Biography of GlassDuo

GlassDuo was founded by Anna and Arkadiusz Szafraniec from Poland.

Some time ago, being charmed with the sound of musical glasses, they abandoned their places in the symphony orchestra in Gdansk and started to realize their own idea of performing.

Today they play the glass harp in duo and with other musicians as well. They've successfully performed with string quartets and various chamber ensembles.

GlassDuo have worked together with the majority of Polish orchestras including The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Varsovia as well as with orchestras from outside Poland.

They are the only glass music group in Poland, one of a very few professional ensembles in the world.

GlassDuo’s instrument is the biggest professional glass harp in the world. Its range covers 5 octaves. Goblets are professionally tuned and ready to play without any water inside.

Musicians had several world premieres of musical works composed especially for them. The result are pieces composed by Zbigniew Preisner, Mieczysław Litwiński, Garry Eister, Zbigniew Pniewski, Piotr Salaber, Tom Smail, Anna Pęcherzewska, Aleksander Przeradowski, Jean Chatillon and Daniele Furlati.

GlassDuo made numerous recordings for radio and TV cooperated with, amongst others: Arte TV, Discovery Chanel, BBC, TVN, TVP1, TVP2, TVP Gdańsk, TVP Polonia, Polsat, PR1, ANTENA 3, Deutsche Welle, Public Radio International, Reuters, LRytas TV and Associated Press.

‘Glassy’ music also inspires artists from the realm of theatre. To date, music recorded by GlassDuo has appeared in: A. Mickiewicz "Forefathers’ Eve" (music by Monika Zytke, New Theatre, Słupsk, 2007), W. Gombrowicz "The Marriage" (arrangements by GlassDuo, Stefan Jaracz Theatre, Łódź, 2007), M. Sałtykow-Szczedrin "Judas", based on the story "Mr. & Mrs. Gołowlew" (music by Piotr Salaber, Ateneum Theatre, Warsaw, 2010).

GlassDuo has been invited to many local and international music and culture festivals all visiting over 40 countries, e.g.:

• Singapore Festival of Arts - Singapore

• Busan Chamber Music Festival - South Korea

• Festival de Musica de Morelia - Mexico

• Panorama Percussivo Mundial - Brasil

• Ohrid Summer Festival - Macedonia

• altstadtherbst kulturfestival duesseldorf - Germany

• Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen - Belgium

• International Music Festival, Mood Indigo - India

• International Mozart Festival "Mozartiana" - Poland

• International Festival "Round About Chopin" - Austria

• Klaipeda Music Spring -Lithuania

• Polish Harmonies “Chopin & Beyond” - USA

• Festival di Santo Stefano - Italy

• La Folle Journee - Poland

• International Music Festival "RESUREXIT" - Lithuania

• "MUSICA NEGLI HORTI" - Italy

• Festival Internazionale della Cultura - Italy

• International Bach Festival "Bakhosluzheniye" - Russia

• Days of Karol Szymanovsky's Music - Poland

• International Percussion Festival - Poland

• Warsaw Autumn - Poland

and many others...

GlassDuo have brought their glass music to the stages of many renowned concert halls. By rejecting stereotypes they have enriched the music world with sounds which are subtle, sophisticated and truly unique.