PAMS - About Polish-American Music Stage

The Polish-American Music Stage began its artistic activities with an international opera concert in 1997, introducing this musical genre to the cultural life of New York City’s Greenpoint neighborhood, home to the Polish community. Since then, known as the Student Music Stage, the organization has created three annual two-day music festivals in the region: the International Sea Song Festival “Shanties” (1998-2002), the Sung Poetry Festival “Polonijna Yapa” (1999-2003), and the Religious Song Festival “Sacrosong” (2000-2003). These festivals were held in a competitive format, culminating in a gala concert featuring guest stars from Poland and Canada. During the same period, the Student Music Stage also presented numerous opera concerts to the Polish community in New York, including an annual Mother’s Day concert series at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York. After a long break, the organization resumed operations in 2025 under the name of Polish-American Music Stage (no longer Student Stage), organizing the first international operetta-musical show, inaugurating an annual concert series featuring the most beautiful hits from around the world, including Polish ones, while also promoting Polish artists. The organization’s goal is to promote Poland’s national heritage in culture and music.

Dariusz Ocetek, DMA, founder and Executive Director, educated as a singer, vocal instructor, and a choral conductor, has performed in operas, oratorios, operettas, opera gala concerts, song recitals, musicals, and in drama plays in Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and USA. His voice has been heard with the New York Lyric Recovery Festival at the Carnegie Hall, Liederkranz Opera Foundation, North Shore Center for Performing Arts, Cami Hall, 92NY, Washington Opera Society, Catholic University of America Opera, First Coast Opera, Valdosta State Opera, The Embassy of Poland in Washington DC, Kosciuszko Foundation in NYC and DC, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, Silesian Operetta, Chorzow Musical Theater, Camerata Silesia Katowice City Singers, as well as the Waldorf Institute in Germany and Lyric Opera Festival in Italy. Dr. Dar’s stage collaboration with artists such as Alberto Zedda, Stanford Olsen, Dean Peterson, Stella Zambalis, Libby Larsen, Brian Ganz, Lucy Arner, Simeone Tartaglione, Carlos Riazuelo, Kenneth Kirk, Joe Herter, and Anna Szostak brought great splendor and motivation to his career. Mentors such as Sławomir Książek, Joanna Toborek, Thomas Cultice, David Lee Johnson, and Izabella Kobus-Salkin ignited his passion for performing and teaching. His artistic and logistical skills as an executive director and passion for promoting Polish culture are reflected in the wide range of music festivals, concerts and cultural events he organizes.