About Centre for Music in Kraków

Centre for Music in Kraków

the new musical pulse of Kraków

Centre for Music in Kraków is a space created with music in mind – a place pulsating with sound and inspiration. We combine the highest acoustic quality with the architecture of the future, creating an open stage for both artists and the audience. It is a home for music and community – operating all day long, not just during concerts. Developed in the spirit of the “Urban Living Room” idea – as a place that is close, welcoming, and everyday. The kind of place people want to return to.

Two Orchestras The Residents are the heart of Centre for Music in Kraków – Capella Cracoviensis and Sinfonietta Cracovia. They set the rhythm of the place, filling the space with sound, energy, and passion. The soul of the facility is its unique acoustics. Designed for perfect sound, it ensures that every concert remains in memory for a long time.

Who are we for?

A space for meetings and inspiration – the city’s musical salon

Centre for Music in Kraków is a space for integration that connects, inspires, and develops potential – offering unique experiences in harmony with local culture and a diversity of styles. We aim to be a leading venue that bridges Krakow’s tradition with modernity, nature, and innovation. A place that leaves a unique impression in the hearts of its visitors.

For music lovers and debutants. For creators and audiences. For those seeking emotions and those who want to co-create them. Centre for Music in Kraków is a meeting place – with sound, with others, and with oneself. It is a shared space for listening, creating, discovering, and sharing music.

We create our program with diversity and quality in mind, combining tradition with modernity, concerts with education, and local initiatives with international projects. We believe that music is for everyone who wants to listen to it — or ask it a question.

Meet our team

In accordance with the Krakow Development Strategy and the Culture Development Program until 2030, we are creating a space:

For the headquarters of city orchestras
For classical, contemporary, jazz, and experimental music
For festivals, education, and social cooperation
For the creative use of heritage and building Krakow’s brand as a capital of culture

Two resident orchestras form the heart of Centre for Music in Kraków — Capella Cracoviensis and Sinfonietta Cracovia. They set the rhythm of the space, filling it with sound, energy, and passion.

The soul of the building is its exceptional acoustics. Designed for perfect sound, they make every concert a memorable experience.

Meet our orchestras

Architecture with a View

Harmony of sound, light, and space

The modern, minimalist structure of Centre for Music in Kraków was designed with the harmony of form, function, and sound in mind. The main concert hall is situated below ground level, which gives it a unique character—both acoustically and architecturally. The view from the glass foyer and the café terrace extends over the Błonia Park, Wawel Castle, and the Old Town—changing with the weather, time of day, and season.

The Centre for Music in Kraków is a state-of-the-art facility with a total area of approximately 17,000 m² and a usable area exceeding 13,000 m². It combines excellent acoustics with a comfortable space for artists and the audience. Built across three floors (including one underground), it offers five unique concert halls tailored to various artistic, educational, and cultural events.

Grand Hall

Featuring an audience of 1,033 seats, including a balcony for an 80-person choir. The stage dimensions allow for performances by 120 musicians, designed for large symphonic concerts and events of exceptional character.

The Main Hall of the Centre for Music in Kraków is a modern concert space where the acoustics, developed by the renowned Müller-BBM office, ensure optimal listening conditions in every part of the auditorium. The variable stage configuration allows for adaptation to various events, while the extensive stage technology equipment emphasizes the facility’s versatility. The carefully designed audience layout guarantees excellent visibility and comfort for both artists and the audience.

Auditorium

Total number of seats: 1,033
Removable seats on the ground floor: 164
Fixed auditorium (levels -1 and 0): 616
Side balconies: 188 (94+94)
Choir balcony (level 0, behind the stage): 82
Rear balcony (+1): 147

Stage

Equipped with movable mechanical platforms (broken/stepped shape), allowing for an amphitheatrical layout. Consists of 5 rows of 16 platforms arranged in 3 columns. Dimensions: 16.05 × 12.95 m + orchestra pit (orkiestron) 16.06 × 3.2 m.

West Hall

Capella Cracoviensis

An intimate hall with 300 seats and a spacious stage, ideal for orchestral performances, solo musicians, and smaller ensembles.

The Capella Cracoviensis Hall is a versatile concert space with a beautiful glass interior and intimate balconies. The hall features a flat floor that can be flexibly configured using modular platforms—both in the stage and audience areas. The stage is mobile and can be shaped according to the needs of the event. The flexible nature of the interior allows for quick adaptation for concerts, rehearsals, and special events, offering comfort for artists and a unique experience for the audience.

Auditorium

Mobile audience; amphitheatrical layout is enabled by platforms arranged in 3 rows of 5 units (max height 135 cm) on both short sides of the hall.
It is possible to forgo the platforms for a flat-surface arrangement.
Movable seats are used for flexibility, equipped with a linking and locking system.

Stage

In an amphitheatrical arrangement, the stage is at floor level. It is a flat surface with the option to build elevations from wooden modular platforms (200x130x45 cm) set up manually. Maximum stage dimensions from modules: 4×10 m (using 16 modules).

Studio

Sinfonietta Cracovia

A space with 254 seats, designed for rehearsals, concerts, and recordings of smaller musical formations.

The Sinfonietta Cracovia Studio is a modern, multifunctional space created with the highest acoustic and technological standards in mind. Thanks to the flexible configuration of the audience and stage, the hall easily adapts to various formats—from chamber concerts to audio-video recordings, educational events, and experimental artistic projects.

Auditorium

The division between the audience and the stage is flexible. The entire floor can be flat or modeled by raising movable platforms (21 platforms in 7 rows and 3 columns). Depending on the needs, a larger or smaller flat stage area can be obtained. A completely flat room of 15.70 × 19.70 m is also possible. Movable seats with a linking system are provided.

Stage

Flexible layout using the 21 movable platforms. Possible to obtain a room with a flat floor measuring 17.75 x 21.35 m.

Aula/Auditorium

An elegant hall with 280 seats, perfect for lectures, conferences, educational concerts, and award galas.

The Centre for Music in Kraków Aula is a multifunctional hall with natural lighting—a glass wall with a view of the greenery. The space is equipped with modern multimedia and audiovisual systems for a wide spectrum of events. The mobile audience and modular stage ensure flexibility, allowing for quick adaptation to the participants’ comfort.

Auditorium

Mobile audience in a flat layout; amphitheatrical layout is possible using modular platforms. Movable seats with a linking system are used.

Stage

Flat floor with the option to build a stage/elevation from manual wooden modular platforms (200x130x45 cm). Maximum stage size: 12×4 m (using 18 modules).

Chamber Hall

A comfortable space for up to 50 seats, created for intimate concerts, artistic meetings, and educational events.

Common Areas

Foyer

A spacious hall with a catering area, including a restaurant and bistro—an ideal place for a moment of relaxation before or after an event.

Terrace and Relaxation Zones

Open green areas and leisure spots that complement the atmosphere of the Centre for Music in Kraków. The area around the facility is planned as a green garden—a natural extension of the recreational space of Krakow’s Błonia. From the beginning, designers emphasized the harmonious connection of architecture and nature, creating an open, friendly, and inspiring place.

The Centre for Music in Kraków is a place where art meets modernity, and every sound finds its space.

Architectural Design: Jarosław Kutniowski, Marek Dunikowski, Aleksandra Dzienniak, Mateusz Dudek (Baumschlager Eberle Architekci Polska)

Acoustics: Müller-BBM Building Solutions (Prof. Karlheinz Müller, Petra Nies)

EDGE Certificate

The Centre for Music in Kraków has obtained the EDGE certificate, confirming that the project meets the highest standards of sustainable construction.

In comparison to reference buildings, the facility achieved: 45% energy savings, 65% water savings, 20% reduction in embodied carbon footprint.

This is an important step toward modern and responsible urban investments—caring for the environment, future operating costs, and user comfort. The EDGE report was prepared based on full design documentation and verified by the certifying body at the end of 2024.

Genesis

From an idea three decades ago to a modern music complex in Cichy Kącik, right by Krakow's Błonia Park.

The idea of creating a modern music complex for Krakow’s orchestras has a long history dating back to the 1990s. It was then that Professor Stanisław Gałoński identified Cichy Kącik as the ideal location for the headquarters of Capella Cracoviensis, gaining broad support from distinguished cultural figures—including Wisława Szymborska, Krzysztof Penderecki, Andrzej Wajda, Rev. Inf. Jerzy Bryła, Maria Mazaraki, Kaja Danczowska, and Elżbieta Stefańska—as well as the entire Krakow musical community.

In 1991, the Foundation for the Realization of the Capella Cracoviensis Headquarters was established to raise funds for the construction of a concert hall. Despite immense commitment, the Foundation was unable to complete the project due to limited financial resources. Following the decision not to proceed with the Music Centre in Grzegórzki (originally planned in cooperation with the Lesser Poland Voivodeship), the Mayor of Krakow decided to relocate the investment to Cichy Kącik. The goal was to create a musical complex that would become a “home for music” and the permanent seat of two city orchestras: Capella Cracoviensis and Sinfonietta Cracovia.

The completion of construction and the inauguration of the artistic season in this new urban space are planned for the turn of 2026/2027.