3 PADEREWSKIS to Premiere At The Kennedy Center

Following performances in Los Angeles, California and Poznań, Poland, Jenni Brandon and Oliver Mayer's "3 Paderewskis" will have its official world premiere on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Terrace Theater. Produced by the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and directed by David Bridel, the performance is part of a celebration of the 101st anniversary of Polish independence and the centenary of Polish and American diplomatic relations and is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Poland in Washington, DC.

A winner of The American Prize in Composition, 2018-19, opera/theater/film/dance division, "3 Paderewskis" is a 60-minute opera in one act that uniquely explores the life and work of pianist, composer, diplomat, and the first Prime Minister of the modern Polish state, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The piece imagines three versions of the great Paderewski (one of them female) as they sift through a lifetime of memories far too vast for any one person; Ignacy the virtuoso pianist and composer, Jan the politician and statesman, and Paderewski the éminence grise and Paso Robles winemaker. Coming together and pulling apart, they summon the ghost of Antonina, Paderewski's beloved, long-dead first wife. In so doing, they release the spirit of a better Poland. A compassionate opera about a man whose greatness lay not only in his art and his politics but in pure passion for life, whose memory instructs our own moment of political and moral crisis.

The cast includes, in alphabetical order, Omar Crook, E. Scott Levin, Maria Dominique Lopez, Steve Pence, Ariel Pisturino, Katherine Powers, Todd Strange, and Courtney Taylor. The cast will be accompanied by the L.A. based ensemble Central4 Piano Quartet with music direction by the composer, Jenni Brandon. Members of Central4 Piano Quartet include, in alphabetical order, Meredith Crawford, Timothy Durkovic, Paula Fehrenbach and Elizabeth Hedman. The production team includes Edina Hiser as costumes coordinator, Ron Barnett as rehearsal accompanist, and graphic design by Omar Razo. Seira Murakami is the production stage manager.

Tickets for "3 Paderewskis" are $25 (subject to change) and available at the Kennedy Center Box Office (located at 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566), by calling (202) 467-4600 and by visiting www.Kennedy-Center.org. For all other ticket related customer service inquiries, please call the Kennedy Center Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

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