Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Antoni Wit, general and artistic director November 13, 2008

Eisenhower Auditorium

Poland’s Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Penn State on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its last performance at Eisenhower Auditorium. The orchestra has made more than 100 tours to five continents. General and Artistic Director Antoni Wit, one of the most highly regarded Polish conductors, has headed the ensemble since 2002. The brilliant Ukrainian-born pianist Valentina Lisitsa is guest soloist for Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Lisitsa, a native of Kiev and winner of international competitions, has earned a sterling reputation for her virtuosity and lyricism. Since her New York City debut in 1995, Lisitsa has maintained a busy schedule as a recitalist and a soloist with leading orchestras on several continents. The program also includes the Warsaw Philharmonic performing Brahms’ Second Symphony and a work by Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, a major Polish composer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz (Polish): Serenade, Op. 2
Franz Liszt (Hungarian): Piano Concerto No. 1, S. 124
Johannes Brahms (German): Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73

Official Website: http://www.cpa.psu.edu