Adam Han-Gorski's Extraordinary Concert at the Photographic Exhibition Opening on March 5th
Adam Han-Gorski violin concert and MPMS ART's exhibition
All photos: K. Litak
A remarkable gathering of around 120 guests took place at the Landmark Center to commemorate the anniversary of Adam Han Gorski's inaugural public violin concert. The event coincided with the opening of the photographic tribute exhibition titled "An Interrupted Childhood: Polish WWII Survivors in Minnesota." Remarkably, almost 75 years had passed since Adam's orchestral debut in Katowice, Poland, on March 21, 1948.
Han-Gorski commenced the concert with Bruch's Kol Nidrei, showcasing his mastery of the viola on a recently acquired copy of the Balestreri viola from 1775 and the violin. The violin itself was a replica of the Balestrieri from 1767, an instrument Adam had played for over 50 years. The program continued with Gabriel Faure's Après un rêve, Jasha Heifetz's arrangement for strings of Alexander Glazunov's Adagio, Pablo de Sarasate's Romanca Andaluza, and Leopold Godowsky's Alt Wien. The audience was treated to the rare privilege of witnessing Adam's effortless performance as he retired from public concerts after a long and illustrious career as a concertmaster and soloist. Additionally, Adam showcased his talent on a replica of the Wilemotte Stradivarius from 1734. Accompanying him on piano were Anton Melnichenko and Ekaterina Knyazeva.
This event was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Landmark Center, which served as the venue for both the concert and the exhibition. The Schubert Club generously provided a grand piano, while the Ramsey County Historical Society facilitated webinars highlighting the project. The East Side Freedom Library played a significant role in community engagement and publicity.
Heartfelt gratitude was extended to all the guests who joined the Minnesota Polish Medical Society at the Minnesota State Capitol for the exhibit's opening: "An Interrupted Childhood - Polish WWII Survivors in Minnesota." It was an absolute honor to have the featured individuals from the exhibit join the event. The poignant photographs and stories of Adam, Anatol, Leonard, Magdalena, Maria, Walter, and Wiktor will be displayed at the Landmark Center until April 30, 2023.
Elizabeth Suszynski joined us with her book about Cold War Era immigration, marking the start of Phase Three of the Kalejdoskop Project,
If you missed the opening, join us for part two of a two-part presentation. The first part was held on Zoom on March 2, 2023, and the second on April 6th at 7 PM, also on Zoom.
Register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsdOmspzMqGNdicfbn4uk_e84BTAbGvqbZ
An Interrupted Childhood-Polish WW2 Survivors is part of the Kalejdoskop Polski, MN project that has received grant support from the Minnesota Historical Society, Metro Regional Arts Council, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Dr. Katarzyna Litak is the project manager, exhibition curator, and graphic designer. She is also MPMS President.
Documentary photographer Grzegorz Litynski was contracted to perform the visual history part of the project. www.litynski.com
LINK TO THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION: https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/node/6569762