Music in the Cathedral » Cathedral Choirs » Cathedral Mixed Choir

This choir was created at the initiative of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, who during his installation at the Cathedral on 1 April 2006 paid attention to the need to restore the musical tradition of the cathedral and suggested that Rev. Robert Tyrała  created a mixed choir which would operate in line with the existing men’s choir. The idea of a new ensemble was to cultivate the musical traditions of Wawel Cathedral. Choir members are young people, mostly students of Cracow lyceums and musical high schools, and university students. The conductor and founder of the choir is Andrzej Korzeniowski, who works together with assistant conductor, Marcin Wasilewski-Kruk.

On the choir’s repertoire are works of Polish and foreign early music, including pieces by Gomółka, Zieleński, Gorczycki, Arcadelt and Bach, as well as more recent music, including works by Mozart, Bruckner, Fauré, Rakhmaninov and Kilar.

The Mixed Choir at Wawel Cathedral gave its first performance in Cracow on Sunday 26 November 2006 during the 2nd Days of Church Music of the Cracow Archdiocese. Since that time the choir has regularly accompanied the Sunday Mass held at the cathedral and gives concerts at the cathedral to bring about the revival of its musical traditions. The choir also performs at other Cracow churches, such as SS Peter and Paul’s, in Łagiewniki, at the Premonstratenisan Sisters at Salwator and the Franciscan Church.

In December 2006, the choir represented the Polish Pueri Cantores Federation at the festival ofchoirs from  EU Member States which was  held in Strasbourg. In May 2007 the choir preformed at the Silesia Film Festival in Katowice, sharing the stage with such renowned music groups as the symphonic orchestra of the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice, the Kantorei Sankt Barbara Choir, and the Marian Choir in  performing Abel Korzeniowski’s music to the film Metropolis. In 2008 the choir was awarded first prize at the 8th Caecilianum 2008 Competition, and received the Cup of the Speaker of the Seym of the Republic of Poland.