Kraków Opera and the centenary of the birth of St. John Paul II

Despite the ongoing pandemic and a ban on public gatherings, the Kraków Opera is still active in virtual reality! In mid-May, the musicians were due to perform at the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of St. John Paul II at the Church of Mary Queen of Poland – the first church in Nowa Huta which would not have been built had it not been for the support of Cardinal Wojtyła, Archbishop of Kraków. Given the current situation, the orchestra presents a concert on its YouTube channel and Facebook profile, where it’s already streamed Karol Szymanowski’s operetta Lottery for a Husband and the spectacle Teresica – una pasión based on Spanish songs of the Golden Age. This time, Tomasz Tokarczyk conducts soloists Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha (soprano), Agnieszka Cząstka-Niezgódka (mezzo-soprano), Tomasz Kuk (tenor) and Adam Szerszeń (baritone) alongside the Kraków Opera Choir and Arkadiusz Bialic on organ; they will perform excerpts from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Agnus Dei from his Coronation Mass, recorded in part at the Church on the Rock and in part at the artists’ homes (6.30pm, 17 May).