20 October 2004

Warsaw's world-famous Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in April 1984, its musicians were formerly members of the excellent Polish Chamber Orchestra, previously led by Jerzy Maksymiuk.

Franciszek Wybrańczyk-founder, manager and artistic director prior to July 2003, currently the honorary director of the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra-talks with Wiktor Osiecki.

How did Sinfonia Varsovia begin as an ensemble?
The origin of Sinfonia Varsovia is closely tied with the Polish Chamber Orchestra (POK), active since 1972 at the Warsaw Chamber Opera (WOK). Jerzy Maksymiuk was the founder of POK. I joined the orchestra in 1975. Playing classical music-Baroque to contemporary-Maksymiuk and I made the orchestra world famous. In 1984 Maksymiuk signed a contract with the BBC Glasgow Symphony Orchestra. We were left without a conductor. We could have remained a small ensemble and continued to play as the POK, but that didn't make much sense since POK was very strongly identified with Maksymiuk and was often referred to as "Maksymiuk's Orchestra."

How did you meet Yehudi Menuhin?
As the POK, we played together many times and made recordings with Menuhin as a soloist. Our acquaintance was close. We also took part many times in his Yehudi Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland. We were also there in August 1983. That was where the idea came up to invite Menuhin to Poland as a soloist and conductor. We set the date-April 1984.

We gave two concerts in Warsaw and Cracow. To perform the program we had proposed, we expanded the POK by a wind section-making a total of 45 members. These concerts were very successful. Menuhin conducted and played the violin simultaneously-the audience, critics and the media were delighted as was Menuhin, who is an experienced conductor.

On the day of his departure for London, we had a conversation. He said to me:
"Franciszek, you absolutely have to maintain this ensemble!"
"Maestro, we have no conductor."
Then he asked: "What about me?"
"Would you really like to conduct?"
"Certainly!"

To seal the deal, I took a sheet of paper and wrote down Sinfonia Varsovia, a name that we had already created, added 'Principal Guest Conductor Yehudi Menuhin'-"Here you are, Maestro, this is your contract." He signed it. The signature, made as something of a joke, created the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra conducted by Yehudi Menuhin. It was the start of hard work on repertoire and on the new orchestra's image. We began giving concerts all over the world, promoting Poland, and particularly Warsaw, everywhere.

When Menuhin died in 1999, we were left in a vacuum. We lost not only a great artist, but a wonderful man, who had been not only a conductor to us, but also a friend, teacher, philosopher and master-he taught beautiful music, humility towards a composition, beautiful performance, modesty, patience and honor.

Would Sinfonia Varsovia be the same today without Krzysztof Penderecki?
This orchestra has to work with and be with the best people, and this has always been the case. We have had, for example, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Martha Argerich, Piotr Paleczny and Krzysztof Jakowicz, Yehudi Menuhin, Claudio Abbado, Jerzy Semkow and Mstislav Rostropovich, Jan Krenz and, of course, Krzysztof Penderecki, who is our artistic director. Regular collaboration with him not only enriches our repertoire, but also brings us splendor and facilitates contacts with the best.

Sinfonia Varsovia's 20-year history coincided with a systemic transformation in Poland. At what time was the orchestra able to function best?
Before I began working in POK in Warsaw, I spent eight years in Lebanon working as a professor at a conservatory. In addition to learning foreign languages, I became acquainted with very interesting management methods.

I came to Poland from that capitalist country and was unable to work any differently than I had learned. It seemed strange against the background of work conditions prevailing in Poland at the time. I made strange demands concerning punctuality and reliability. My initial years with the Polish Chamber Orchestra were difficult. With approval from Director Sutkowski, I introduced my own work principles to which no one wanted to consent. I had to wait three months before the ensemble accepted my rules.

When Poland was going through its transformaton, we were already formed-we had never been a part of the centrally planned economy and always had to "sell" ourselves by ourselves. Politics had never affected us. There was no party organization in the orchestra. No one tried to persuade me to join the party either. Music was so distant from ideological issues that no one harassed us. I had complete freedom. And our motto was "no politicking, just playing."

How is Sinfonia Varsovia different from other similar ensembles?
First of all, it doesn't have a resident conductor. For each project, we invite a different conductor. Before that person starts working with the orchestra, the program is ready. Preparations comprise three stages: first, each musician individually prepares their part. Stage two involves working in sections (first violins, second violins, violas, cellos and double basses, wind instruments, percussion)-these are called section rehearsals. Stage three is rehearsals by the whole orchestra. For these, we invite young conductors. The benefit is mutual-the orchestra can play the piece as a whole ensemble, and the young conductor can apply his skills in practice. The principal conductors value this mode of preparing the orchestra very highly-they don't have to do the "dirty work" of reading the score, they can focus purely on the music.

No orchestra can play everything, but this orchestra has a vast repertoire. There are various guest conductors, each with a somewhat different background as well as different interests. One wants Baroque-we play Baroque, another only contemporary music-we play contemporary music.

It is important to have this kind of flexibility, which would not be possible under a permanent conductor. We want as many outstanding conductors as possible to conduct this orchestra.

Is it true that Sinfonia Varsovia performs more frequently abroad than in Poland?
Since the ensemble's inception, we haven't had our own headquarters or rehearsal hall. Consequently, we cannot schedule concerts whenever we like. With no hall of our own, we have to adjust our schedule with the dates a particular venue is available. We look for opportunities to play wherever possible, many times abroad. Despite the lack of a concert hall, our projects in Poland are increasing every year.

For four years, we have organized the festival Sinfonia Varsovia for Its City. We perform in various venues in Warsaw, in churches, outdoors-many people come, often those who, for various reasons, seldom visit the Wielki Theater or the Philharmonic.

Sinfonia Varsovia has won many distinctions and awards for promoting Polish culture abroad. I hope the future will bring us something new.


"No other work with an orchestra has given me so much satisfaction as that of soloist and conductor with the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra."
Yehudi Menuhin

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