Gdansk University Choir

Gdańsk University Choir was founded in 1971. So far it has performed several hundred concerts in Poland and abroad. The choir has sung in many European countries and in the USA, China, Argentina and South Korea. The choir has also performed several times for Pope John Paul II - for instance in 1997 they participated in the musical setting of the New Year Mass in the Vatican inaugurating the celebrations of Gdańsk's thousand-year anniversary.

The Gdansk University Choir, apart from a capella pieces from Polish and international composers, represents various musical styles and times and also performs oratorial music. The choir has also made first-time performances of pieces by modern Polish composers.

The choir has won numerous awards at international competitions such as: first place in Laudate Dominum in Vilnius, Lithuania, first place in the category of "musica sacra" at The International Cracow Choir Competition (Poland), Grand Prix in Pardubice (International Competition of University Choirs).

Since 1992 the conductor and artistic manager of the AChUG has been Marcin Tomczak – professor at Music Academy in Gdańsk. With Gdańsk Univeristy Choir he has won a lot of awards. He is a winner of multiple individual awards for the best director (South Korea, Czech Republic). Marcin Tomczak collaborates with world-famous artists such as Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jean Michael Jarre, Ennio Morricone. He is a member of jury in a number of world – class choral competition and artistic manager of The International Choir Festival “Mundus Cantat Sopot”.

The choir comes from Gdańsk – a town in northern Poland. Gdańsk is the historical capital of Pomerania. The city is close to the former late medieval/modern boundary between West Slavic and Germanic lands. It has been part of modern Poland since 1945. The city was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which under the leadership of Lech Walesa played a major role in bringing an end to Communis rule across Central Europe.

SR