Preisner’s music

Zbigniew Preisner—one of the world's most eminent film music composers—will perform in Bielsko-Biała during the "My life. Preisner’s music" concert. The gala will be the culmination of an international competition for young composers. It will also become one of the most important cultural events of the year in the city, which has been announced as the Polish Capital of Culture this year.

The "My life. Preisner’s music" concert will be the final event of the international Preisner Scoring Competition—a contest addressed to young composers of film and illustrative music, organized under the artistic direction of Zbigniew Preisner. It is a prestigious platform for dialogue between debuting creators and recognized representatives of the global music and film industry, which will culminate in a ceremonial concert at the Dębowiec Sports and Entertainment Arena.

"The fact that Zbigniew Preisner—a native of Bielsko-Biała and an honorary citizen of our city—proposed that we jointly create such a unique event is a source of great pride. I have no doubt that the Preisner Scoring Competition is a project that will introduce our city to the cultural salons of the world. It will be an unprecedented undertaking in the history of Bielsko-Biała. Therefore, I look forward with anticipation to the June concert, which will summarize the first edition of the competition, and I cordially invite you to participate in this extraordinary event," adds Jarosław Klimaszewski, President of Bielsko-Biała.

During the evening, the winner of the competition will be announced, and the audience will hear the winning composition in a professional performance. Subsequently, Zbigniew Preisner will personally conduct the orchestra, presenting a selection of his most famous film works. The program will include pieces from films that have permanently entered cinema history, such as "The Double Life of Veronique," "Dekalog," the "Three Colors" trilogy (Blue, White, Red), "Europa Europa," "The Secret Garden," "When a Man Loves a Woman," and "Damage." This music—much like the films for which it was created—loses none of its relevance, remaining a universal record of human emotions.

To participate in this unique endeavor, the composer has invited artists who have been co-creating his concert projects for years, valued both at home and abroad. Performing in Bielsko-Biała will be, among others:

• Radosław Pujanek (violin)
• Marta Mogielnicka (harp)
• Jerzy Główczewski (saxophone)
• Paweł Tomaszewski (Hammond organ)
• Konrad Mastyło (piano)
• Jakub Szczygieł (flute)
• John Parricelli – British guitarist and session musician for many world stars.

A special highlight will be the participation of Lisa Gerrard—an outstanding Australian singer and composer, Golden Globe winner alongside Hans Zimmer for the song from the movie "Gladiator" (which was also nominated for an Oscar). The artist collaborated with Zbigniew Preisner, among other occasions, during his jubilee concert in Krakow in 2019, celebrating 40 years of his creative work.

The orchestra for the concert will be prepared by conductor Karol Szwech.

The concert in Bielsko-Biała has a symbolic dimension for Zbigniew Preisner. It was here that he spent the first years of his life, and he returns to this city with clear sentiment, treating it as an important point on his personal map. The performance also aligns with the celebrations of the year in which Bielsko-Biała serves as the Polish Capital of Culture, emphasizing the city's importance as a space for a living dialogue between tradition and modernity.

"This concert will be a musical journey through my life; I will describe my story in it. It will be a sentimental journey through time and space. This journey has not ended yet. See you at the concert, please come," invites Zbigniew Preisner.