February, 2024: Brian Ganz, widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation, performed his 13th recital before a sold-out crowd on his quest to be the first to perform the complete works Fryderyk Chopin. The Polish American Arts Association was proud to continue our partnership with the National Philharmonic to promote the music of Chopin while supporting Polish-American students in their educational pursuits.

December 2023: Our annual holiday gathering was once again a great hit with nearly 100 members and friends joining us to celebrate Christmas the Polish way. Held this year at St. Luke’s in McLean, our Wigilia featured all the trappings of a Polish Christmas Eve gathering, including authentic Polish food, caroling, breaking of bread, and most importantly, warm and friendly company.

July 2023: To mark what would have been Nobel Prize Winning Poet Wisława Szymborska's 100th birthday, the Polish American Arts Association of Washington, DC, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC, was proud to host an evening of poetry and live jazz at the iconic Busboys & Poets cafe. Renowned saxophonist Krzysztof Medyna performed in between readings of Szymborska’s poetry in Polish and English by members of the PAAA, Polish Drama Club and local poet laureates.

June 2023: This year's celebration of Polish traditions on St. John's night featured customary dancing, singing and making of wreaths. Among the performers were Ojczyzna Polish Dancers, Wiślanie Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble, both from Baltimore, Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble from Atlanta, and PKM Polish Folk Dance Ensemble from Philadelphia. The event was led by Stasia and Olek Skrypczuk of the Joyful Skrypczuk Duo and the Polish and American national anthems were sung by soprano Laura Kafka-Price.

May 2023: Our meeting featured an insightful presentation by Professor William Hal Gorby of West Virginia University, who took our audience on a nearly 50 year journey of the Polish American community of Wheeling, West Virginia based on his book, Wheeling's Polonia: Reconstructing Polish Community in a West Virginia Steel Town. We also presented our 2023 PAAA Scholarship awards, 2023 PAAA Annual Report, and elected new board members.

February 2023: Thanks to the initiative of Maestro Piotr Gajewski, PAAA was privileged to partner with the National Philharmonic in promoting the 13th edition of Brian Ganz’s Chopin Series. The concert featured Chopin’s complete chamber works that include cello and violin. A portion of ticket sales benefitted the PAAA Scholarship program.

December 2022: PAAA resumed our annual tradition of hosting an in-person Wigilia Polish Christmas celebration, which had been interrupted by the pandemic. Guests shared opłatek, the Polish Christmas wafer, enjoyed a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner, were delighted by a wonderful a musical program featuring Polish and Ukrainian music, and took part in a sing-along of popular Polish and American Christmas carols.

October 2022: PAAA Members gathered at the Kosciuszko Foundation - the American Center for Polish Culture - to hear updates from the PAAA board and to discuss upcoming plans for the organization including details for Wigilia.

June 2022: This year’s edition of our ever-popular Wianki Festival featured performances by the Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble from Atlanta, Georgia and PKM Polish Folk Dance Ensemble from Philadelphia. The Joyful Skrypczuk Duo entertained the audience with their musical performances, and Laura Kafka-Price sang the national anthems.

May 2022: Our meeting featured a special musical presentation dedicated to our outgoing President Cecilia Larkin performed by four musical artists in the Polish American Arts Association: soprano Laura Kafka-Price, tenor David Cook, singer Stasia Skrypczuk and pianist Alvin Smithson.

March 2022: Young Steinway Artist Haley Miles kicked off her US tour with an all-Chopin recital at the Arts Club of Washington on March 6 benefiting the PAAA Scholarship Fund.

September 2021: The PAAA hosted the ACPC convention, rescheduled from 2020. The theme of the gathering was “Celebrating Polish Culture in the Nation's Capital.” The program featured speakers, artistic performances and an awards banquet at the historic University Club of Washington, DC where distinguished individuals were recognized. Full event summary can be found in the Winter 2022 newsletter.

June 2021: Our annual midsummer solstice tradition returned after a pandemic pause, featuring performances by the PKM Polish Folk Ensemble from Philadelphia, PA.

March 2021: Due to the ongoing pandemic, the PAAA organized a virtual conversation on with Annik LaFarge, author of the recently published work “Chasing Chopin.” You can watch the event recording on our organization’s YouTube page.