In the historic, 100-year-old power plant on the Ołowianka Isle, a cultural space has been created and some state-of-the art multimedia technologies have been implemented. A professional recording studio is one of the best equipped in Europe. The object is a perfect example of the adaptation and integration of the magnificent historic architecture with ultra-modern techniques. It is the first completed project in Poland of revitalising a post-industrial facility for cultural purposes. From the bank of the Motława River visitors can admire the unforgettable panorama of Old Gdańsk and the Lower Town, which is coming back to life.
The history of the Philharmonic and the Orchestra started in 1945, just after World War II fighting was finished. Today the Symphonic Orchestra of the Baltic Philharmonic in Gdańsk is one of the leading groups of musicians in Poland, and the Polish Baltic Philharmonic is the biggest music centre in Pomerania and the venue of important social and political events on the national and international scale.
The Polish Baltic Philharmonic has hosted conductors and groups of musicians from all over the world, including the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra) with Ricardo Chailly, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra of Saint Petersburg with Valery Giergiev, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra with Yuri Simonow, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with Paavo Järvi, the Bamberger Symphoniker with Jonathan Nott, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid with Jesús López Cobos, The European Union Youth Orchestra with Herbert Blomstedt, the Orchestra of the 18th Century with Frans Brüggen, and the Sinfonia Varsovia with Marc Minkowski.
The Symphonic Orchestra of the Baltic State Philharmonic has been led by great conductors from Poland and all over the world – Sir Neville Marriner, Antoni Wit, Roman Kofman, Witold Rowicki, Kazimierz Kord, Gabriel Chmura, Maxim Vengerov, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Michael Zilm, and Juozas Domarkas.
Such distinguished artistes as Shlomo Mintz, Barbara Hendrix, Maxim Vengerov. Dang Thai Son, Arcadi Volodos, Nelson Goerner, Garrick Ohlsson, Kevin Kenner, Krystian Zimerman, Nigel Kennedy, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Ewa Pobłocka, Rafał Blechacz, Edward Auer, Piotr Paleczny, Ann Murray, Lucia Aliberti, and Helen Bickers have accepted invitations to concerts.