They captured our hearts this summer, now they’re back for music residency

||| FROM MARY TAYLOR for ORCAS CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL |||

The Polish accordion–violin duo that captured audiences’ hearts this past summer at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival will be returning to the island for a three-day music residency. From Nov. 28-30, 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 this past August 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 Tuesday, Nov. 28, the duo begins their residency with an intimate evening concert at Orcas Hotel at 5 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a delicious buffet dinner, Festival wines, and non-alcoholic beverages following the performance. Tickets are $125 per person and limited to 30.

To purchase tickets, please visit oicmf.org or call the Festival office at (360) 376-6636. The evening is sponsored by Carol Marcin and Tom Burg. Ticket sales for this event end at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24. With such limited seating, don’t wait to get your tickets for this special evening!

Mikołajczyk and Jedynecki travel to Lopez Island on Wednesday, Nov. 29, for two performances at Lopez schools. The pair will also present a free concert at the Lopez Island Library at 4 p.m.

On Thursday, Nov. 30, the violin and accordion duo continues their interisland outreach with a performance at Shaw School. For those ferrying in the San Juans, keep your ears peeled, as the duo will also be serenading passengers on the interisland route before heading back to Orcas.

Mikołajczyk and Jedynecki end the day with a concert at the Deer Harbor Community Club at 7 p.m. and is open to the Orcas Island community. This evening concert is sponsored by David Dotlich and Douglas Elwood.

Tickets are $10 per person in advance or $15 at the door. To secure tickets in advance, visit oicmf.org or call the Festival office at (360) 376-6636. Advance ticket sales close at 10 a.m. on Nov. 30. Free “Friends of Joyce” tickets are available for young people (18 and under) and their families. To request these tickets, please call the Festival office by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29.

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.”

Mikołajczyk and Jedynecki’s day on Lopez is sponsored by The Driftwood Fund with additional support from Suzanne Trebnick and Michael Vossen, Friends of the Lopez Library, Micki Ryan, and many generous volunteers. OICMF also thanks the Deer Harbor Community Club, the Shaw School Foundation, and Carolyn Haugen for their support of this residency.

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