Popular musicians to return for Chamber Music Festival residency

||| FROM LINDA SLONE for ORCAS ISLAND CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL |||

The Polish accordion–violin duo that captured audiences’ hearts at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in 2023 will be returning to the island for a three-day music residency. From March 11-13, Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival will host Festival “sweethearts” Karolina Mikołajczyk, violin, and Iwo Jedynecki, accordion, as they perform on Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw islands.

Praised as “one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles of the young generation,” the award-winning duo has riveted audiences around the globe with an enthralling variety of music that includes classical works, tangos, and movie themes. For many islanders, their performances at Orcas Center and at community events around the island in 2023 were unforgettable.

“They stole our hearts,” longtime OICMF supporter Mary Poletti said. “Never would I have imagined this combination of instruments. It was mesmerizing, and Karolina and Iwo are as enchanting as their music.”

On Wednesday, March 11, Mikołajczyk and Jedynecki will travel to Lopez Island for performances at two Lopez schools. The pair will then present a free concert at the Lopez Island Library at 4 p.m. Their day on Lopez is supported, in part, by a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission and the Driftwood Fund, with additional support from Suzanne Trebnick, Friends of the Lopez Library, Micki Ryan, and many generous volunteers.

On Thursday, March 12, the duo will begin the day working with students at the Orcas High School, then end with an intimate evening concert at a private residence at 5 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a hors d’ouerves provided by the Orcas Hotel, Festival wines, and non-alcoholic beverages following the performance. Tickets are $75 per person and limited to 40. To purchase tickets, please visit oicmf.org or call the Festival office at (360) 376-6636.

On Friday, March 13, the violin and accordion duo continues their interisland outreach with a performance at Shaw School. OICMF thanks the Shaw School Foundation and Carolyn Haugen for their support of this residency.

Mikołajczyk and Jedynecki have played in some of the world’s most esteemed venues including Carnegie Hall, Guangzhou Opera House, and Warsaw Philharmonic. Their popular recordings have garnered an online audience of more than a million people. The pair’s latest release, featuring a unique double concerto by the late Philharmonic composer Marcin Błażewicz, was nominated for the prestigious Fryderyk Award, the Polish equivalent of a Grammy. World-renowned violinist and composer Maxim Vengerov called the duo “so well matched that it sounds like one instrument.”

The artist sponsor for the duo’s entire visit is Carl de Boor.