Ensemble E is an international group of artists and musicians led by Mats Gustafsson, active in the field of contemporary experimental music, noise, improvisation, folk, free jazz and other musical traditions. It established a completely new method of expression built on crumbs of memory.

The ensemble was founded by the Avant Art Foundation and Mats Gustafsson, Swedish instrumentalist and composer. Under his direction, the artists studied alternative modes of musical expression within the framework of folk traditions from Scandinavia, Poland and Portugal. Gustafsson asked the artists to share their most important personal musical memory – the melody of their first lullaby or song that has left a permanent mark in their minds. This was the starting point for the collective work on EE Opus One, which led to a new method of expression built on crumbs of memory.

In addition to traditional jazz instruments, the artists are going to use traditional instruments of Poland (Biłgoraj suka) and Norway (langeleik, hardingfele). Mats Gustafsson himself is a master of improvisation, as well as virtuoso of expansive musical forms and large ensembles. The concert is organised in collaboration with the Avant Art Foundation – the ensemble visits Kraków as part of the In Between Norway & Poland tour.

Jędrzej Siwek’s concert stands on the intersection of contemporary and ambient music. Siwek draws inspiration from the rich heritage of Requiems – funeral masses composed in the Classical and Romantic eras.

Jędrzej Siwek’s concert, which precedes the Polish–Norwegian project, will take advantage of analogue synthesizers, a virtual choir, a virtual string quartet, loopers and electronics. The artist uses his sound to tell stories, balancing between experimental, contemporary and ambient music. He made his debut in 2020 with La Mer, hearkening back to a piece by Debussy. These days, he draws his inspiration from the rich heritage of Requiems – funeral masses created in the Classical and Romantic eras by Mozart, Verdi, Fauré and Berlioz. Combined with the release of the album, the first performance of the Requiem during the Sacrum Profanum Festival will be an opportunity to join the collective experience of grief and loss. The concert will also provide a space for meditation, deep listening and finding the peace of mind thanks to music that promotes inner peace and letting go.

7:00 p.m.