Warsaw Inaugurates Poland’s EU Presidency

Polands six-month presidency of the European Union starts 1 July 2011, and to mark the occasion, Warsaw is throwing a huge party to showcase its cultural chops.

The capital citys central square - Plac Defilad - home to the iconic Palace of Culture and Science, will host three stages for Warsaw Talking, Fridays main event. Starting at 10PM, Warsaw Talking will focus on classical, film, and jazz music featuring music by Frederic Chopin, Andrzej Kurylewicz, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Krzysztof Komeda and Wojciech Kilar performed by such international stars as Leszek Mozdzer, Tomasz Stanko Quartet, and Chris Botti. Later, the pop and rock music section begins with Polish and international stars re-interpreting Polish pop hits from the ages. Representing Poland will be Perfekt, Myslovitz, Lech Janerka, and Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa. Performing their own (English-language) interpretations of the material will be Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Manhattan Transfer, Angie Stone, and Dolores ORiordan of The Cranberries. Fireworks will then light up the sky to the music of Wojciech Kilar, as the performance closes with a one-hour concert by UK trip-hop legend Tricky.

While the presidency has largely political implications, Poland has taken this opportunity in the spotlight to display its unique cultural offerings with special events planned to take place throughout the 6-month period. Head to the official Cultural Presidency web portal for full details.