How a “WikiOrchestra” performed Polish music at Wikimania 2024

What is the WikiOrchestra?

At Wikimania 2024 in Katowice, the international “WikiOrchestra” performed on stage for the first time. The idea for this project was announced in June, with a call for interested musicians from the Wikimedia movement. The prototype for the orchestra was the WikiEulenOrchester, which performs at the annual WikiCon conference of the German-language Wikipedia community. Lukas Mezger, a member of the WikiEulenOrchester, wanted to put together an ensemble for this Wikimania to honor the host city of Katowice, which has been named a UNESCO City of Music.

Nineteen community members from different countries around the world responded to the call to join the WikiOrchestra. Two violins, one viola (me), a cello, both a double and two electric basses, two flutes, a clarinet, a pianist, a guitar, a ukulele, an accordion, a percussionist, and five singers. Our program consisted of two pieces: first a famous piano piece by Chopin, a leading Polish composer, arranged for instrumental ensemble, and then a Silesian folk song. Everybody had received their sheet music in advance to practice at home. The piano piece by Chopin was the Nocturne op. 9 no. 2, that some may know from film scores. On the other hand, a Silesian folk song called “Karliku,” in which a woman learns about an episode in the life of Karliku, a miner. Since the song was sung in the priginal Polish, a recording was shared in advance, allowing the singers to prepare for the performance at home. In the weeks leading up to Wikimania, the orchestra members coordinated their preparations in a group chat. The organising team was also able to arrange for rental instruments for international travellers. We decided on an all-black dress code, so I remembered to bring black clothes.

Our first – and only – rehearsal

After the opening ceremony on the evening of the first day of the conference, the members of the WikiOrchestra got together to meet over dinner. Some of them seemed to already know each other, but I had never met anyone before. On the second day, I picked up my rental viola and played a little at my hotel. It was a new instrument, but it sounded solid and bright, and I had no trouble playing.

On the evening of the third day, we finally had our first rehearsal on the main stage that would also be used for our performance. We first agreed on the tempo and acquainted ourselves with the instrumental parts of “Karliku”, after which the little choir began to sing along. Since there was no conductor, our percussionist had to count us in. The singers had practiced the Polish lyrics well, and the result sounded really good, even to the locals listening to us. Next was the reharsal for the Chopin, conducted by Kathrin Krichel, who is both a Wikimedian and a professional musician. For both pieces, Lukas also gave us instructions on how to play the music, which the performers followed faithfully.

The main event

On the fourth and last day of the conference, the closing ceremony began with a keynote by guitarist Gereon Kalkuhl. It was an insightful talk about Wikipedia and music. Lukas then introduced the WikiOrchestra, its members, and Chopin’s music. Meanwhile, the orchestra members, all dressed in black, entered the stage, and our conductor joined us to start the performance. It began just with the solo piano, but was then colored by the different instruments, filling the hall with a charming melody. The members returned to their seats to thunderous applause, and the closing ceremony continued with the awards for the best conference posters. Near the end of the ceremony, the WikiOrchestra reappeared on the stage, starting with Lukas explaining the second piece, “Karliku”, after which our drummer signaled the beginning of the song. Female and male voices alternated throughout the four verses, accompanied by additional instruments, including an accordion and a ukulele. On the last beat, we all shouted “hey!” and raised our hands in the air.

The orchestra members, who came from different countries around the world with completely different musical experiences and backgrounds, were able to realize the performance after only a few hours of rehearsal. I think this was due not only to the power of the music, but also to the shared values of the Wikimedia Movement, which are based on collaboration. Already on the next day, photos of the performance had been uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, and even a Wikidata entry for the ensemble was created. In this way, the WikiOrchestra shared the theme of Wikimania 2024, “Collaboration of the Open.”