Music Day Awards | Województwo Kujawsko-Pomorskie

During today’s (15 October) awards ceremony in Bydgoszcz, Vice-Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski presented the annual awards of the Region’s Board, granted on the occasion of International Music Day to individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of musical culture in our region.

In his speech, Vice-Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski referred to a lecture entitled “Between the Art of Sound and the Art of Listening”, delivered by Professor Barbara Okoń-Makowska, an outstanding sound director, during the recent inauguration of the academic year at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. He emphasised that music cannot exist without an engaged audience, that it needs a listener – someone who experiences it consciously and profoundly.

– I would like to quote Yehudi Menuhin, one of the most acclaimed violin virtuosos, conductors and music educators of the 20th century: “Listening is the most important part of music.” Without listening, there can be no genuine connection between the artist and the audience. Listening is the first act of understanding. This applies not only to music but also to social life, science and human relationships. The ability to listen allows us to see more, understand more deeply and act more wisely. Above all, it enables us to act together – he emphasised.

The awards were presented to:

Dorota Borowicz (Assistant Director, Opera Nova)
Robert Chojnacki (Head of Promotion and Audience Services, Opera Nova)
Jerzy Kaszuba (Lecturer, Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music)
Kamil Kęska (Lecturer, Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music)
Filip Lipski (Violinist, Opera Nova)
Szymon Łukowski (Saxophonist, Clarinetist, Flautist, Composer, Arranger and Educator)
Andrzej Nawrocki (Double Bassist, Pomeranian Philharmonic)
Agata Nowak (Cellist, Pomeranian Philharmonic)
Beata Styś (Chief Cashier and Accountant, Pomeranian Philharmonic)
Mateusz Szwankowski (Clarinetist, Toruń Symphony Orchestra)
Zbigniew Najdowski (Shoemaker, Opera Nova)
Grażyna Wenda (HR Specialist, Pomeranian Philharmonic)
Andrzej Wyrwicki (Double Bassist, Toruń Symphony Orchestra)