China tour of the Fair Play Quartet 2014

About the concert program

The program for the tour has been specially arranged for Chinese audience with the aim to present the finest of Polish and Western World’s music legacy.

The concert will consist of two main parts. Classical compositions will be followed by popular music.
In the beginning the Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fugues from Das Wohltemperierte with slow introductions by Mozartwill be played, a true masterpiece of Bach rearranged from piano to string quartet by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself. This piece is very rarely performed in concert halls.
Further the audience will have a chance to enjoy Polish composers. 2014 happens to be a 100 year anniversary of Andrzej Panufnik’s birth, who was a great and acknowledged composer of contemporary music. The Quartet shall performPanufnik’s String Quartet no. 3 called "Paper Cuts". After this a piece of Frederic Chopin, who needs no introduction, being Poland’s mostly known composer, famous for his romantic piano music, will be played.

Grażyna Bacewicz’s“Oberek Koncertowy” belongs to many Polish national dances and will be followed by Jan Stoklosa’s (cellist of the Quartet)"Moods” for string quartet, which though written by a young artist, has been performed on numerous stages including Berlin and Slovenia’s capital Lublana. Hope it will be received by Chinese audience with the same enthusiasm and applause.
The second part of the concert will be of more popular style. Some jazz, film music and songs of pop stars such as Sting, Adele or Michael Jackson will be performed. All specially arranged for a string quartet. 

Definitely a special attention should be paid to Lutoslawski’s pieces. This world-known composer, who died in Warsaw 1994, would celebrate last year his 100 year birth anniversary.What is not known to all, Lutoslawski composed also popular music, under pseudonymDerwid. See how different it can be from his classical pieces.
Enjoy and see you soon.

About Fair Play Quartet

Graduates of the Fryderyk Chopin Warsaw Universityof Music. On the everyday basis they collaborate withthe most prominent Polish orchestras - Polish National Opera, Sinfonia Iuventus, Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

The original members began their activities in 2007with the recording of music for the film “Jutro idziemydo kina” (Tomorrow we’re going to the movies) byMichał Kwieciński.

Fair Play Quartet has participated in many concerts and events worldwide.They were invited personally by the Emir of Quatar to participate in the Festival of Eastern European Music,which took place in the capital of Qatar- Doha. The quartet played recitalsorganized by the Polish Institue in Vilinus and Leipzig,Polish Embassy in Berlin and Ljubljana, as well as many otherconcerts in Poland and abroad.

The group has been invited to play at a number ofceremonies hosted by the President and his wife –Bronisław and Anna Komorowski, including the visitof the Swedish Royal couple, the Emir of Qatar,the President of Turkey and a meeting of the EU’sfirst ladies.

Fair Play Quartet are respected session musicians andhave worked on recordings by Halina Mlynkova, JanuszRadek, Kari Amirian, Grażyna Łobaszewska, Iza Kowalewska and Jarek Wist as wellas music for adverts.In September 2013 the quartet was invited to participate in the recording session for display purposes during the FMF Master Classes for Young Composers. The session took place at the prestigious Alvernia Studios in Cracow and was led by Dennis Sands, Hollywood’s acclaimed sound engineer.

Fair Play Quartet took part in the TV series “PrzebojowaNoc” (Hit Night) and “Złota Sobota” (Golden Saturday)which were aired live on TVP1. The quartet alsocooperates with Robert Janowski in the program“Jaka To Melodia” (Name that tune).

In December 2013 Fair Play Quartet released its first album – “Kolędy | Carols”.

Members

Paulina Mastylo,1^st violin

Aged just 5 she was faced with a decision which would affect her whole life – the piano or the violin? She dreamed of the piano because she wouldn't need to carry it to the lessons. She chose the second, so as not to upset her mother, a violinist. She lives in 3 cities and is mostly professionally linked to Warsaw. In the quartet she plays the highest and shrillest parts;) Away from work, she's a fanatic when it comes to deep basses, good Italian cuisine and red wine.

 

Before she could speak, she sang. She was so surprised that the main instrument at music school can't be your voice, so she chose the violin because it seemed to sound the most similar to singing (even though 2nd violin, which she patiently plays in the quartet, would be really difficult to compare to singing) Outside of work she loves Zbyszek, Franek and Laura, adores raspberries and sweets (especially Hagen Dazs ice-cream) as well as the experience of taking off and landing. Her pet hates are running and getting up early. She confidently lives her life with a positive attitude.

Agnieszka ZagrobaKlahs,viola

Despite huge resistance and litres of tears she qualified for music primary school in first place. There was no way out. The letter 'v' was written next to her surname (violin), which changed its meaning to viola in secondary school. She explains that the change was due to the size of the instrument...;) Together with a husband, a certain tendency towards pedantry appeared. In her diary (which just has to be moleskin) she meticulously notes down absolutely everything; even that she must remember her umbrella when she leaves the house.

A workaholic who can somehow bend time to make it fit into a day. A Jack-of-all-trades. He plays and improvises on the cello with unusual ease. In addition, he composes and arranges music for his group and others. Jaś is the brain of the quartet, who tries to soothe the fiery hormones of his colleagues:) Music is his whole life, not just the professional side. He knows of each new album on the market. He can't stand musical tradesmen. He loves skiing and is addicted to everything Apple. In day-to-day life he is a caring husband and father to one-year-old Staś.