PANDAwomen #1: Poland

The festival opens with a night curated by vocalist, cultural producer, and ROXSA Festival founder Edyta Rogowska-Żak, offering a multifaceted glimpse into Poland’s vibrant independent scene. Through punk rock, jazz-inflected piano, embodied performance and retro-futurist pop, this evening invites audiences into a powerful space of rhythm, voice, and presence.

The program brings together artists from different generations and forms — but all share a strong sense of expression, identity, and emotional urgency.

Anna Steller – “Bounces” (Performance)A solo performance referencing the war in Ukraine, using the physical act of bouncing as a form of resistance, exhaustion, and endurance. Accompanied by music from Ukrainian female rappers, this is a communal gesture of solidarity, framed by vulnerability and strength.

Hania Derej & Zuzanna Całka (Duo Performance)Two rising artists meet in a special collaboration of piano, electronics, and improvisation. Hania, a composer and conductor, brings her jazz and orchestral fluency; Zuzanna adds ambient textures drawn from her new solo album Late Night Takes 2. Together, they build a set that is lyrical, cinematic, and emotionally expansive.

Duxius (Live Music / Visuals)Edyta Rogowska-Żak herself performs as part of Duxius. Mixing retro synths, multilingual vocals, theatricality, and social reflection, Duxius is Polish Retro Future — a space of transformation, softness, and strength.

Izzy and the Black Trees (Concert)Energetic, feminist post-punk from Poznań. Led by Izabela “Izzy” Rekowska, the band’s music channels poetic anger and vulnerability in equal measure. They’ve been featured on KEXP and BBC 6 Music, and their latest release Revolution Comes in Waves is a raw and resonant listen.

Edyta Rogowska-Żak is a Berlin-based artist, vocalist, educator, and cultural producer. She is the founder of the interdisciplinary project Duxius and the ROXSA Festival in northern Germany. Her practice connects music, pedagogy, and political awareness, with a special focus on female voices and emotional empowerment. She also leads the vocal workshop series Free Voice – Free Mind.

Anna StellerDancer and choreographer from Gdańsk. Active since the 1990s, she creates performances that are direct, honest, and physically intense. Her work has been shown across Europe and the US.

Hania DerejComposer, pianist, and conductor. Based between Kraków and Amsterdam, she has composed over 130 works and led orchestras across Europe. Her music spans jazz, film, and chamber composition.

Zuzanna CałkaPianist and producer whose work combines classical training with ambient and electronic textures. Her latest album Late Night Takes 2 was supported by Spitfire Audio and released independently.

DuxiusThe performance/music project of Edyta Rogowska-Żak. Blending retro aesthetics with personal storytelling and multilingual lyrics, Duxius explores memory, emotion, and reimagined pop formats.

Izzy and the Black TreesPost-punk band from Poznań, led by Izabela “Izzy” Rekowska. Their music blends raw guitar-driven energy with poetic and political lyrics. They’ve performed across Europe and earned attention from KEXP and BBC 6 Music.

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