2018 Cultural Stage Entertainment - Twin Cities Polish Festival

The entertainment lineup for the Cultural Stage at the 2018 Twin Cities Polish Festival in Minneapolis, MN can be found below. Note: Times and performances subject to change.

TIMES	ENTERTAINMENT
10:15 – 10:30	—
10:30 – 11:30	Folk Set: (Sloneczniki, Tatry, Dolina)
11:30 – 11:45	—
11:45 – 12:15	Sonora Trio
12:15 – 12:45	Goralska Kapela Harpagany
12:45 – 1:00	Conroyd Martin
1:00 – 1:15	Tom Osentoski
1:15 – 1:30	—
1:30 – 2:30	Mosaica
2:30 – 3:30	Folk Set: (Sloneczniki, Tatry, Dolina)
3:30 – 4:00	Sonora Trio
4:00 – 4:30	Goralska Kapela Harpagany
4:30 – 4:45	Conroyd Martin
4:45 – 5:00	Tom Osentoski
5:00 – 5:45	Mosaica
5:45 – 6:30	Folk Set: (Tatry, Dolina)
6:30 – 7:00	—
7:00 – 9:45	Pawel Pospieszalski
9:45	-end-

TIMES	ENTERTAINMENT
10:45 – 11:45	Folk Set: (Tatry, Dolina)
11:45 – 12:00	Conroyd Martin
12:00 – 12:15	Tom Osentoski
12:15 – 12:45	Goralska Kapela Harpagany
12:45 – 1:00	Tatry – Windsor
1:00 – 1:15	Dolina – Twin Cities
1:15 – 2:30	Szászka Hungarian Band
2:30 – 3:30	Folk Set: (Tatry, Dolina)
3:30 – 4:15	North Star Winds
4:15	-end-

Paul Rush – Pawel Pospieszalski

Paul Rush comes from a famous musical family in Poland. He studied music (cello and piano) at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. He has worked and collaborated with many prominent Polish musicians including Irena Jarocka, Czeslaw Niemen, Zdzislawa Sosnicka, Waly Jagielonskie, Waldemar Kocon, Skaldowie to name a few; After moving to the U.S. in 1982, Paul performed with various musicians and bands. He recorded with Tom Tom 84 (Earth Wind & Fire and Phil Collins…) and has been featured on the Faces of America TV show. Paul currently works in clubs and venues in the Metropolitan Chicago area and is deeply involved in his own music projects sharing studio time with award winning (Guitar Player Magazine 3rd place) guitarist Arek Religa. The original band he is playing and writing music for was nominated at the 2011 Hollywood Music for Media Awards in the instrumental and new age category. To see some videos of Paul Rush, view his YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/pawelposful/videos.

Polish Bagpiper – Tom Osentoski

Tom Osentoski from Marysville, Michigan has been collecting and playing bagpipes from Poland since 1976. He has the only known complete collection of all 7 types outside of Poland. Tom is a regular visitor to folk music festivals in Poland, and has been a featured guest at Biesiada Kozlarska in Zbaszyn, Dudaski Tlusty Czwartek in Zakopane, and the Festiwal Dud Polskich. He is a regular participant at Trailing of the Sheep in Sun Valley, Idaho and has played Polish Bagpipes at the Roncevalles Polish Festival in Toronto, Canada, for a wedding in Hong Kong and at a restaurant in Queensland, Australia.

Author – James Conroyd Martin

James Conroyd Martin, author of the successful Poland Trilogy, is set to appear at the 2018 Twin Cities Polish Festival on August 10, 11, and 12. He will have a table all three days and looks forward to interacting with his Minnesota readers. Books will be available. The trilogy began with Push Not the River, based on the actual diary of a Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the Third of May Constitution in the 1790s. The second and third books carry the family saga through the Napoleonic era to the Cadets’ November Uprising in 1830-31. For his latest novel, The Boy Who Wanted Wings, Martin goes farther back in time to the Battle of Vienna in 1683 for a story that features the Polish winged hussars. The Ottoman Empire’s siege of the capital of the Holy Roman Empire is on the very brink of success and a victory there would open all of Christian Europe to jihad. Recently, Martin collected a Gold Medal IPPY at the Copacabana in New York City. The IPPY awards are conducted each year by the Independent Publisher Book Awards, an organization that honors independently published books from around the world, including those from university presses. The Boy Who Wanted Wings captured the gold in the Military/Wartime category. Visit his site at http://www.jamescmartin.com/ to learn more.

Sonora Trio

The Sonora Trio is an ensemble of three passionate musicians who share their passion for performance, education, and community across the Twin Cities. The Sonora Trio has the most diverse musical arrangements for flute, clarinet & bassoon… elegant classical music to jazz music.

North Star Winds

The North Star Winds are one of the Twin Cities’ newest chamber ensembles. Founded in 2017 as a classical wind octet, consisting of two oboes, two clarinets, two horns, and two bassoons, the group performs repertoire spanning from Mozart to Bernstein while enthusiastically embracing contemporary composers. Captivating diverse audiences through educational programs, innovative commissions, and inclusive community events, they embark on collaborations with artists in a variety of mediums under the steadfast belief that exceptional art emerges in constellation with others.

Dolina Polish Folk Dancers

The Dolina Polish Folk Dancers have been entertaining audiences locally in the Twin Cities, nationally, and internationally for more than 60 years. Dolina shares the rich culture and character of Poland through traditional footwork, lively choreography, and vibrant, authentic costumes. Performances typically include singing and live music and range from one dance for a private party to a full concert. For more information, view their website at http://www.dolina.org/.

Mosaica

In 2007 Mosaica was formed in a coffee house in Maplewood, Minnesota when a core group of musicians accepted the challenge of putting together a playlist that covered all genres of music from Eastern European to Old Time to the popular standards and ballads of today. For the last 11 years Mosaica has developed its unique sound and repertoire. Mosaica has performed at various festivals and venues including the Festival of Nations in St. Paul, Hobgoblin Music in Red Wing, Smaczne Jablka (Apple Fest) in Winona, Coventry Chapel in Saint Paul and the Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesota annual Soup Tasting. Mosaica intends to feed your curiosity for music of the world. We perform this music because all of us love the respective songs in our repertoire. Out of all the possible origins of the numerous songs we perform, they all share one common origin, the heart. For more information, view their website at https://www.mosaicaband.com/.

Sloneczniki

Founded in 1981, Słoneczniki is the youngest group of the Dolina Family. Children ages 5-12 learn Polish folk dances and songs that they perform all over the Twin Cities. Słoneczniki practices once a week at Holy Cross Church in Minneapolis, and is currently under the direction of Alina Jambor. For questions and information on registering your child(ren), please visit the Dolina website at www.dolina.org and click the Słoneczniki tab, or find any Dolina member at the Twin Cities Polish Festival!

Tatry Song & Dance Ensemble

Tatry Song and Dance Ensemble is a polish cultural and folklore dance organization established in 1972. The group’s mandate is to preserve and promote the thousand year old polish traditional art of folk dancing. Tatry is not just a dance and song ensemble, it is an organization where many young Polish people have the opportunity to learn about their heritage, continue their traditions and make new and lasting friendships. The Ensemble continues to perform in the Windsor community. Annually it participates in the Multicultural Council Carrousel of the Nations in Windsor, Nilestown Folk Dance Festival (Nilestown, ON), Roncesvalles Festival (Toronto), Polish Folk Dance Festival in Troy, MI, Strawberry Festival, Hamtramck, MI. Past performances include World Polonia Festival in Rzeszow, Poland (6 times), International Folk Festival in Zielona Gora (Poland), Children’s Folk Festival, Iwonicz Zdroj (Poland), Two Capitals Festival (St. Petersburg & Moscow) in Russia as well as numerous concerts throughout USA (New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Milwaukee, Troy, Canton, Ann Arbor, Hamtramck) and many cities throughout Canada. In recent years our senior group has participated in 2 workshops in Denver, CO and Minneapolis, MN. In June 2015 they traveled to Milwaukee to perform at the Polish Folk Dance Association of America’s Gala Concert. The Ensemble’s longevity and success is accredited to the dedication of its many volunteers, parents and committees: all spearheaded by the Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. Cultural Committee and its president Barbara Koczwara. Currently, Thomas Schemanki and Patrycja Mroz are the choreographers of the senior group. To learn more about Tatry, please visit us at www.tatry-windsor.com

Tatry Song & Dance Ensemble – Windsor, Ontario

Szászka

Szászka performs traditional Hungarian, Romanian, and Roma folk music for táncház (dance house) events in Minneapolis and Chicago, and at festivals and concerts in the Midwest. Formed in 1996 its current members are Colleen Bertsch on violin, Doug Code on contra (viola) and koboz, and Sara Bruins on string bass and violin. The members of the band have collected much of their music on trips to Hungary and Romania and have studied under many of the best folk musicians of the regions. More info at: www.szaszka.com

Szászka will be performing at the 2018 Twin Cities Polish Festival

Polish Tatra Sheepdogs

Come and visit the Polish Tatra Sheepdogs (Owczarek Podhalanski) at the Twin Cities Polish Festival in Minneapolis, MN.

We’ll be available for any questions and of course, lots of opportunities for pictures and petting on Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss this great chance to see the Big White Dogs of Poland!!