• Leszek Możdżer - pianos 
• Adam Bałdych - violin 

Bałdych and Możdżer first collaborated in 2009 at the Wrocław Opera, where they performed an improvised score for the silent film Sir Arne’s Treasure by Mauritz Stiller. Over a decade later, their reunion has resulted in their first album together, Passacaglia, which premiered in January of this year. 

As two leading figures in Polish jazz and improvised music, Bałdych and Możdżer have combined their diverse influences in a programme that surprises even in its choice of instruments. Bałdych plays a Renaissance violin, while Możdżer uses pianos tuned differently (A+442 Hz and A+432 Hz). As Wojciech Sobczak Wojeński noted in JazzPress magazine: “it might seem like they are playing slightly off, but everything falls perfectly into place.” 

The programme is rich with historical references. The artists draw on themes from the great medieval philosopher and composer Hildegard of Bingen, as well as the prince of polyphony, Josquin des Prez. The album culminates with a musical homage to Johannes Ockeghem, presumed to be Josquin’s teacher, offering a modern perspective on the Renaissance—a period that both advanced music into new directions and was deeply rooted in improvisation. 

The album’s title, Passacaglia, and its opening track, reference the Baroque period. The passacaglia is an ostinato variation form, based on a fixed, often descending motif repeated in the bass. It is significant that this form opens the album, as it is sometimes viewed as a poignant metaphor for human life—always beginning and ending in the same way, yet marked by the various twists and turns of its variations. The words from the 13th-century collection Carmina Burana seem fitting here: “O fortuna, velut luna, statu variabilis” (O Fortune, like the moon of ever changing state). 

This sentiment reflects the essence of Możdżer and Bałdych’s programme—both personal and intimate, born of improvisation and a deep understanding between two artists, while also engaging in a profound dialogue with the history of music. In addition to the echoes of past centuries, a keen ear will also detect a reference to Erik Satie's Gymnopédie. As Sobczak-Wojeński aptly observed: “Passacaglia is a rich tapestry of musical exploration, showcasing the diverse fascinations that shape the instrumentalists' tastes and define their artistic landscape, [...] all filtered through their unique sensitivity. The programme is poised to captivate European audiences, though it leans less towards the 'pop' style of Możdżer Danielsson Fresco and more towards a focused, subtle, and perhaps even sacred expression. Could this be a contender for Record of the Year so early on? Quite possibly.”

Mecenas Główny: Gmina Miasta Toruń
Dofinansowano ze środków Ministra Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego pochodzących z Funduszu Promocji Kultury w ramach programu „Muzyka”, realizowanego przez Narodowy Instytut Muzyki i Tańca
Dofinansowano z Funduszy Europejskich
Partner Główny: Samorząd Województwa Kujawsko-Pomorskiego
Mecenas Kultury - Główny Sponsor: PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A.
Mecenas Strategiczny: Strabag Sp. z o.o.
Mecenas: TZMO S.A.
Sponsor: Urbitor Sp. z o.o.
Współfinansowano ze środków Związku Artystów Wykonawców STOART
Partner motoryzacyjny: Toyota Bednarscy
Partnerzy: Cukiernia Sowa, MZK w Toruniu Sp. z o.o., Ruch Muzyczny, Iga Sarzyńska Wzrusza Toruń, Pneuma Jarosław Pawlicki, Pirmedia Sp. z o.o., Maciej Zieliński BJJ, RTR GROUP Sp. z o.o., Melt me tender, Galeria Kwiatów
Partner technologiczny: Vobacom Sp. z o.o.
Patronat medialny: TVP Kultura, Polmic, TVP 3 Bydgoszcz, TV Toruń, Radio PiK, Nowości, Toruń Nasze Miasto, Presto
Współpraca redakcyjna: RMF Classic

Organizator: Toruńska Orkiestra Symfoniczna