“Focus on Poland” Festival Weekend

25 – 27 September 2026

Royal Pump Rooms | Polish Centre | Leamington Spa

A three-day celebration of Polish music, culture and heritage in Royal Leamington Spa, presenting world-class artists, a new commission and community activities that bring Polish and local communities together through shared cultural experiences.

 

Across 7 exciting events, the Polish and British-Polish artists in residence for the weekend are: the Ćwiżewicz Brothers violin duo, Łukasz Krupiński piano, Krystyna Osostowicz violin (leader of the Brodsky Quartet), and the Royal String Quartet from Warsaw.

The concerts will feature music by Polish composers – Chopin, Szymanowski, Penderecki, Lutosławski, Górecki, Wieniawski, Grażyna Bacewicz, Twardowski, Paweł Mykietyn, and Michał Ćwiżewicz – sitting comfortably with music by Mozart, Ravel, Franck, Schumann, and Britten, and the world première of a new work by composer Daria Kwiatkowska commissoned specially for the event, for a veritable feast of music over 3 days.

We will learn about “The Genius of Chopin” in an illustrated talk from Professor John Rink (Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge) and we will sample Polish folk music, too, from Karolina Węgrzyn and her band.

But music shall not be the only thing we feast upon – throughout the weekend, audiences will experience Polish culture through food tasting and hospitality activities, creating opportunities for cultural exchange, conversation and shared experiences. This Festival is designed to welcome both established concert audiences and people who may be engaging with classical music in this kind of setting for the first time, and we very much look forward to welcoming you all there. Watch this space as tickets for all events will be on sale soon!

Here is a little sneak peek at what’s in store…