Sinfonia Varsovia
Sinfonia Varsovia is one of Poland's most important symphony orchestras and has attracted a large roster of both soloists and guest conductors. The Sinfonia has issued an unusually large catalog of recordings, numbering more than 270 releases on labels in Poland and elsewhere.
Sinfonia Varsovia was founded in 1984; Varsovia was the Latin name for the orchestra's home city of Warsaw. The group has an unusual origin in that it expanded from a chamber group, the Polish Chamber Orchestra (Polska Orkiestra Kameralna). Sinfonia Varsovia came together after Polish Chamber Orchestra director Franciszek Wybranczyk and art center manager Waldemar Dabrowski invited star violinist Yehudi Menuhin to Warsaw to perform as a soloist and conduct the orchestra. Additional players from around Poland were brought on board for the Menuhin concerts, which were successful both critically and commercially, and led the orchestra to continue at the larger size under the new Sinfonia Varsovia name. Menuhin accepted the title of guest conductor and continued to appear frequently with the group, conducting it in recorded cycles of Schubert (1994) and Beethoven (1998) symphonies. Wybranczyk served as conductor from 1984 until 2004 when he was succeeded by Janusz Marynowski. In 2003, composer Krzysztof Penderecki became the Sinfonia's artistic director, remaining in the position until his death in 2020. The orchestra has also sometimes maintained the post of music director, held by Penderecki from 1997 to 2008, and Marc Minkowski from 2008 to 2012. Sinfonia Varsovia has attracted guest conductors of the highest rank, including Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, and Valery Gergiev, among many others. On the long list of internationally prominent soloists who have appeared with the Sinfonia are Alfred Brendel, Gidon Kremer, and Murray Perahia. Sinfonia Varsovia maintains its own Orchestra Studium to train young orchestral musicians, and indeed, the group's membership has been predominantly youthful over the years.
Sinfonia Varsovia is known internationally for its recordings, which began in 1991 with an album on the CD Accord label devoted to works of Witold Lutoslawski. The orchestra has recorded an exceptionally wide variety of music from the 16th century to the present, with a slight emphasis on Polish music. Sinfonia Varsovia has also recorded for Apex, Albany Music, Toccata Classics, and many other small labels. In 2017, the group was signed to Warner Classics and released the album 39'45. The group has continued to record for Warner Classics, issuing releases with innovative conceptual programs such as Möbius in 2019.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Mozart - Beethoven
Liya Petrova, Sinfonia Varsovia, Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Concertos - Released by Mirare on 26 Feb 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Caprice
Nathanaël Gouin, Sinfonia Varsovia, Aleksandar Markovic
Classical - Released by Mirare on 13 Oct 2023
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Stöhr: Orchestral Music, Vol. 2
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 7 Jul 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moszkowski: Orchestral Music, Vol. 2
Sinfonia Varsovia, Ian Hobson, Jakub Haufa, Zuzanna Elster, Damian Skowroński
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 4 Sep 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edouard Lalo : Symphonie espagnole - Sonate - Arlequin - Guitare
Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, Sinfonia Varsovia, Augustin Dumay
Classical - Released by Fuga Libera on 9 Oct 2012
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
New Seasons - Händel für Oboe und Orchester
Albrecht Mayer, Sinfonia Varsovia
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 23
Jean-Bernard Pommier, Sinfonia Varsovia
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius, Khachaturian: Violin Concertos
Sergey Khachatryan, Sinfonia Varsovia
Classical - Released by naïve classique on 14 Oct 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Martinů: Early Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
Sinfonia Varsovia, Agnieszka Kopacka, Ian Hobson
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 29 Dec 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Martinů: Early Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
Sinfonia Varsovia, Dorota Szczepańska, Anna Maria Staśkiewicz, Ian Hobson, Agnieszka Kopacka
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 3 Jun 2016
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oeuvres orchestrales de jeunesse (Volume 1)
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on 1 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphony No. 4
Classical - Released by Albany Records on 1 Dec 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Violin Concerto, Op. 33, FS 61, CNW 41: I. Praeludium - Largo. Allegro cavallerésco
Anna Agafia, Sinfonia Varsovia, Aleksandar Markovic
Concertos - Released by Claves Records on 17 Feb 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Classical - Released by Zephyr Records on 17 Jul 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Daqun Jia: The Wave of the Surging Thoughts & Bashu capriccio
Jakub Haufa, Sinfonia Varsovia, Michał Klauza
Classical - Released by Naxos on 12 Apr 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart - Beethoven
Liya Petrova, Sinfonia Varsovia, Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Classical - Released by Mirare on 26 Feb 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Nielsen & Szymanowski, Violin Concertos
Anna Agafia, Sinfonia Varsovia, Aleksandar Markovic
Concertos - Released by Claves Records on 10 Mar 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bel Raggio (Airs d'opéras de Rossini)
Aleksandra Kurzak, Sinfonia Varsovia, Pier Giorgio Morandi
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Penderecki: Music for Chamber Orchestra
Albrecht Mayer, Jakub Haufa, Sinfonia Varsovia, Artur Paciorkiewicz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jerzy Klocek
Classical - Released by DUX on 24 Feb 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Khachaturian & Penderecki: Cello Concertos
Astrig Siranossian, Adam Klocek, Sinfonia Varsovia
Cello Concertos - Released by Claves Records on 16 Mar 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
My Magic Flute
Sir James Galway, Sinfonia Varsovia
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo