Violin workshop with Leon Lewandowski

Melodies of Kalisz region
For advanced violinist

The workshop teaches music from the Prosna river basin in Kalisz region. It is a microregion whose eastern part developed slower due to political isolation (is was part of Russian Partition) than the rest of Greater Poland in the west. For this reason it offers a unique experience of old culture. Leon Lewandowski is going to teach wedding repertoire: obereks, owijok and polkas. In the course of the workshop he will explain what owijok is and how two-string bass used to be played. The workshop is dedicated to intermediate level violinists, although confident beginners are welcome too. The key requisite ability is to be able to play a short tune by the ear.

Instructor Leon Lewandowski (born 1926 in Pałka near Kalisz) is the last of the violinists born before WWII in Kalisz region on Prosna. He learnt playing fiddle he got at a village fair back in the time when he was herding cattle as a young boy. Later his uncle bought him a genuine violin from the family of a dead musician. During WWII he played at weddings in a band with bass, three-row accordion and bereban. He has been considered first rate musician in the area.

Instructor Mateusz Raszewski (1980) is an instrument craftsman, violinist and climber. The last student of Jan Gaca and the first one of Leon Lewandowski. He conducts field research in Kalish region and has collected hundreds of recordings of village musicians and singers, as well as antique instruments such as carved bass, which he recreates in his workshop.