Over sixty events, Stanisław Moniuszko’s Halka in two language versions, international artists, and a rich educational program – this is what the second quarter of 2026 promises at the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic.

Professor Violetta Bielecka, Director of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, Jacek Piorunek, Member of the Podlasie Voivodeship Board, and Professor Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Music Consultant at the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, spoke about the institution’s plans during today’s (March 4) press conference.

The highlight of the Opera’s spring repertoire will be the premiere of Stanisław Moniuszko’s Halka (May 15th), presented in two language versions – Polish and Italian. Fabio Biondi is the musical director and Michał Znaniecki is preparing the staging. The cast includes Marcelina Román, Natalia Rubiś, Matheus Pompeu, Paweł Skałuba, Adrian Domarecki, Stanislav Kuflyuk, and Mariusz Godlewski. The seven performances scheduled for May will be among the most important operatic events of the year. The Kurpie Zielone Song and Dance Ensemble, choreographed by Agnieszka Ondruch-Sikora, will guest star.

Music lovers will be able to attend more than a dozen concerts featuring distinguished conductors such as Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Marek Wroniszewski, Fabio Biondi and Maciej Sztor. Renowned artists will perform, including pianist Ignacy Lisiecki, violinist Bartłomiej Nizioł and harpsichordist Alina Ratkowska. The season culminates in a concert performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Un ballo in maschera, conducted by Fabio Biondi, featuring an international cast, including Davide Tuscano and Ilaria Alida Quilico.

Special and impresario concerts will feature personalities from the Polish music scene. The May concert, Let’s Guard Our Dreams, will feature performances by Lora Szafran, Danuta Błażejczyk, and Kuba Sienkiewicz, among others. Also in May, a concert by the winners of the Halina Słonicka International Vocal Artistry Competition will take place, and in June, Fabio Biondi’s violin recital, Solitalia, will take center stage.

The following broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera in New York also occupy a prominent place in the calendar this season. In May, audiences will be able to see Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Frida and Diego’s Last Dream—the first opera by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank.

Education remains a key pillar of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic’s activities. Dozens of events for children are planned for the second quarter of 2026, including Opera Story workshops, Explorers of Green Island programs, and the musical performance Karolcia and the Secret of the Forest Valley. The institution is also continuing the Academic Youth Stage project in collaboration with the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Białystok Branch.

The program will be complemented by two exhibitions: a presentation of paintings by Bogumiła Masicka-Grygorczuk and the multi-sensory installation Archive of the World. Light for Others, which reflects on experience and memory.