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Stołeczna Estrada, the largest cultural institution of the capital city of Warsaw, is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary.

For six decades, it has been setting the rhythm of Warsaw cultural life, by shaping the art and entertainment scene of the city.

Today, it still successfully combines different areas of artistic activity, which shows in festivals, concerts, performances, important exhibitions and anniversaries.

Many times it carried out artistic programmes that represented Polish culture abroad. One of such projects, prepared especially for the two-hundredth anniversary of Frederic Chopin's birth, is a music - dance show "Rock Loves Chopin", which proves how universal the composer's music is and how great inspiration for contemporary artists it may be. The project was widely noticed around the world. It was staged in a number of prestigious locations, such as the pyramids in Cairo, as well as at the festivals: “Freedom'89 Born in Poland” Festival in Chicago, “Meet in Beijing” Festival in China, the EXPO 2012 in Shanghai and the biggest festival in the world, the Internacional Festival Cervantino in Guanajuato, Mexico. In 2014 the show visited Italian Arena di Verona.

However, most of all, Stołeczna Estrada is an institution responsible for the organization of key events aimed for the citizens of Warsaw and guests of the capital. Such regular events, of a decades-long tradition, are prestigious and world-famous Chopin Concerts at Łazienki Park.
Thanks to these Sunday recitals held by the Fryderyk Chopin monument, the park was proclaimed the summer music salon of the capital. Their prestige and popularity contributed to the foundation of the Chopin Festival in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.

Another event of international recognition is the Cross-Culture Festival, the biggest world music festival in Poland. For the last four years, it has been in the top 25 music festivals in the world, according to the British Songlines Magazine. Recently, an innovative initiative was added up to the event. Stołeczna Estrada, in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, introduced a project “Sounds Like Poland”, dedicated to the promotion of Polish artists. Thanks to this new trend in the festival development, the Cross-Culture is becoming an important expert platform of cultural dialogue and exchange, which enables collaboration between institutions, cultural promoters and activists in this part of Europe. It is a pioneering initiative in our region.

Stołeczna Estrada is also the organizer of the largest outdoor event in Warsaw, Wianki - The Warsaw Garlands over the Vistula, which attracts over a hundred-thousand-strong audience (as restored New Year's Eve outdoor parties). This year, it will be organized for twentieth time. Stołeczna Estrada is also in charge of the Multimedia Fountain Park. Each year it prepares new shows presented on weekend evenings from May to September. Over that season the shows gather up over seven hundred thousand spectators. Among the key projects carried out by Stołeczna Estrada are events of capital and national importance, such as the commemorations of the Warsaw Uprising or the National Readings of the Classics of Polish Literature, organized in cooperation with The Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.

Stołeczna Estrada invites international music stars to Warsaw. In the past years, we got to see artists such as: Bob Geldof, Chick Corea, Michael Nyman, Lisa Gerard, Barbara Hendricks, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, La Scala, Salif Keita, Katie Melua, Youssou N’Dour, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Angelique Kidjo, Tangerine Dream, Deep Forest, George Clinton, Shinead O’Connor, Femi Kuti, John Newman, Razolight, Hugh Masekela, as well as, Jason Derulo and Dash Berlin.

Annually, the institution organises about two hundred events.

Andrzej Matusiak

Director of Stołeczna Estrada

Manager of culture, animator and promoter of the Polish culture at home and abroad. Scholarship holder of the Goethe Institute in Berlin and in Hamburg where he took part in  seminars on the European culture promotion. He graduated from the LSI courses in Toronto and from the Leysin American School in Switzerland. Author of several hundred stage shows, co-organizer of the biggest Polish festivals, initiator of  the biggest mass events in Warsaw.  For over a decade he has been engaged in the promotion of the Polish culture abroad. Author and director of prestigious multimedia shows Rock Loves Chopin with the performances of the best Polish artists, presented in exceptional places of the world, among others “Chopin at the Pyramids” in Cairo, “Rock Loves Chopin” on the Great Chinese Wall in Beijing, on the Arena di Verona in Italy, on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow, on the main square of Bucharest  and in Vilnius. Producer of the cycle of Chopin concerts in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris performed by outstanding Warsaw pianists. He was decorated with a Silver and Gold Cross of Merit by the President of the Republic of Poland. As of 1990 he has been Director of Stołeczna Estrada, one of the oldest institutions of culture in Poland.

As Director of Stołeczna Estrada he is also responsible for the organization and production of about 200 events a year, the biggest open air events in Warsaw, among them “Music for Peace” with the performance of “Tangerine Dream” on the Swietokrzyski Bridge with the audience of 50000 (2001), concerts of Al di Meola and Janusz Olejniczak in the Royal Lazienki Park (2004), Buena Vista Social Club (2007), Bob Geldof on the Theatre Square (2007). Author of the first outdoor New Year's Eve in Poland in 1992 on the Castle Square. The producer of the biggest editions of the event, with 150 000  participants in 2000 and TV broadcast all over the world. He is the author of the Culture Zone and also the producer and co-author of the Warsaw Cross Culture Festival. Author of scenarios and director of prestigious stage events, among them gala concerts Teraz Polska and Gender Index. Producer of cult spectacles “Pan Tadeusz” directed by Jan Englert and “Big Zbig Show” directed by Magda Umer.