ENSEMBLES 2025
Youth Symphony Orchestra of Warmia and Masuria at the Frédéric Chopin Music School in Olsztyn

The Orchestra, in its current form, was founded in early 2022 at the initiative of its conductor, Dr. Szymon Stec. From the very beginning, its mission has gone far beyond regular concert performances. The ensemble offers young musicians a space to grow, not only through the exploration of orchestral repertoire but also by introducing them to the ethos of collective music-making. The Orchestra emphasizes values such as cooperation, mutual respect, and responsibility, while nurturing technical proficiency, expressive skills, and artistic sensitivity. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Stec, the Orchestra takes on ambitious and diverse programs, drawing from a wide range of musical periods – from the classical canon to contemporary compositions. Rehearsals are conducted in a focused yet friendly atmosphere that fosters both discipline and enthusiasm. Students are encouraged to share their ideas, listen actively to one another, and experience the joy and satisfaction of creating something together. In addition to full ensemble rehearsals, musicians participate in regular sectional practices, allowing them to refine their individual skills and work on detail-oriented aspects of performance. Once per semester, they also engage in intensive Orchestral Workshops, where they receive further coaching, explore interpretative nuances, and deepen their artistic identity. Thanks to the collective dedication, talent, and passion of each member, the ensemble has quickly established a strong reputation. In just two years, the Orchestra has taken part in nearly twenty concerts, consistently receiving warm and enthusiastic feedback from audiences, educators, and cultural institutions. Among its notable achievements are two invitations to perform in the concert hall of the Warmian-Masurian Philharmonic – a recognition of the ensemble’s rising artistic level and professionalism. In 2024, the Orchestra was selected to participate in La Folle Journée de Varsovie (Crazy Days of Music) – a prestigious festival organized by the Centre for Artistic Education and the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra. Held at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, this event brought together outstanding youth ensembles from across the country. The performance of the Orchestra was met with great acclaim and rapturous applause from the audience, affirming the ensemble’s growing artistic maturity and expressive strength. Through a blend of vision, discipline, and creativity, the Orchestra continues to inspire both its members and its listeners, cultivating not only skilled musicians but also thoughtful and passionate artists ready to meet the challenges of the professional music world.
Szymon Stec
Conductor
Szymon Stec, PhD, is a Polish conductor and academic lecturer at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, where he leads the conducting class within the Faculty of Conducting, Jazz, Music Education, and Church Music. He also serves as the artistic director of the project-based orchestra Sinfonia Cuiavia, and is actively involved in shaping the next generation of musicians as the conductor of both the symphony and wind orchestras at the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School in Olsztyn. In parallel with his pedagogical and artistic activities, Stec is the president of the Aulos Foundation, a cultural organization dedicated to music education, concert programming, and outreach initiatives. Szymon Stec serves as the artistic director of nationwide music initiatives, among them the Appassionato! Music Festival, the Musical Impressions Festival, the International Festival MUSICART, and the VIRTUOSO! National Instrumental Competition, in which he is also a president of jury. A graduate of the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk in the field of conducting, he received his doctoral degree with distinction in 2019. He completed a one-year scholarship program at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and obtained a postgraduate diploma in cultural management in European Union structures from the Polish Academy of Sciences. Stec refined his conducting skills under the mentorship of internationally recognized maestros including Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Paavo and Neeme Järvi, Leonid Grin, Colin Metters, and Jacek Kaspszyk. He is a four-time laureate of international conducting competitions, and his repertoire includes major symphonic works by Gustav Mahler (1st and 5th Symphony), Anton Bruckner, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Johannes Brahms, among others. He has conducted at renowned events such as the Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia. His international collaborations to date include orchestras and institutions in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, USA, Estonia, Latvia, France. For his artistic and organizational achievements, he has twice been awarded by the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
Competition Program
Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912) | Phèdre: Overture | |
Wojciech Terech (*2005) | Song of the Night | |
Johann Strauss, the Son (1825 - 1899) | Frühlingsstimmen Walzer („Voices of Spring“) |
Additional Concerts Program
Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912) | Phèdre: Overture | |
Wojciech Terech (*2005) | Song of the Night | |
Johann Strauss, the Son (1825 - 1899) | Frühlingsstimmen Walzer ("Voices of Spring") | |
Johann Strauss, the Son (1825 - 1899) | Kuss-Walzer (Kiss Waltz), Op. 400 | |
Johann Strauss, the Son (1825 - 1899) | Tritsch-Trasch-Polka, Op. 214 | |
Johann Strauss, the Son (1825 - 1899) | Rosen aus dem Süden (Roses from theSouth), Waltz - Op. 388 | |
Johann Strauss, the Son (1825 - 1899) | Unter Donner & Blitz (Thunder and Lightning), Polka Op. 324 |