The history of the Opole, Philharmonic of Poland can be traced back to its founding in 1947 as the resident Orchestra of Opole. In 1969, the Ministry of Culture in Poland awarded the Philharmoinc the State Award for Arts Excellence, in honor of the great Polish composer Josef Elsner.
The Opole, Philharmonic of Poland has performed with the world’s most outstanding piano, violin and vocal soloists, and has toured throughout Europe, South America and Japan. The orchestra participates regularly in prestigious Polish cultural events, such as the Festival of Contemporary Music in Wroclaw and the Chopin Festival in Duszniki. The Philharmonic was the only Polish orchestra invited to participate in the Gala Concert in Rome marking the 80th birthday of Pope John Paul II in 2000.
In 1999, Boguslaw Dawidow became the Philharmonic’s Music Director and Principal Conductor. Dawidow has conducted leading orchestras around the world, including the Polish Chamber Orchestra and the Russian National Academic Symphony Orchestra. His numerous recordings with the Philharmonic of Poland – featuring the works of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Szymanowski and Elsner – have enjoyed great critical acclaim.
Under Dawidow’s direction, the world-renowned Opole, Philharmonic of Poland will perform at the Lyric as part of its first transcontinental tour of the United States.
