Physical Culture

A new interdisciplinary project emphasizing the corporeal and performative dimensions of music.
Kwartludium ensemble explores the similarities between musicians’ situations and analogous mechanisms occurring in the world of physical culture in general. The themes of sport, the ethos of athletic competition, effort, physicality, training, preparation, sparring, meditation and focus are the center of gravity and thematic axis of four compositions written by Dominik Strycharski, Anna Sowa, Magdalena Gorwa, and Adam Porębski. All pieces were based on their sporting experiences and attempt to translate them into the compositional process and performance techniques. They were inspired by, respectively: martial arts competition, physical education classes and training, yoga and calm, and the musical and sonic aspects of billiards.

The project was created in cooperation between the Kwartludium New Music Foundation, Sacrum Profanum Festival, and the Krakow Festival Office.

Dominik Strycharski – Box of Boxing* (2020) 18’ 

Anna Sowa – Practice Makes Perfect* (2025) 12’ 

Magdalena Gorwa – Flow** (2025) 12’ 

Adam Porębski – Pool dance for violin, calarinet, piano, percussion, performer, quasi billiard table, and electronics* (2025) 12’ 

*Commissioned by Kwartludium New Music Foundation
**Commissioned by Sacrum Profanum Festival