Old Forms, New Voices: How Artists Bring the Past into the Present

In this edition, we spotlight two conversations with ISPA members working on different continents, whose practices bridge heritage and innovation, reflecting our theme Old Forms, New Voices: How Artists Bring the Past into the Present. Learn about how they each navigate the balance between preservation and transformation, the role of institutions in shaping their work, and the evolving relationship with both new and longtime audiences.

Don't miss the chance to continue this vital conversation in person—register now for the ISPA 2026 Singapore Congress, Creative Convergence: Same Same, And Different

Quicklinks:

• Zbigniew Cierniak, Polish National Song and Dance Ensemble ‘ŚLĄSK’
• Samuel Wong, The TENG Company

Pictured posing next to the monument of Stanisław Hadyna, founder of the Polish National Song and Dance Ensemble ‘ŚLĄSK’, Zbigniew Cierniak, Director of the Ensemble, reflects on how a major cultural institution balances preservation and innovation—drawing on decades of legacy, international touring, and cross-genre collaboration to bring Polish folk heritage into contemporary global contexts.

For us, the starting point is always the same: the Polish National Song and Dance Ensemble ‘ŚLĄSK’ carries with it a deep commitment for our generation, which is shaping the ensemble today, to celebrate, protect, and present a tradition rooted directly in the centuries-old heritage of Polish culture — and we pursue this mission all over the world. At the same time, new projects are created in a highly conscious and deliberate way. The artistic potential of ‘ŚLĄSK’ Ensemble is immense — it is a permanent company of 320 people, including choir, ballet, and orchestra, as well asŚadministrative staff, rather than a project-based group. This allows us to plan ambitious artistic challenges and develop them consistently and fully.

This ensemble has been my home for 35 years; my wife represents its third generation, and I have known it since I was three years old. Therefore, when we consider what to preserve and what to transform, we are guided by a strong sense of responsibility and a genuine love for the institution.

Album ‘Pieśni Współczesne’ (Contemporary Songs) is a good example. The project brought us — a renowned song and dance ensemble — together with artists representing entirely different musical environments, creating a space where deep tradition meets contemporary expression. The album was and remains exceptional for us — it received several Fryderyk Awards, Poland’s most prestigious music honors, often compared to the Grammys. These awards recognize outstanding achievements in classical, jazz, and popular music.

Miuosh, one of Poland’s leading hip-hop and cross-genre artists, was one of the main creators and the artistic partner of ‘Pieśni Współczesne’ project, shaping its concept. We invited artists whom we considered truly valuable — including those operating outside the mainstream but reaching millions of views online. Together, we motivated and inspired one another to create something meaningful — and it worked. Beyond ‘Pieśni Współczesne’, our continued collaborations with artists, including Vito Bambino, proved highly successful, reaching over 10 million views within six weeks.

The pandemic also influenced our decisions. When regular artistic activity was suspended and concerts with audiences became impossible, we recognized it as the perfect moment to record our first contemporary album. We had excellent access to all invited artists, including Jakub Józef Orliński — an internationally acclaimed Polish countertenor known both for his mastery of Baroque music and his breakdancing — and we were aware that such an opportunity might never come again. That album led to the next one, and together they revealed another side of the ensemble — mobile, multilayered, dynamic, and capable of performing at the highest artistic level.

So the balance is simple: we preserve the essence of Polish tradition, but we transform its form of expression whenever it allows us to grow artistically, reach new audiences, and fully showcase the Ensemble’s potential.

Institutional support is essential for us. As “ŚLĄSK’ Ensemble is a national cultural institution, our foundation is stable annual funding from the Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Of course, Europe — including Poland — operates within a very different model of cultural financing than the United States, but we do not rely solely on public funding. We actively seek market-based financing, donations, and sponsors as well.

A good example is Strabag, a major construction company carrying out infrastructure projects across Europe. They selected us as one of the leading Polish institutions worthy of support because our activities align with their image and communication goals. Such partnerships strengthen our ability to take artistic risks and develop new projects.

International partners and presenters also play a key role. Japan, the United States, and Canada are natural markets for us. We have performed at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway, in Brooklyn and New Jersey, as well as at the prestigious Thomson Hall in Toronto. Our ballet recently presented a contemporary project in New York at a very high artistic level. These collaborations open doors to future initiatives and confirm that our combination of tradition and contemporary expression resonates globally.

Another result of this mindset and openness to a modern perspective on art — while still rooted in traditional forms — is the series of projects we carry out in Japan. From multiple tours featuring contemporary projects inspired by folk art, which we have been developing over the past few years, to a 1.5-month tour in 2019 with 30 concerts for over 80,000 spectators, and perhaps the greatest distinction we received in Japan in 2024, when ‘ŚLĄSK’ Ensemble, as the only foreign entity among 1,000 artists, performed at the opening of an art festival before the Imperial Couple, presenting Polish folk culture in a unique interpretation.

All these activities mean that local international partners, recognizing the reach and achievements of the Ensemble, increasingly become co-participants in project delivery. This is particularly important when negotiating concerts in markets such as Japan, the United States, or Canada. As the Ensemble consistently attracts large audiences, collaboration with us is both attractive and commercially viable for partners.

All of this support — public, private, and international — is crucial in enabling us to modernize tradition while maintaining the highest artistic standards.

The shift has been remarkable. For the past 8–9 years, we have performed to full audiences everywhere — whether in a 2,000-seat venue, a 400-seat hall, or large open-air events. During our tours across major Polish cities, each concert attracted between 10,000 and 15,000 spectators. Our upcoming concert on 20 June in Katowice will host 20,000 people, and tickets are already sold out.

Our contemporary repertoire has significantly changed our image. For many audiences, the ensemble used to be associated exclusively with traditional music. Today, younger audiences attend not only contemporary projects but also our standalone repertoire concerts unrelated to those albums. The discovery that the ensemble is artistically powerful, mobile, and multidimensional has been transformative.

At the same time, our mature and senior audiences remain with us. We also run extensive educational programs at our headquarters — a beautiful palace offering excellent workshop conditions — for young people from around the world as well as for seniors. Our calendar is full.

Thus, the balance is not about choosing one audience over another. It is about demonstrating that tradition and contemporary expression can coexist at the highest level. The ensemble is nearly 75 years old, and in my family, the connection goes back to 1953. I have always been aware of the institution’s potential, and my goal has been to develop it in a way that ensures its recognition in Poland, across Europe, and globally. The strong response from both long-standing and new audiences confirms that this is the right direction.

Samuel Wong, Co-Founder and Creative Director of The TENG Company, explores how tradition can evolve through reinterpretation rather than replacement—bridging musical heritage with contemporary expression to create work that remains rooted, relevant, and resonant across audiences and disciplines.

For me, the starting point is always understanding what is the essence and context of a tradition. Not everything that is old is inherently meaningful, but certain elements -musical language, philosophy, ways of listening - carry deep cultural intelligence.

At TENG, we often preserve what I would call the “core grammar” of the music: its tonal systems, instrumental identities, and underlying aesthetics. What we transform is the context -how the music is presented, what it is in dialogue with, and how it connects to contemporary life.

And what we let go of are practices that no longer serve either the integrity of the art form or the audience. Tradition, to me, is not about preservation in a static sense, but about continuity through relevance. If it cannot speak to the present, it risks becoming archival rather than alive. We need to also remember that the modern of today would be the tradition of tomorrow.

Institutions, organisations and presenters play a critical dual role - they are both enablers and, at times, important counterbalances.

In Singapore, we’ve been fortunate to work within an ecosystem that is willing to invest in experimentation. This has allowed TENG to develop work that reimagines Chinese music beyond conventional formats, and also to expand into areas like social impact and wellbeing.

At the same time, institutional frameworks can sometimes carry inherited expectations of what “traditional” work should look or sound like. Navigating that tension is part of the process. It forces us to articulate our artistic intentions more clearly and to demonstrate that innovation can still be rooted in authenticity.

Through the 22 years with TENG and my consultancy work with various traditional arts companies, I see this globally as well - organisations that are most successful are those that are able to hold both respect for tradition and openness to change, rather than seeing them as opposing forces.

Yes, there are definitely shifts, but I see them less as a divide and more as an expansion.

When TENG first started introducing new formats like evidenced based research in our creation process or cross-disciplinary ideas at TENG, there was some hesitation from more traditional audiences. But over time, many have come to appreciate that the intention is not to replace tradition, but to give it new life and perspective. What’s important is trust and buy in. Longtime audiences need to feel that you still respect the art form, even as you reinterpret it. At the same time, new audiences often come in without preconceived notions, which allows for different entry points into the work.

So the balance is not about choosing one audience over another - it’s about creating multiple pathways into the same cultural material. If done thoughtfully, innovation doesn’t alienate; it actually broadens the community around the art form.