FMF International TV Series Gala

Posted on 2026-05-242026-05-24

FMF International TV Series Gala

concert during the 19th Kraków Film Music Festival

Saturday galas at the FMF have always felt like the most spectacular part of the entire festival to me. This year was no different. Although this time, perhaps, I had the chance to observe it from a slightly different perspective, my previous experiences certainly helped me appreciate just how enormous this undertaking truly is. Creating the program, bringing people together, managing the logistics and organization behind such an event – it is an immense amount of work. Above all, I would like to deeply acknowledge Agata Grabowiecka, the festival’s artistic director, who, despite already being connected with FMF, made her debut in this role this year. The central theme of this edition was magic, and the FMF International TV Series Gala truly proved it.

But now, it is time to move to the heart of the evening. Even though the concert lasted nearly four hours and featured an incredible number of pieces (I included the full setlist below), there are several gems I would especially like to highlight.

Spy/Master

In moments like these, I feel proud to be Polish. We truly have incredibly talented composers. They always rise to the occasion when preparing suites for the Film Music Festival. The suites that become stories in themselves.

One of my first highlights of the evening was the presentation of scenes from Spy/Master accompanied by music composed by Łukasz Targosz. Not only did the piece itself maintain a constant sense of tension, but Dirk Brosse’s conducting of the Beethoven Academy Orchestra added even more drama to it. The solo performances on flute (Sara Andon), harp (Weronika Byrska), and piano (Jacek Tarkowski) made the suite feel even more immersive. Łukaszcreated a remarkable tension that moved through my body like vibrations refusing to let me fully rest.

Women’s Hell

For me, another source of admiration was the suite from Women’s Hell, composed by Wojtek Urbański. It was a deeply emotional journey through sound. The piece began with solo instrumental performances that immediately created tension. The moment Justyna Święs appeared on stage performing Niebo złote ci otworzę, I felt completely torn inside. Then came a moment of comfort brought by Marcin Masecki’s warm vocals and beautiful piano playing. All of it eventually led into Song of Death, carried by the rich and expressive voice of Ania Karwan. Her voice seemed to reach every cell of my body, setting it into the same vibrations as her vocalizations.

The American Dream

This time, I will focus solely on the sound itself and avoid fully commenting on what was happening visually on stage.

During the performance of music from Yellowstone, Brian Tyler – the composer of the soundtrack himself – stepped onto the conductor’s podium. The music carried even more power than in its original recorded version. Later, Brian surprised the audience with his project Are We Dreaming. It combined powerful orchestral, choral, and electronic sounds with visual projections and laser effects.

I have to admit that the composer truly knows how to create a show. Are We Dreaming felt to me like a journey through cosmic spaces. Although at times slightly overwhelming because of the sheer intensity of the sound.

The White Lotus

What can I say – soprano solos always affect me deeply. Especially when combined with such an intriguing soundscape as the score from The White Lotus, composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer. Kamila Dutkowska’s expressive performance was absolutely captivating. Besides, it is probably one of those themes that many people recognize.

Langer

There are also pieces that strongly remind me of the Slavic soul. Some voices simply seem created for this kind of music.

The greatest revelation of the evening for me was the suite from Langer, composed by Bartosz Chajdecki. What Katarzyna Bogusz did in this performance went beyond magic itself. Her voice felt as though it was tearing my soul apart. At the same time I could not stop admiring it and absorbing every second of it. The emotional weight and scale of the music intensified everything so deeply that tears filled my eyes. Something truly beautiful.

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, there were so many pieces performed during the International TV Series Gala that writing about each of them in detail would simply become overwhelming. That is why I chose to focus on the ones that moved me the most emotionally. The ones that somehow touched a fragment of my soul.

Setlist:

Bill Conti – Dynasty
Kris Bowers – Bridgerton Suite
Mick Giacchino – The Penguin
Aaron May, David Ridley – “Fragile” from Adolescence
Łukasz Targosz – Spy/Master
James Newton Howard – Emily in Paris
Antonio Sánchez – The Studio
Wojtek Urbański – Women’s Hell
Volker Bertelmann – The Day of the Jackal
Volker Bertelmann – Dune: Prophecy
Brian Tyler – Yellowstone
Brian Tyler – Are We Dreaming
Cristobal Tapia de Veer – The Third Day
Cristobal Tapia de Veer – The White Lotus
Jeff Russo – Ripley
Jeff Russo – Alien: Earth
Theodore Shapiro – Severance
Bartosz Chajdecki – Langer
Ludwig Göransson, John Williams, Mick Giacchino, Michael Abels, Nicholas Britell, Kevin Kiner – Star Wars Universe Suite
Michael Abels – The Acolyte

AlterFMF: Immersive Experience: Hauschka

Posted on 2026-05-222026-05-22

AlterFMF: Immersive Experience: Hauschka

concert during the 19th Kraków Film Music Festival

Volker Bertelmann, who also performs under the name Hauschka, is definitely an artist who approaches music as a constant experiment. For years, he has been creating his own uniquely distinctive world of sound. He was pushing the boundaries of the classical piano and revealing how many unexpected textures and tones a single instrument can hold.

Intensity

During the AlterFMF: Immersive Experience concert, I was able to immerse myself in an experience balancing between improvisation, electronics, and spatial sound. For me, it was quite a challenge. At times, it felt incredibly intense and unsettling. Yet without a doubt, it was a truly unique experience.

It was one of those concerts that you experience more than simply listen to. From the very first minutes, Hauschka seemed completely immersed in sound. He was focused, deeply engaged, and appeared to genuinely find joy in improvisation. It was clear that he was not repeating fixed patterns. He was truly playing with music and guiding it intuitively, allowing it to follow its own rhythm. There was something genuinely fascinating about watching him.

Spatial sound

The spatial sound enveloped the audience from every direction, which at times made the experience feel overwhelming for me. Some of the sounds were dark, at moments almost frightening. It was hard to believe that all of those sounds were coming from a piano. I kept trying to imagine what was happening inside the instrument. How many experiments does lay behind such extraordinary sonic textures?

And although it was a demanding concert and an incredibly intense sensory experience, it is impossible to deny the musician’s originality and immense passion. There was something hypnotic about it. I felt as though I was balancing between fascination, unease, and complete immersion in sound.

The Magic of James Newton Howard

Posted on 2026-05-192026-05-20

The Magic of James Newton Howard

concert during the 19th Kraków Film Music Festival

There are composers whose music you simply hear. And then there are those whose music you truly feel. For decades, James Newton Howard has been creating scores that guide audiences through worlds filled with magic, emotion, and inner tension. During The Magic of James Newton Howard concert at the Kraków Film Music Festival, the audience had the chance not only to immerse themselves in some of his most iconic themes from films such as Maleficent, King Kong, and The Hunger Games, but also to discover lesser-known sides of his music. What made the evening even more special was the fact that the concert was led by the composer himself.

A charming man

I think it is important to mention from the very beginning that James Newton Howard is not a professional conductor. Yet he took on the challenge of leading both the orchestra and two choirs. On top of that, he also spoke between the pieces. He shared incredibly charming stories in such a light-hearted and humorous way.

It is difficult to choose the very best among his works because I deeply appreciate his entire art. I will try. I base my choices on what I heard on Thursday evening at ICE Kraków Congress Centre.

Worth highlighting

One of the first pieces that truly impressed me was the suite from Snow White and the Huntsman. I was touched by the strings, the piano, but also by the transitions into much darker and heavier sounds. It felt as though we had stepped into darkness, surrounded by timpani, brass, and double basses. This suite reminded me why I fell in love with the sound of the piano. And with the Kraków Philharmonic Choir joining in, I could feel chills running through my entire body.

Another suite that stayed with me was definitely the one from The Village, especially the violin and piano solos. I sat there with my eyes half-closed, listening to the beautiful sounds flowing through the concert hall.

Something quite different from the previous two suites was Solomon Vandy from Blood Diamond. The combination of Damian Ukeje’s vocals with the Kraków Philharmonic Children’s Choir, followed later by Ablaye Badji entering on djembe, was without a doubt the highlight of the evening for me. It felt genuinely transporting. I felt for a moment that I had been taken somewhere beyond the concert hall itself. My body almost instinctively wanted to move along with those incredible sounds.

It is remarkable how James Newton Howard’s humility only emphasizes his greatness as a composer. Those moments filled with emotion will stay with me for a long time to come.

In Diego Navarro’s Studio

Posted on 2026-05-072026-05-07

In the Composer’s Studio

– about music, emotions, and finding my way back to myself

This text didn’t come when it was meant to.
For a long time, I thought it should have been written in 2022 when everything happened. But that was a time when I felt far away from myself. My sensitivity and creativity had gone quiet for a while. I wasn’t writing. I wasn’t creating. My life revolved around a simple pattern – work, home, work. My soul was trying to break through, to make itself heard, but not quite successfully.

It was my second time visiting Tenerife. This time, I stayed in the island’s capital – Santa Cruz de Tenerife. I spent a week there. I was in a beautiful place, but not entirely within myself.

A Meeting in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

One day, I was invited by Diego Navarro to visit his studio. It wasn’t easy to align our schedules, but eventually we managed. One late afternoon, I went to the place he had given me. It was very close to where I was staying – right in the city center.

I remember how my heart was pounding as I stood in front of the door. I felt that something unfamiliar was about to happen. Excitement was mixed with a quiet kind of fear.

A Sacred Space

His studio wasn’t very large. From today’s perspective, it’s hard to remember all the details, but I remember that the first room was filled with posters, awards, and various objects connected to him and the world of film music. It felt like a living museum – a space where you could glimpse both the artist and his life.

The second room was different. It was the command center. A composer’s sacred space. There were multiple monitors, speakers, a piano, and many other devices I probably couldn’t even name. I also remember posters from films he had composed music for.

I still remember the feeling of being slightly overwhelmed as I crossed the threshold. My body needed an extra second before stepping inside. It was a place where I could see not only the results of someone’s work, but the entire process of being an artist. This was where the first sounds and emotions were born.

We sat down and started talking. I asked him what was more difficult – the act of creating or letting the work go into the world. He paused for a moment. I was deeply curious about what happens inside a composer’s mind, what thoughts move through it. There was something almost intimidating in how much I wanted to understand it.

Music Flowing Through the Body

At some point, I had the privilege of listening to a piece that hadn’t been released yet. It was the first time I experienced music in a professional studio, through high-quality speakers where the sound felt clear and spacious. I will never forget that feeling. I felt shivers throughout my whole body, as the composition was rich with strings and choir – two elements that always move me in the same way. Then, I closed my eyes. I sat completely still, although my foot was unconsciously following the rhythm. I didn’t try to analyze it. My body and my heart understood faster than my mind.

I was also surprised by subtle Slavic elements in his music. We started talking about it. He tried to describe the film without revealing too much, just enough for me to understand the musical themes he had created. I could see the scenes in my imagination as he spoke.

I remember how deeply that meeting affected me. For the first time, I saw an artist in his sacred space – the place where everything is born and refined. I felt as if, for a moment, I stepped into his world. Imagine that I could sense the emotions of someone who knows that their work will soon be released into the world, and that they will have to let it go. I saw a person who could describe through words what he feels while composing. I discovered the story he wanted to tell through sound.

It Will Stay With Me Forever

How do I know that this meeting was so meaningful and inspiring to me, even though at the time I couldn’t find the strength or the words to express it?

First, I still remember it, even if not in every detail.
And second, the next morning, I woke up at sunrise, stepped onto the balcony of my hotel room, and wrote a poem. Just like that – while looking at the ocean and the rising sun. It was a flow that needed to find its way out.

Today, I understand that this moment started to open something in me again. That’s why this text could only be written now. Maybe that’s also why I needed to hear from him: “try to imagine that situation again and imagine what would have you felt but living it now.” So I did.

Thank you, Maestro.