A musical tribute to the victims of war

On Friday, at 5:00 p.m., the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Szczecin will host the concert "In Tribute to the Victims of War," organized as part of the International Musical Journey in the Footsteps of the Grünebergs Festival. The event coincides with the National Day of Remembrance of Poles brutally murdered in the 20th century, including in the Eastern Borderlands.

The concert will feature Canadian violinist Mateusz Monczak, the Sonus Cantus Chamber Choir, and conductor Katarzyna Ganczarska, who also plays the organ.

Mateusz Monczak has performed in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, Place des Arts in Montreal, Union Hall in Rotterdam, and the Moscow Conservatory. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed with numerous orchestras, including the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, Young Virtuosi of Montreal, Nouvelle Ensemble Moderne, Concordia Symphony Orchestra, Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio.

The Sonus Cantus Chamber Choir focuses primarily on early music, but also performs contemporary compositions such as "Missa Super Terminos" by N. Palej, and works by M. Jasiński and M. Sawa. The choir has performed in Poland, Germany, and Italy. In 2024, it won a silver band at the 24th Choral Song Festival "Fly o pieśni, leć sokołem" (Let O Song, Fly Sokołem) in Czersk, and in 2025, a gold band and a special award for its performance of a piece by Marek Jasiński at the International Festival of Sacred and Passionate Music in Szczecin.

The choir is led by Katarzyna Ganczarska from Szczecin, a graduate of the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, where she studied symphonic and operatic conducting with Tomasz Bugaj and organ with Krzysztof Latała. She earned her doctorate from the Academy of Music in Poznań. She participated twice in the International Bach Academy under the direction of H. Rilling, conducting works by J.S. Bach and F.F. Handel. Katarzyna Ganczarska has performed as a conductor and organist in France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Ukraine. She has collaborated with numerous festivals, such as "In Terra Pax," "Soni Spatium," "Grüneberg Festival," "Sacrum non Profanum," "Musical Journey in the Footsteps of the Grünebergs," and "Musical Friendships," as well as with many esteemed ensembles and artists. He is the first president and co-founder of the Association for People with Severe Epilepsy DRAVET PL.

Admission to festival events is free.

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