The internationally acclaimed ensemble Scholares Minores pro Musica Antiqua performs at 7:00 p.m. at the Galeria at Orchard Lake Schools, and admission is free.
For one evening, the Galeria will sound the way a Polish church or royal court might have sounded five hundred years ago. The voices belong to young people from Poniatowa, near Lublin; the music belongs to all of us. The Polish Institute of Culture & Research at Orchard Lake (PICROL) is hosting the concert as both a performance and a homecoming of sorts — a meeting between Poland and the Polish-American community that has kept its heritage alive on this side of the ocean.
Half a century of guarding a living tradition
Scholares Minores pro Musica Antiqua was founded in 1975 by two musicologists, Danuta and Witold Danielewicz, who believed that the oldest European music deserved the youngest hands and voices. Five decades later, the ensemble and its associated choirs bring together nearly 200 children and young people, and it recently marked the Golden Jubilee of both the group and its founders’ artistic careers.
This is not a museum piece. The children sing medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque works, dance historical dances, and play faithful reproductions of early instruments — violins, viola da gambas, shawms, crumhorns, cornamuses, Gothic harps, hurdy-gurdies, and recorders. The colorful costumes and the extraordinary musicianship do something rare: they pull an audience back through the centuries while handing the tradition forward to the next generation.
Over fifty years, the young artists of Poniatowa have given more than 3,000 concerts and completed 127 artistic tours across Europe and around the world, with appearances in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, Ecuador, and nearly every country in Europe. Their work has been featured in more than 100 radio and television productions and preserved on numerous recordings.
More than a concert
“This journey to Michigan is about much more than music,” said Anna Karwat, Director of Scholares Minores pro Musica Antiqua. “It is an opportunity for our young people to encounter new friends, deepen their appreciation of their heritage, and share with audiences the beauty and joy of the musical traditions that have been entrusted to us. We are grateful for the warm welcome that awaits us and look forward to strengthening the bonds between Poland and the Polish-American community.”
For the hosts, the visit carries a meaning that goes beyond a single evening. “We are deeply honored to welcome these remarkable young ambassadors from Poniatowa to Orchard Lake,” said Ania Bieciuk, Associate Director for Polonia Affairs at PICROL. “For more than fifty years, Scholares Minores pro Musica Antiqua has safeguarded a priceless musical and spiritual tradition. Their visit reminds us that culture is not merely inherited — it is entrusted to each generation. We are grateful for the opportunity to introduce these gifted young people to Michigan and to share with our community an experience that will inspire families, strengthen ties with Poland, and create memories that will last a lifetime.”
The July 10 concert is the first stop of the ensemble’s Michigan-only tour and opens several days of cultural exchange made possible by local organizations and volunteers. The evening is built for families: Renaissance and Baroque sacred music on historical instruments, period costumes, traditional dances, and — once the last note fades — a complimentary reception and family activities.
A welcome built by the community
A visit like this does not happen on its own. Special thanks go to the Polish Scouting Organization of Michigan, Srodek’s Campau Quality Sausage Company, Irena’s Pastry & Bistro, Orchard Lake Schools, and the Polish Cavalry Reenactors, whose generosity and support helped bring forty children and their chaperones across the Atlantic.
PICROL itself traces its roots to 1885, when it was founded by Polish immigrants on the campus of Orchard Lake Schools. Today it stands as one of North America’s leading centers devoted to preserving and celebrating Polish and Polish-American history, faith, culture, and tradition — through exhibitions, lectures, concerts, educational programs, and archival collections.
If you go
What: Scholares Minores pro Musica Antiqua in concert — five centuries of sacred music
When: Friday, July 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Galeria at Orchard Lake Schools, 3535 Indian Trail, Orchard Lake, Michigan 48324
Admission: Free, but reservations are requested at www.picrol.org
Support the youth tour
Community members who would like to help cover the children’s transportation and hospitality costs are invited to contribute to the official fundraiser: Support Polish Youth Concert Tour in Michigan.
Source: Polish Institute of Culture & Research at Orchard Lake (PICROL). Media contact: Ania Bieciuk, Associate Director for Polonia Affairs, 248.836.1284, www.picrol.org.
