Basil on a journey XXIV FESTIWAL SINFONIA VARSOVIA - Teatr Lalka

Five Sinfonia Varsovia musicians playing flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn are going on a world tour. They are accompanied by the Warsaw dragon Bazylek (Little Basil), who not only knows the names of all these instruments, but can also distinguish between them. Long journeys await the musicians and Bazylek: France, Italy, China, South America, thousands of kilometers traveled by land and air. Oh, not to forget the sailing by ship, too – the unbearable rocking of the waves will make Bazylek miss home for the first time. Only where is it, this dragon’s home? While the musicians traveled the world, the Sinfonia Varsovia’s instrument warehouse, the dragon’s previous refuge, was thoroughly cleaned up. Now, with the help of the audience, the dragon’s home must be built anew: using cases, musical memories and travel souvenirs.
Little Basil (Bazylek) – a dragon of the Basilisk kind, born in Warsaw’s Old Town sometime in the early 20th century (exact date unknown). After the Second World War, he was seen on the right bank of the Vistula River. First spotted in 2020 in Sinfonia Varsovia’s instrument warehouse. He made his debut in the film “I am Bazylek” (“Bazylek jestem”), which marked the beginning of his career in the “Bazylek at Sinfonia Varsovia” (“Bazylek w Sinfonii Varsovii”) series. Usually very curious and musical, he keeps people at a distance, although he enjoys the company of musicians. He’s at his liveliest in the presence of Wojciech and Aneta Pałęcki. His closest friend and manager is Malina Sarnowska.

SINFONIA VARSOVIA WIND QUINTET
A classic woodwind quintet made up of a flute, an oboe, a clarinet, a bassoon, and a French horn, the Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet formed in 2010 as a grassroots initiative of the musicians of Sinfonia Varsovia. Its members are soloists of the Orchestra’s wind section, musicians who have earned both national and international recognition. The ensemble has appeared at the piano festival La Roque-d’Anthéron and the La Folle Journée festival in Nantes, among others. The ensemble is made up of: Andrzej Krzyżanowski (flute), Arkadiusz Krupa (oboe), Radosław Soroka (clarinet), Henryk Kowalewicz (French horn), and Piotr Kamiński (bassoon).
The repertoire of SVWQ includes classic pieces for a wood quintet, but particular significance is attached to Polish 20th century compositions by such artists as Grażyna Bacewicz, Wojciech Kilar, Andrzej Panufnik, or Józef Świder. The ensemble also performs film and popular music, as well as projects addressed to the youngest listeners.

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as a part of
program “Music”, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.