One of the most significant early music interpreters in Poland, the {oh!} Orkiestra led by violinist Martyna Pastuszka will be performing on Wednesday, 16 August at 9.30 p.m. in the Rector’s Palace atrium. They will introduce themselves to the Dubrovnik audience with a programme containing works inspired by the cultures Henry Purcell, François Couperin, Michel Corrette, Andreas Anton Schmelzer, and Jean-Philippe Rameau encountered and admired.

First on their programme is the suite „Distress’d Innocence or The Princess of Persia” by one of the greatest Baroque composers Henry Purcell. Two pieces by French composers will ensue, the sonata „La Sultanne” by François Couperin and concert Le Phénix by Michel Corrette. The sonata „Die Türkenschlacht bei Wien 1683” by Andreas Anton Schmelzer which incites a fight for maintenance of European identity recalling the moment of victory over the Ottoman army at Vienna in 1683. Finally, Concerto Comique no. 25 „Les Sauvages et la Furstemberg,” named after the Opèra-Comique in Paris and composed by Corrette and Jean-Philippe Rameau will be played.

{oh!} Orkiestra was founded in 2012. During ten years of its activity, the constantly evolving ensemble under the helm of its leader Martyna Pastuszka, has gained the reputation of the greatest early music orchestra in Poland and one of the most musically interesting ones on the European scene. Martyna Pastuszka was born in Silesia, Poland and over the years she has established herself as one of the most compelling musicians of her generation performing throughout Europe as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician and orchestra leader. To date she took part in an impressive number of over 60 CD releases, and her recent recordings were nominated for numerous prestigious awards including the Fryderyk Award, ICMA, Corypheus Polish Music Award and Polish Cultural Prize Paszport Polityki. In 2021, she was nominated for OPUS Klassik award in the conductor of the year category for the recording of Leonardo Vinci’s Gismondo, re di Polonia. Her orchestra particularly focuses on opera and oratorio repertoire, and as its Artistic Director, Pastuszka has revitalised many forgotten baroque opera pieces. {oh!} Orkiestra has released nine CD albums so far and in 2021, the Polish Public Television Kultura has recorded a documentary about Martyna Pastuszka and {oh!} entitled Nie jestem maestro [Don’t call me maestro]. The year 2022 brought a fruitful cooperation with Misteria Paschalia Festival in Krakow, as the orchestra was invited to be a resident ensemble with Martyna Pastuszka as the Artistic Director in Residence. The orchestra also served as resident ensemble at the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival the same year. Since 2018, the orchestra has been regularly cooperating with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Thanks to this cooperation, {oh!} Orkiestra has received the invitation to record the complete set of Mozart symphonies.

Tickets for the concert are available via the festival website www.dubrovnik-festival.hr or the service www.ulaznice.hr, at the box office in the Festival Palace (Od Sigurate 1) every day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and in front of the DTS building (Vukovarska St) from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.