3/14/2008 - LEGENDARY OPERETTA STAR MADAME MARTA EGGERTH TO BE HONORED AT THE KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION ANNUAL BALL

Madame Eggerth to receive the Foundation’s Medal of Recognition; Ms. Halina Kalitka, longtime supporter of Polish culture and traditions accepts chairperson position

New York, New York – March 3, 2008 – The Kosciuszko Foundation announced that Marta Eggerth, the legendary stage and film star, has been named to receive the Kosciuszko Foundation’s Medal of Recognition at the 73rd Annual Dinner and Ball, to be held on Saturday, April 26th, 2008 at the Waldorf=Astoria.

Ms. Eggerth, who turns 96 in April of this year, has been described as one of the last survivors of what is today referred to as the “Silver Age of Operetta”. She and husband, famed Polish tenor Jan Kiepura, became huge celebrities in Europe and the United States during the 30s, 40s and 50s, appearing together on stage and screen, becoming known as Europe’s “love pair,” and causing a sensation wherever they went. They are perhaps best remembered for co-starring in a revised production of “The Merry Widow” at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre in 1943. The production was a huge success, continuing for over 2,000 performances all throughout Europe and America, in five different languages.

The Ball Committee also announced that Ms. Halina Kalitka, of Maspeth, New York, accepted the Foundation's invitation to be Chairperson of the 2008 Ball, and Dawn Polewac, of Plainview, NY, a longtime Chairperson of the Foundation’s Debutante Council, accepted the Committee's invitation as Debutante Patroness.

The appointment as Chairperson "took me completely by surprise," noted Ms. Kalitka. Polonia in the New York metropolitan area will immediately recognize Ms. Kalitka as the perfect Chairperson for a Ball that has as its theme the celebration of the music of Karol Szymanowski. "Music was the common denominator throughout my life," noted Ms. Kalitka in an interview. "From the time I was a child, I was performing on the stage, whether it was singing or playing the piano."

She has played accompaniment to the numerous dance groups that have performed at the Kosciuszko Foundation Ball since those early days, not to mention other prominent Polonia balls and events. Ms. Kalitka sees music as a cohesive force in providing ethnic groups with a sense of their culture. She also views opportunities to gather and sing Polish songs at places like the Kosciuszko Foundation as a way for Polish people to reintroduce themselves to the Polish culture that they may have first learned from their grandparents.

The Annual Ball and Dinner is the Kosciuszko Foundation’s main fundraiser for the year, as well as one of the most prestigious social events in the Polonia social calendar, with historical attendance in excess of 500 guests.

This year’s Ball will also celebrate the life and works of 20th century Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. Last year was designated the Year of Szymanowski by the Republic of Poland. It marked the 70th year of the composer’s death in 1937 at the age of 54. Mr. Szymanowski, a friend and contemporary of such renowned artists as pianist Arthur Rubinstein and violinist Paul Kochanski, was known for his avante garde compositions, which have left an indelible mark on 20th century European music.

The Ball will include many performances and events that have become customary at the Ball, including performances by the Polish American Folk Dance Company, featuring a newly choreographed, dramatic “Taniec Goralski” (Highlander Dance) inspired by Szymanowski’s famed ballet-pantomime, “Harnasie”.

The Ball is also a time when Polish American society introduces its debutantes to society. Each year, anywhere from three to eight young women between the ages of 16 and 25 are presented at the Ball, continuing a longstanding tradition. It is the most enduring and prestigious debutante events in Polish American society.

The first Dinner and Ball was held at the Hotel Pennsylvania in 1935, when the Kosciuszko Foundation was just ten years old.

Established as an American center for Polish culture in 1925, the Kosciuszko Foundation is the premiere American organization promoting understanding and friendship between the peoples of Poland and the United States through educational, scientific and cultural exchanges. The Foundation awards more than $1 million each year in fellowships and grants to graduate students, scholars, scientists, professionals and artists. It also showcases Polish culture in America through exhibits, publications, film festivals, documentaries, performances, concerts and recitals in its eight Chapters throughout the United States.

For tickets, please call the Kosciuszko Foundation at 212-734-2130. For further factual information on this year's Ball, please contact Monika Olszer Jasinska, Director of Development, at extension 217.


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