Icons of Europe This fleur-de-lys represents the aims of Icons of Europe asbl. The fleur-de-lys figure has been used as an ornament or emblem by almost all civilisations of the old and new worlds.
The Composers Home | Programme | Log-in
Béla Bartók (1881-1945), Hungary. Pianist and composer. Photo provided by W.W. Norton & Company, New York. Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was born in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary.  Bartók studied in Pressburg and at the Budapest Academy of Music, then toured widely as a pianist.
His works include operas, orchestral music, chamber music, songs, choruses, and folksong arrangements.
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland. Chopin studied at the Warsaw Conservatory and settled later in Paris, where he lived with George Sand from 1838 to 1847. Inspired by Polish traditional music, he wrote mainly for the piano, including 50 mazurkas, 19 noctures and 12 polonaises. Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland.  Chopin studied at the Warsaw Conservatory and settled later in Paris, where he lived with George Sand from 1838 to 1847.
Inspired by Polish traditional music, he wrote mainly for the piano, including 50 mazurkas, 19 noctures and 12 polonaises.
Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904), composer, born near Prague. Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904) was born near Prague.  Dvorák composed works such as Slavonic Dances, which often incorporated folk music.
His final symphony, From the New World, was composed while he was director of the National Conservatory in New York City (1892–1895).
Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) was born in Kecskemét, Hungary.  He became professor at the Budapest Conservatory.
Among his best-known works are his Háry János suite (1926), and several choral compositions.   He also published editions of folk songs with Bartók.
martinu.jpg (4996 bytes) Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959) was born in Policka, Czech Republic.  He studied at Prague Conservatory under Joseph Suk and worked later in Paris.
He fled to America in 1941, where he produced a number of important works including his first symphony commissioned for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860–1941) was born in Kurylowka, Poland.  He became professor at the Warsaw Conservatory and later at the Strasbourg Conservatory.
A virtuoso pianist, he appeared throughout Europe and America. In 1919, he served briefly as the first premier of Poland.
Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996) has been called the light-house of contemporary Danish music.  He composed thirteen symphonies and twenty string quartets.


About the concert

ICONS OF:
Czech Republic
Denmark
Hungary
Poland
Eastern Europe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
VAGN HOLMBOE
“Holmboe was intensely interested in East European folk music when he was young - he studied in Romania in 1933-1934 - and the integration of elements from that source into his own musical practice can be seen, and not least heard, as a watershed in the Danish musical tradition”   –  Dacapo Records, Copenhagen.