Ada Witczyk on creating new music – and audiences – for Baroque instruments

I always struggled with slowing down, so when all of my work was cancelled during lockdown in 2020, I simply had to do something other than watch another Netflix box set. Together with my arts manager fiancé Nick Hardisty and filmmaker friend Simon Helbling, an idea emerged to challenge contemporary composers to write new pieces for baroque violin.

Inspired by the incredible strength and contemporary music interpretations of leading 20^th century Czech harpsichordist (and survivor of three concentration camps) Zuzana Růžičková, it seemed fitting to name the competition in her honour. Everything afterwards, much like the title of her memoir, can simply be described as ‘One Hundred Miracles’.

From the first year, we were overwhelmed with submissions for the Růžičková Composition Competition. Through the power of social media, composers in Poland, Israel, Austria, Mexico, Iran, Peru, Sweden, Thailand, Canada, US, Indonesia and further afield got involved with our project. Five years later, I am still amazed that over 250 new pieces have been created by composers from every continent.

The competition prize gave the three winning pieces the chance to be made into professional films. Easy… right? Not quite so easy when you factor in changing restrictions, and the task of replacing Covid-stricken crew (while on the road), securing last-minute gear, smoke machines, harpsichords and lights, all in a race against time before successive lockdowns. And did I mention our director was stuck in Switzerland giving instructions by phone?

'MMA cages, underground carparks, glamourous historic buildings, gothic churches' Competition winners receive films of their winning compositions designed to invite a new audience

Nevertheless, this project was made possible by of thousands of miracles and a handful of dream makers who all came together to create something positive during such a difficult time.

The three winning pieces from the first competition (available on my YouTube channel) are all postcards from that time; Ostinato in 7 by Oscar Gorman-Tysoe is a piece with a sense of heroism and about overcoming adversity; Yellow by Samuel Howley is about optimism for the future; while The Spectre by Erik Valdemar Sköld is about ghosts from the past that haunt us during our daily lives.

I never expected the competition to grow so rapidly but it only seemed natural for it to become an annual event with both the second and third editions asking composers to write chamber music for period instruments.

Every year Simon Helbling used his imagination to turn each winning piece into films that are highly creative and somewhat unusual for classical music. The reason behind us using this short format with bold visuals was to connect with younger audiences more used to enjoying Beyonce or Dua Lipa on YouTube rather than grand concert or opera houses.

MMA cages, underground carparks, glamourous historic buildings, gothic churches; forget pretentious, we did this for the new wave of classical audiences, giving them a recognisable way in to explore even more.

The response of online viewers was positively surprising: ‘FANTABULOUS!’, ‘I don’t typically listen to classical music, but I love this!’  Live audiences, too, embraced the new approach with a sold-out lecture-recital at the ‘New Music Gathering’ at Portland University (USA) and invitations from Italy and beyond.

Always thriving in experimenting and trying something new, I wanted to combine all we had learnt for the fourth instalment in 2023, creating a live concert experience with the same strong visual presence that makes our films stand out. Mayfair’s Mercato Metropolitano set the scene, complete with floors of artisan food and drink, for the premiere of three new concerti for baroque violin.

The year 2023 also marked the start of a new endeavour. So impressed by their sensitive and imaginative writing for baroque violin, I commissioned the first five competition laureates to compose short, unaccompanied solo pieces for my debut album New Baroque. Recorded and then released by First Hand Records, the album received a 10-star overall review in BBC Music Magazine along with ‘instrumental choice’, standing as testament to the many talented composers who took up our challenge.

Now in 2025, I look forward to tomorrow’s release of New Baroque – Sonatas (28 February on First Hand Records) featuring the latest competition winners in six brilliant pieces for one or two violins and harpsichord. It is safe to say that I have been lucky to learn from great musicians and I’m incredibly proud that Simon Standage, my former teacher, is part of this album alongside Dominika Maszczynska on harpsichord.

All winning competition pieces have been published by Prima la Musica. I would like to also thank all New Baroque supporters, especially the Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Foundation and Help Musicians.

I believe that the best music is yet to be composed, and I hope you enjoy listening to New Baroque.

Ada Witczyk will be performing this March during the 2025 Early Music Festival in Limerick (Ireland), and she will also be a guest lecturer at the Technological University of the Shannon.