Sibelius - Masonic Music - Andante festivo ( cond.Jan Pogany )

Jean Sibelius - Masonic Music - Andante Festivo
"Brahms and Freemason composers"
6. International Brahms Festival in Wrocław

Amati Ensemble München and soloists from the Camerata Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra
Jan Pogany conductor

" The inaugural concert “Brahms and Freemason Composers” of International Brahms Festival was at the Oratorium Marianum Hall (Wrocław University.The event was expected to feature Japanese mezzo-soprano Midori Ahmed, La Scala countertenor Leo Garda and Monika Pietruszewska on English horn, a soloist acclaimed in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. They will be accompanied by the chamber music Amati Ensemble München and soloists from the Camerata Wrocław Chamber Orchestra. The programme for the evening brings works by Brahms and Freemason composers. Freemasonry are going to celebrate their tercentenary this year. Throughout the eras and musical periods, a number of eminent composers, e.g. Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, Haydn, Cherubini, Elsner, Kurpiński, Bogusławski and probably Chopin joined the ranks of the secret brotherhood. Their links to Freemasonry were deeply ingrained in their music, which reflected Masonic symbolism.
The performance was conducted by Jan Pogány, a Polish conductor, composer and cellist.He studied conducting and cello at the University of Music in Munich (Germany), earlier Jan Pogany also studied at the Music Academy in Wrocław (Poland ). His professors during his studies and the master class were, among others the famous conductor Sergiu Celibidache (Director of the Philharmonics in Berlin and Munich), cellist Harvey Shapiro professor at the Juilliard School in New York and Rodion Shchedrin russian composer. and Pogany was the winner of numerous competitions for composers. Pogány was a long-standing musical director at one of musical theatres in Germany. He is now the Director of the Chamber Orchestra Camerata Wroclaw and Amati Ensemble München and pursues his career as a conductor by collaborating with various orchestras, including the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Paris Chamber Orchestra, Amati Ensemble Munich, Symphonists of Copenhagen . He is also Director of the International Brahms Festival in Wrocław.
The International Brahms Festival is the only festival in Poland and elsewhere in Europe that is solely devoted to the music of one of the most celebrated Romantic composers. From 20–25 May, solo recitals, chamber music and symphonic concertos was resound again in locations where Johannes Brahms once personally conducted them in the past. From 1874–1881, the composer visited and performed in then Breslau many times. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the then University of Breslau in 1879. Brahms expressed his gratitude to the University by composing Academic Festival Overture."