The Choir was established in March 2006 as a joint initiative of V. Bielecka and M. Nałęcz-Niesiołowski. Many of the choirists had sang for many years in “Cantica Cantamus,” the Bialystok Chamber Choir, under the direction of the current conductor and artistic director of the Choir—Prof. V. Bielecka. At present, the Choir has the honour to cooperate with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, participating in subsequent editions of “Chopin and His Europe” International Music Festival in which, together with Europa Galante, an Italian ensemble of instrumentalists specializing in the performance of early music conducted by Maestro F. Biondi, presented concert versions of operas by V. Bellini: “I Capuleti ei Montecchi” and “Norma,” and by G. Verdi “Macbeth.” The last was recorded in the original Florentine 1847 version and released on record label Glossa (2018). In 2018, as part of the Year of Stanislaw Moniuszko, again with Europa Galante, the Choir recorded two of Moniuszko’s operas: “Halka” and “The Haunted Manor,” and in January 2019 in the Grand Theatre—National Opera in Warsaw the ensembles performed together yet another time, presenting the concert version of “Halka” in Italian (in the 19th century translation).

Another outstanding success is the result of collaboration with the T. Szeligowski Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra; both ensembles gave numerous concerts together, and recorded the F. Nowowiejski’s “Quo vadis” oratorio op. 13 for soprano, baritone, bass, mixed choir, symphony orchestra and organ, as well as “Mythological Cantatas” by S. Moniuszko “Nijoła” and “Milda” conducted by Ł. Borowicz. In 2009–2012, the Choir gave concerts conducted by the contemporary Polish composer, Maestro K. Penderecki, performing a number of his compositions, including 7th Symphony “Seven Gates of Jerusalem”, the 8th Symphony “Songs of Transition”, and The Polish Requiem. A fruitful cooperation with Ludwig van Beethoven Association brought various recordings and presentations of concert versions of the operas of C.M. von Weber (Euryanthe) and G. Donizetti’s Maria Padilla performed with Polish Radio Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Ł. Borowicz.

The Choir leads a very intensive concert activity nationally and internationally (Belgium, Belarus, France, Lithuania, Moldova, Germany, Romania, Ukraine, Italy) in famous concert halls, and is invited to prestigious festivals, such as: Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, International Music Festival Chopin and His Europe, Wratislavia Cantans International Music Festival, , The Warsaw Autumn Festival of Contemporary Music, Gaude Mater International Festival of Sacral Music, Singer’s Warsaw Festival of Jewish Culture. The Choir’s performances are met with an enthusiastic reception from the audience as well as an acclaim of conductors and reviewers. Performance under the baton of maestro Valery Giergiev in association with the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre during the 16th Easter Beethoven Festival in Warsaw Philharmonic (the Choir performed “Alexander Nevsky” by S. Prokofiev) ended with great ovations.

In April 2022, members of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra performed with Spanish tenor José Carreras during the Miracle of Life 2 concert. The event was broadcast on TVP1. In August 2023, the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir performed with the Lublin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra during the premiere of Rafał Janiak’s Symphony of Peace and Reconciliation on the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the image of Our Lady of Kodeń. In August 2023, members of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir took part in the opening concert of their European tour with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra (Grand Theatre National Opera, conductor – Keri-Lynn Wilson). In September and October 2023, the Choir members performed during concerts at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Częstochowa at Jasna Góra and at the Sanctuary of the Blessed Sacrament in Sokółka. Together with the orchestra and soloists, they performed Paweł Łukaszewski’s oratorio Nieszpory o Matki Bożej Jasnogórskiej Królowej Polski (Vespers of Our Lady of Jasna Góra, Queen of Poland). In October 2023, the members of the OiFP Choir performed among the distinguished stars at the Opening Concert of the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments. In December 2023, the choir performed at the prestigious Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome during a thanksgiving concert for the blessed Ulma Family. In January 2024, they participated in the Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation concert at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio in Warsaw. In February, they graced the world premiere of A Body for Harnasie at the NOSPR concert hall, a musical and film spectacle with choreography by contemporary dance icon Wayne McGregor and moving images by visual artist Ben Cullen Williams. In July 2024, the artists of the OiFP Choir performed once again (at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw and at the Shipyard in Gdynia).

The Choir’s repertoire includes a cappella choral pieces, oratories, operas, musicals and the greatest works of sacral music performed in cooperation with outstanding Polish and foreign orchestras, including: Europa Galante, the National Polish Radio Orchestra in Katowice, the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, the National Philharmonic and Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, Sinfonia Varsovia, Sinfonia Iuventus, the Philharmonic Orchestras of Poznan, Podkarpacie and Lodz, and many others.

On the number of occasions the Choir participated in premiere performances of works by contemporary Polish composers, including K. Penderecki, S. Moryto, M. Małecki, M. Borkowski, P. Łukaszewski, J. Świder, A. Knapik, R. Twardowski, M. Bembinow, J. Krutul, M. Fedorov. The Choir recorded a number of compositions for the radio and 33 record companies. On several occasions, the Choir was awarded Polish Phonographic Industry Award–“Fryderyk”: for the album entitled Kurpiowskie Songs: Górecki, Moryto Szymanowski conducted by V. Bielecka in the Phonographic Debut of the Year (2009) category; for P. Łukaszewski’s Symphony of Providence, with the participation of soloists: A. Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział, A. Rehlis, J. Bręk. Recorded on the album is also the Cracow Polish Radio Choir of in and the OiFP Orchestra, conducted by M. Nałęcz-Niesiołowski in the Contemporary Music Album of the Year category (2016), and for the album Symphony on the Mercy of God with the participation of soloists: A. Mikolajczyk-Niewiedział and M. Nerkowski, the Choir and Children’s Choir, and the Orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic under conducted by W. Michniewski in the Album of the Year of Contemporary Music category (2017) and for the album with the recording of Paweł Łukaszewski’s 3rd and 6th Symphonies (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers), featuring Anna Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział and the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir conducted by Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk in the Symphonic Music Album of the Year category (2022); for the album Supra’s Kantyki (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers) conducted by Violetta Bielecka in the Early Music category (2023); and for the album Paweł Łukaszewski, Symphoniae Sacrae 1 in the Orchestral Music Album of the Year category (2024). The choir also received the 2022 Feniks Award in the Classical Christian Music category for the album with the recording of Paweł Łukaszewski’s 3rd and 6th Symphonies (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers). He was also a laureate of the 4th International Musical Eagles Competition in the category: Phonograph Record for the three-disc album Supra’s Kantyki (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers).

Interesting interpretations of choral a cappella music are also recorded on CDs: M. Gumiela’s Sacred Works, K. Szymanowski’s & H.M. Górecki’s & S. Moryto’s Kurpie Songs, S. Moryto’s Choral Music, S. Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil, released by the labels DUX Recording Producers or Classic Produktion Osnabrück. Unique compositions, “pearls” of the 17th-century Commonwealth of the Uniate Church, were released in December 2023 as a three-disc album Supra’s Kantyki (Publisher: DUX Recording Producers) under the Honorary Patronage of Prof. Piotr Gliński, Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

For remarkable achievements in the field of choral music, the ensemble was honoured by the Marshal of the Voivodship with the Honorary Medal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship (2017). The Choir was awarded International Classical Music Award (ICMA 2018) for F. Nowowiejski’s Quo vadis, with the participation of soloists: W. Chodowicz (sopran), R. Gierlach (baryton), W. Gierlach (bas) i S. Kamiński (organ), and the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ł. Borowicz.

In addition to numerous artistic presentations related to the performance of a cappella and vocal-instrumental music, it performs as a choral group with skills in stage movement, acting and choreography. On the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic stage the Choir performs in operas: S. Moniuszko’s The Haunted Manor, Halka (vilnius version), G. Verdi’s La Traviata, W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute, G. Bizet’s Carmen, and G. Puccini’s La Bohème, Turandot by G. Puccini, Cavalleria rusticana by P. Mascagni and I Pagliacci by R. Leoncavallo and Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant by G. Rossini, as well as musicals: Ch. Williams’ Korczak, J. Bock’s Fiddler on the Roof, A. Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, L. Simon’s Doctor Zhivago, Jesus Christ Superstar by A. I. Webber and T. Rice and in a J. Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus, The Gypsy Baron and The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár. The wide range of his stage activities is enriched by the stage performance of P. Łukaszewski’s oratorio Via Crucis (2023) and the oratorio Forefathers’ Eve Night by Piotr Nazaruk and Krzysztof Herdzin (2025).

Choir director:
prof. dr hab. Violetta Bielecka

Sopranos

Hanna Baginska
Monika Klepacka
Bożena Bojaryn-Przybyła
Paulina Boreczko-Bura
Anna Durniat
Danuta Jakimowicz
Joanna Kobylnik
Julita Korch
Arleta Krutul
Daria Lahotska
Swietłana Łukaszewicz
Beata Malewicka-Macegoniuk
Magdalena Masiewicz
Monika Sasinowska
Justyna Skoczylas-Zamaryka
Joanna Sokołowska

Altos

Jolanta Aleksiejuk
Izabela Bolesta
Agnieszka Deniziak
Oksana Gołambowska
Małgorzata Grytczuk
Joanna Jurczuk
Małgorzata Kostrubiec-Karpiuk
Marta Kummer
Agnieszka Łomasko
Paulina Malinowska-Dołkin
Sylwia Mądra
Małgorzata Mukosiej
Małgorzata Putynkowska
Dorota Rosłaniec
Hanna Różankiewicz-Horn
Katarzyna Szymuś-Supronowicz
Maria Wróblewska

Tenors

Marcin Aleksiejuk
Paweł Cichoński
Maksym Fedorov
Leszek Gaiński
Kirill Lepay
Mihail Lis
Wojciech Miastkowski
Paweł Mocarski
Rafał Orłowski
Piotr Pawlak
Piotr Rafałowski
Piotr Skibowski
Krzysztof Stankiewicz
Paweł Szypulski
Kamil Wróblewski

Basses

Mariusz Bierć
Jacek Borowski
Wojciech Bronakowski
Roman Chumakin
Krzysztof Drugow
Oleg Kobzar
Karol Komenda
Bogdan Kordy
Dominik Kukliński
Michał Leoniak
Artur Mądry
Dariusz Pruszyński
Mateusz Stachura
Krzysztof Szyfman
Krzysztof Wojtecki

Choir Coordinator
Joanna Jurczuk

Répétiteur/Accompanist
Monika Klepacka

Choir inspector
Karol Komenda

Librarian
Dariusz Pruszyński

Discography:
Paweł Łukaszewski, Gaudium et spes, 2007
Szymanowski/Górecki/Moryto, Pieśni Kurpiowskie, 2008
Paweł Łukaszewski, II Symfonia, 2008
Marian Borkowski, Hymnus, 2008
Zygmunt Stojowski, Kantata „Le printemps” na chór mieszany i orkiestrę op.1, Kantata „Prayer For Poland” na sopran, baryton, chór mieszany, orkiestrę i organy op.40, 2008
Stanisław Moryto, Muzyka Chóralna, 2009
Carl Maria Weber, Euryanthe, 2010
Marcin Gumiela, Sacred Works/Muzyka Sakralna, 2010
Gaetano Donizetti, Maria Padilla, 2011
Krzysztof Penderecki, The Complete Symphonies, 2012
Krzysztof Penderecki, Powiało na mnie morze snów, 2014
Hymny Papieskie z okazji 31. Światowych Dni Młodzieży, 2016
Feliks Nowowiejski, Quo vadis, 2016
Paweł Łukaszewski, Symphony of Providence, 2016
Paweł Łukaszewski, Żałobne Pieśni Kurpiowskie, 2016
Paweł Łukaszewski, IV Symfonia o Bożym Miłosierdziu, 2016
Sergiusz Rachmaninow, Całonocne czuwanie, 2017
Wojciech Kilar, Missa pro pace, 2017
Giuseppe Verdi, Macbeth, 2017
Stanisław Moniuszko, Halka (we włoskiej wersji językowej), 2018
Stanisław Moniuszko, Flis, 2019
Stanisław Moniuszko, Straszny dwór, 2019
Stanisław Moniuszko, Hrabina, 2020
Stanisław Moniuszko, Kantaty Nijoła, Milda
Giuseppe Verdi, Korsarz, 2021
Stanisław Moniuszko, Verbum nobile (po raz pierwszy na instrumentach historycznych), 2021
Gaetano Donizetti, Betly (po raz pierwszy na instrumentach historycznych), 2021
Paweł Łukaszewski, III I VI Symfonia, 2021
Kantyki Supraskie, 2022
Kantyki Supraskie (trzypłytowy album), 2023
Paweł Łukaszewski, Symphoniae Sacrae 1 (I i II Symfonia), 2023
Stanisław Moniuszko, Widma, 2024
Stanisław Moniuszko, Paria, 2024
Giuseppe Verdi, Un giorno di regno, 2024
Paweł Łukaszewski, Joasz król judzki, 2024

AWARD NOMINATIONS
– 2009 – Fryderyk 2009 – nomination for the recording of the Cantata Le printemps for mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 1, Prayer For Poland for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, orchestra and organ, Op. 40 by Z. Stojowski
– 2010 – Fryderyk 2010 – nomination in the Album of the Year – Contemporary Music category and in the Most Outstanding Polish Music Recording category for the S. Moryto album Choral Music
– 2012 – Fryderyk 2012 – nomination in the Album of the Year – Opera, Operetta, Ballet category for the recording of Carl Maria Webber’s opera Euryathe
– 2013 – Fryderyk 2013 – nomination in the Album of the Year – Contemporary Music category for the Paweł Łukaszewski album Musica Sacra 1
– 2017 – Fryderyk 2016 – nomination in the Most Outstanding Polish Music Recording category for the DVD recording of Paweł Łukaszewski’s Symphony of Providence
– 2018 – Fryderyk 2018 – nomination in the Classical Music category for the album Rachmaninoff – All-Night Vigil
– 2018 – Fryderyk 2018 – nomination in the Classical Music category for the album Wojciech Kilar – Missa pro pace
– 2018 – Fryderyk 2018 – nomination in the Best Polish Album Abroad category for the album Feliks Nowowiejski – Quo vadis
– 2018 – Fryderyk 2018 – nomination in the Most Outstanding Polish Music Recording category for the album Feliks Nowowiejski – Quo vadis
– 2022 – Fryderyk 2022 – nomination in the Most Outstanding Polish Music Recording category for the album Paweł Łukaszewski – Symphonies No. 3 and 6
– 2022 – Fryderyk 2022 – nomination in the Symphonic Music Album of the Year category for the album Paweł Łukaszewski – Symphonies No. 3 and 6
– 2023 – Fryderyk 2023 – nomination in the Early Music category for the album Kantyki supraskie / DUX 1787
– 2024 – Fryderyk 2024 – nomination in the Early Music Album of the Year category for the album Kantyki Supraskie (Supra Triptych)
– 2024 – Fryderyk 2024 – nomination in the Orchestral Music Album of the Year category for the album Paweł Łukaszewski, Symphoniae Sacrae 1
– 2024 – Fryderyk 2024 – nomination in the Most Outstanding Polish Music Recording category for the album Paweł Łukaszewski, Symphoniae Sacrae 1

AWARDS
– 2008 – Fryderyk 2008 for P. Łukaszewski’s Symphony No. 2 for soprano, two mixed choirs, two pianos, and orchestra
– 2008 – Best Record of the Year by the British company GRAMOPHONE for the recording of the Cantata Le printemps for mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 1, and Prayer For Poland for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, orchestra, and organ, Op. 40 by Z. Stojowski
– 2009 – Fryderyk 2009 – Phonographic Debut of the Year – Szymanowski, Górecki, Moryto – Kurpie Songs for soprano, baritone and a cappella choir
– 2012 – GEM-MA 2012 Award in the Search category for the recording of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Symphony No. 7: Seven Gates of Jerusalem
– 2016 – Fryderyk 2016 – Album of the Year – Contemporary Music for the DVD recording of Paweł Łukaszewski’s Symphony of Providence, Paweł Łukaszewski – Kurpie Funeral Songs (DVD)
– 2017 – Fryderyk 2017 – Album of the Year – Contemporary Music for the recording of Paweł Łukaszewski: Symphony No. 4 – Symphony of Divine Mercy
– 2018 – International Classical Music Award 2018 – in the choral music category – Feliks Nowowiejski – Quo vadis
– 2019 – British Times Album of the Week – Stanisław Moniuszko, The Haunted Manor/August 24-25, 2019, 15th International Music Festival Chopin and His Europe
– 2020 – Best Album of the Month by the British company GRAMOPHONE for the recording of Stanisław Moniuszko, Cantatas Nijoła, Milda
– 2022 – Fryderyk 2022 Award for Album of the Year – Symphonic Music for the recording of Paweł Łukaszewski’s Symphonies No. 3 and No. 6 (Anna Niewiedział-Mikołajczyk – soprano, Orchestra and Choir of the Chopin Society, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk – conductor, Violetta Bielecka – choir master)
– 2022 – Phoenix 2022 in the Classical Christian Music category for the album Paweł Łukaszewski’s Symphonies No. 3 and No. 6 (Anna Niewiedział-Mikołajczyk – soprano, Orchestra and Choir of the Chopin Society, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk – conductor, Violetta Bielecka – choir preparation)
– 2023 – Fryderyk 2023 in the Early Music category for the album Kantyki supraskie / DUX 1787
– 2024 – Fryderyk 2024 in the Orchestral Music Album of the Year category for the album Paweł Łukaszewski, Symphoniae Sacrae 1
– 2024 – Bronze Diploma in the 4th International Music Competition Eagles 2023 in the category: Phonographic Record (for the three-disc album Kantyki supraskie)
– 2025 – Gold Diploma in the 5th Anniversary International Music Competition Eagles 2024 in the category: Premiere (for the world premiere of the opera Joash, King of Judah by Paweł Łukaszewski)