Image of the top of the first page of the manuscript of Panufnik's third string quartet, showing the title and dedication to his children. In the background, a strip-style paper cutout from the Lublin region. — Andrzej Panufnik, String Quartet No. 3, autograph manuscript. British Library, Add MS 72203, f. 5; illustration from Józef Grabowski, Wycinanka ludowa, British Library, Ac.4639.c/6.(3.) Credit: British Library

Andrzej Panufnik and The Art of Wycinanki

An afternoon of music and discussion as part of UK/Poland Season 2025.

Thursday 27 November 13.45

About Andrzej Panufnik and The Art of Wycinanki

Join us for this event focusing on Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik’s String Quartet No. 3 and the art of Wycinanky (‘paper-cuts’) that inspired it.

Panufnik composed the quartet in 1990, following his first visit back to Poland since leaving the country in 1954. Writing before the premiere of the piece, he said:

'My Quartet No. 3 emerged from my lifelong attachment to the rustic art of Poland – especially the paper-cuts, ('Wycinanki' in Polish) – symmetrical designs of magical abstract beauty and naive charm'.

This lifelong engagement with Polish culture, as well as a fascination with the relationship between shape and sound, are threads of inspiration that run throughout Panufnik’s music. We will explore these themes more through the manuscripts and other documentary evidence at the British Library – and, of course, the music itself.

We’re delighted to welcome the Fiora Quartet and Roxanna Panufnik for this afternoon of live music and discussion. Alongside, Olga Topol (Curator of Slavonic and Eastern European Collections) and Chris Scobie (Curator of Music Manuscripts & Archives) will delve into the British Library’s collections, highlighting examples that reveal more about both the tradition of Wycinanki and Panufnik’s music.

Music programme

Andrzej Panufnik: String Quartet No. 3

Roxanna Panufnik: ‘O tu Andrzej’, from Memories of My Father.

The Fiora Quartet
The Fiora Quartet was founded in 2021 at the Royal College of Music.
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They have worked with Sacconi Quartet and the Brodsky Quartet and were awarded second prize in the RCM String Quartet Competition. In the 2023/24 they were selected for the RCM String Quartet Platform scheme and in 2024/25 were Britten Pears Young Artists.
Roxanna Panufnik
Award-winning Roxanna Panufnik is one of the most versatile and beloved British composers working today.
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She studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music (where she is now a Fellow) and her works for opera, ballet, choirs, orchestras and chamber music and music for film and television are performed all over the world.
Olga Topol
Olga Topol is Curator of Slavonic and Eastern European Collections at the British Library.
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Her research interests focus on cultural identity, oral history, and cultural memory of conflict.
Chris Scobie
Chris Scobie is Lead Curator for Music Manuscripts and Archives at the British Library, where he has worked since 2008.
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His interests include contemporary music and experiments in music notation, as well as the documentation of music more generally.

Concessions

There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, half-price tickets for students and under 26s, free entry for carers as well as a number of other concessions.