Music in Poland

A journey through Poland’s rich musical past & present, from folk to classical music and jazz, shaping identity and history.

No other country in Europe has been pushed back and forth on the map as much as Poland. Sometimes it was small, then very large and then it disappeared - for 123 years. Music has always held the population together and reflects the history of Poland. But what is “Polish” music? What is special about it, who shaped it?

On our journey through Poland, we meet musicians who are currently shaping developments in classical music, folk and jazz. They talk about visions and musical ambitions. Through these conversations, the viewer learns what has shaped Polish musical tradition to date and what inspires it today, where the artists see themselves in Poland and in Europe - also politically. We explore the question of whether contemporary composers still sound “Polish” today. In the film, we move through Polish places that were important for the colourful musical tradition. We begin in the Tatra Mountains in the south, in nature and in the inns where Szymanowski once listened to the music of the Gorals. We visit Krakow and Warsaw, the national centres where many composers lived and where tradition, avant-garde and jazz still cross-fertilise each other today. Finally, we travel to the Baltic coast to the Gdansk shipyard, where the founding of Solidarność inspired a strong uprising against the communists and thus also great freedom in music.

With music by composers Frydéryk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Mikołaj Górecki, Paweł Mykietyn, and more.

Genre Documentary
Production year 2025
Duration 52
Video format HD
Production Company EuroArts Music
TV Director Magdalena Zięba-Schwind
Distribution TV EuroArts Music
Distribution VOD / SVOD EuroArts Music
Co-Production Company MDR
Assoc. Producer Arte