fischer. After her graduation, she was awarded a fellowship, which supported two years postgraduate studies in Italy with Maestra Raina Kabaivanska.   Currently, Eleonora Wojnar works with Maestra Raina Kabaivanska in Italy, and collaborates and concertizes with the American pianist Corbin Beisner Eleonora Wojnar is a fellowship holder of the Ministry of Culture in Poland, the Accademia Chigiana in Italy, and the New Bulgarian University in Sofia. She resides in Switzerland.

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Mozart, Mazurkas, and More
Jul
12
6:00 PM18:00

Mozart, Mazurkas, and More

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 PROGRAM

W. A. Mozart (1756-1792)

Sonata in C major for violin and piano,

I. Allegro vivace

II. Andante sostenuto

III. Rondeau: Allegro,

F. Chopin (1810-1849)

Mazurkas

K. Szymanowski (1882-1937)

Two Mazurkas from op. 50

E. Mlynarski (1870-1935)

Mazurka No. 1 in G major

H. Wieniawski (1835-1880)

Légende, Op.17 in G minor

B. Bartok (1881-1945)

Romanian Folk Dances

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