The Male Choir Lutnia in Warta is one of the oldest and most distinguished choral ensembles in the region. It was founded in 1922 at the Polish Teachers’ Union in Warta, with Jan Cwendrych – a local teacher of music and singing – as its initiator and first conductor. From the very beginning, the choir became an integral part of the town’s cultural life, performing at important civic and church ceremonies and nurturing the tradition of male choral singing.
Over the course of more than a century, Lutnia has been led by successive conductors: Idzi Matyszczak, Jan Baranowski, and Andrzej Grześkowiak, later director of the State Music School in Sieradz. Since 2019, the choir has been conducted by Dr. Dawid Ber, who has enriched its repertoire and introduced a fresh artistic profile.
The ensemble has successfully participated in numerous competitions and festivals in Poland and abroad, winning many prestigious awards. Among its most notable achievements are: the Grand Prix at the “Carols of the World” Festival (2002), First Prize at the 14th Meeting of Male Choirs in Warsaw (2006), Gold Diploma at the National Competition “Surrexit Vere” in Włocławek (2022), Silver Diploma at the Sacred Music Competition Dona nobis pacem in Wrocław (2023), and Gold Diploma at the 2nd National Festival of Patriotic Songs Musica Patriae (2023). In December 2024, the choir was awarded a Gold Diploma at the prestigious 32nd International Advent and Christmas Festival in Prague.
The year 2022 marked the choir’s centenary celebrations, crowned with a performance at the Arthur Rubinstein Łódź Philharmonic as part of the “Colours of Poland” Festival, as well as the release of a CD and a monograph dedicated to the choir’s history. Since 2024, Lutnia has also been the organizer of the nationwide Marcin Wartecki Choral Festival in Warta.
For its artistic achievements and contribution to Polish culture, the Male Choir Lutnia has been decorated with the honorary badge Meritorious for Polish Culture (2007) and the Bronze Medal Gloria Artis for Merit to Culture (2022). Today, the choir stands as both a guardian of choral tradition and a living symbol of passion, community, and the musical identity of Warta.
