SKRZEK-VIATOR – The Opening Concert of TWO RIVERSIDES Festival, July 31, Kazimierz Dolny

The concert is a Suite of Images infiltrating in Music and Action on the Stage, with fragments of films, lights and water screens.

It will be a musical and visual event. The music composed by Józef Skrzek to films directed by Lech Majewski, Jerzy Skolimowski and Piotr Szulkin will be played on a stage built at the town square.

Many guests will appear on stage together with Józef Skrzek and the SBB band:

  • Beata Mańkowska – mezzosoprano, graduate from The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice;
  • Zbigniew Wałach – a musician and composer from Silesian Beskids cultivating highland traditions;
  • Paul Lawler –a British composer of contemporary trends in the world el-Music;
  • Misha Ogorodov  – a singer, musician, composer from St. Petersburg;
  • Apostolis Anthimos – a Greek musician of Polish origin, multi-instrumentalist, for years the guitarist of the SBB band;
  • Ireneusz Głyk – an extraordinarily versatile percussionist, he played with SBB at Deep Purple concerts;
  • the Choire from Poniatowa – young singers from the region by the Vistula River, near Kazimierz;
  • Józef Skrzek – a multi-instrumentalist, faithful to his Patrimony and Music

Forming a band together with Apostolis Anthymos and Jerzy Piotrowski, Józef Skrzek demonstrated to the world a new formula of universal music, combining the Slav romance with rebellious dynamics of rock. During the first nine years of activity they broke all market conventions by recording a dozen or so albums in many countries and selling a few millions of them. They came from behind „the iron curtain ” dividing Europe, but still were able to bring Freedom to people of this Earth through the Muse… Nowadays the SBB members perform and record albums with a well-known percussionist Paul Wertico from Chicago. Józef Skrzek composes and performs solo in all sorts of interesting constellations.

From the beginning of 1980s he performs regularly in churches, giving organ recitals as well as concerts during which he mixes acoustic sounds with synthesizers, e.g. performance at the Warsaw Church of the Holy Cross (February 1983), numerous performances at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Katowice, concert during Vratislavia Cantans Festival, with Olga Szwajgier and Michał Banasik (1985), participation in the International Festival of Organ and Chamber Music in Kamień Pomorski and Szczecin or performances in the Kołobrzeg Basilica- to mention but a few.

He also appears in places of religious devotion, e.g. at St. Anne’s Mountain, Shining Mountain or in Piekary Ślaskie during pilgrimages (first time in 1983). He is the composer of „Marian Cantata”, created in 1980s to the lyrics written by Roman Brandstaetter, which has been successfully performed to this day.

He is a successful film soundtrack composer. From the end of 1970s he’s collaborated with many directors, e.g. with Piotr Szulkin on „Golem” and „War of the Worlds – Next Century”, with Jerzy Skolimowski on „Hands up”, with Mieczysław Waśkowski on „Adolescence” and finally with Lech Majewski on „The Roe’s Room”, „Angelus” and „Garden of Earthly Delights”. He is also a composer of music for theatre performances.

Since 1970s the cult SBB band has been one of the world’s top Progressive Rock bands. They played at different festivals, e.g. Roskilde Festival in Denmark together with Bob Marley or Baya Prog-Rock in Mexico. They have a lot of awards on their account, e.g. Grand Prix at the Festival in Knokke, Belgium. Their albums gained gold and platinum designations.

Our interview with Józef Skrzek