Program:
Old Polish music from 17th and 18th century tablatures
– Preambulum – Jan Podbielski (1640)
– Preambulum (Anonymous)
– Cantio Polonica (Anonymous)
– Aria from the collection of Poor Clares from Stary Sącz (Anonymous)
Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541 by J.S. Bach
Chorale prelude O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß BWV 622 by J.S. Bach
Improvisations on the Polish sacred song “Holy God”, Op.38 by Mieczysław Surzyński (1866-1924)
Toccata Primi Toni, Op.11 by Einar Traerup Sark (1921-2004)
A Psalm from Dalarna by Oskar Lindberg (1887-1955)
The Yarmouth Belle by Sverre Eftestol ( b.1952)
Aria for I Sonata by Jiří Strejc (1932-2010) –
Saturnus from the Planets cycle by Jiří Strejc (1932-2010)
Biography
Józef Kotowicz is organist and lecturer in Organ and Organ Improvisation at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Białystok and Music Secondary School in Białystok. In 1993 he graduated from the Białystok Branch of the Fryderyk Chopin Music University of Warsaw. He is the finalist of the third prize at the International Organ Competition of Szczecin- Kamień Pomorski 1994.Kotowicz continued his education in Warsaw in the organ class led by Professor Józef Serafin, graduating with a doctoral degree. The next step of his artistic and academic career was doing a habilitated doctoral degree in 2014. He has participated in numerous national and international organ festivals in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, Russia, Belorussia, Lithuania, Estonia and 5 concert tours in the USA. He has been a member of the jury of international organ competition several times. He has released 5 CDs of organ music from the Cathedral Basilica in Białystok and other churches. He is artistic director of Cathedral Organ Concerts in Białystok and also several festivals in the region.