On Stage:

Monika Sendrowska – sopran

Memoriam String Quartet

Sylwia Janiak-Kobylińska – dyrygent

Nadiya Velychko (Ukraina) – organy

Nadiya Velychko was born in Lviv, Ukraine. She graduated from M. Lysenko Higher State Music Institute in Lviv in 1992. In 1999–2003 she took postgraduate courses in piano and organ at P. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy in Kyiv. Since 2001, Nadiya has been working as solo organist at the House of Organ and Chamber Music in Lviv. In 2009, Nadiya took part in numerous organ masterclasses such as the Second Organ Academy in Leipzig, Haarlem Organ Academy, and Smarano Organ Academy. The motivation for the artist is the desire to show the relevance of organ music for modern Ukrainian culture and to expand the repertoire list for the listener. In 2021, her disc appeared with a concert program created for the Festival of Ukrainian Organ Music under the auspices of the UKF. The CD includes works by modern Ukrainian composers (B. Frolyak, L. Grabovskyi, V. Honcharenko, O. Kozarenko). In 2012, N. Velychko became a winner of the 8th International Organ Competition (Concorso Internazionale di Interpretazione Organistica) in Fano Adriano (Italy). In 2011–2013 she’ve studied the course of historical performance on Master’s degree in Saint-Petersburg State University (professor Daniel Zaretsky). As concert organist, Nadiya Velychko played in Poland, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Denmark, USA. Nadiya Velychko sees her mission as popularizing organ art in Ukraine, promoting Ukrainian music in the world, and creating conceptual concert programs. In her solo programs work, she pays great attention to modern Ukrainian organ music. With the beginning of a full-scale war in Ukraine, Nadiya Velychko represents Ukrainian musical culture and performs organ concerts in Germany, Poland, Italy, Romania and Finland.

MEMORIAM STRING QUARTET is a string quartet whose main goal is to promote and commemorate the works of outstanding composers from different eras and regions, as well as activities aimed at promoting contemporary composers, as well as forgotten composers, in particular those associated with Gdańsk. The members of the Memoriam String Quartet have already given concerts in many leading cities, concert halls and cultural centers. It is also worth mentioning that the members of the ensemble were educated under the supervision of masters from the Royal College of Music in London, the St. Petersburg Conservatory and Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk (aMuz). However, it was at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk that they joined forces and created a string quartet. That is why the quartet cares so much about promoting and commemorating songs, especially those dedicated to the memory of people and events. The band has already performed many events and concerts. One of the most important was the world premiere of the 1st String quartet by Hubert Żmudzki – a PhD student at the aMuz, which took place on 11.01.2024 at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk. The second was the performance of Introduction and Allegro for solo string quartet with the accompaniment chamber orchestra by E. Elgar’s during the inaugural concert of the newly formed Memoriam String Ensemble, composed of students of the aMuz, which took place also at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk.
Members of Memoriam String Quartet:

Rafał Marek Wiśniewski – first violin

Nadia Ziomko – second violin

Hanna Senkevich – viola

Rozalia Sobecka – cello

MONIKA SENDROWSKA (born in 1989) a graduate from the Instrumental Faculty of Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, the Piano Faculty with Prof. Bogdan Kułakowski, and also graduated with distinction from the Vocal Faculty with Dr hab. Alicja Rumianowska. Her opera debut was the part of Amore in Gluck’s “Orpheus and Eurydice” students performance in March, 2013. During the 5th Summer Vocal Academy Monika Sendrowska took part in the V National Vocal Competition “Impressio Art” – Sopot 2013, where she was given the Audience Award for the most beautiful voice of Tricity. The first diploma vocal recital was the part of Despina from Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” in June 2014. In November 2014 she acted in “Gianni Schicchi” performed in Chamber Opera in Warsaw, conducted by R. Kłoczko and director N. Kozłowska. In 2015 she graduated from the two-semester Postgraduate Interdisciplinary Study of Songs at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. In September 2015 she received the award for coloratura voice at the X International Vocal Competition GOLD VOICES. In November 2016 she was a finalist of the IV International Vocal Competition in Krynica-Zdrój. In April 2017 she received the distinction at the VI National Vocal Competition Z. Skwara in Mława and she also received there diploma of recognition for distinguishing performance of K. Szymanowski’s song “The Lonely Moon”. In September 2017 at the International Competition ZŁOTE GŁOSY (GOLD VOICES) she became a finalist and received a special prize for the performance of the Polish song. Since 2018 she has started to cooperate with Baltic Opera in Gdańsk – educational performance – singing solo, acting. In June 2019 she won the first prize in the International Bellini Competition in Catanya. Since 2019 she has been working at the Music School in Gdynia – teaching piano and vocal. Since 2020 she has started to cooperate with the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice. In October 2020 she sang the first performance of track Eugeniusz Knapik’s “The Long Journey”. In 2020 she sang this track during recording with the Chamber Orchestra of the Silesian Philharmonic conducted by M. Tomasiewicz. The track is part of the album “Górecki/Knapik. Master and Apprentice. When Songs are Sung” released by DUX company. In January 2021 she received a distinction at the Ars et Gloria Competition in Katowice and a special award from the Silesian Philharmonic. In November 2021 she won the second prize in III International Carl Loewe Competition in Szczecin. In 2022 she was singing during recording Krzysztof Olczak’s track “Pneuma” for soprano and tape. Track is part of the album “Dreaming, electroacoustic works” released by Opus Series. The album received a bronze diploma in the “Złote Orły” Competition. In 2023 she started cooperation with the Warmian-Masurian Philharmonic and the Zielona Góra Philharmonic. In May 2023 she made her debut as Stasi in operetta “The Princess of Czardas” by I. Kálmán at the Baltic Opera, conducted by A. Banaszak and director J. Snakowski.