The Harpsichord and Basso Continuo Lab was established in December 2020 by rector Hanna Kostrzewska, PhD, DSc, ProfTit and is operating within the Chair of Historical Performance Practices. Its originator and founder is Maria Banaszkiewicz-Bryła, PhD, DSc, ProfTit – the head of the Chair.

The activity of the Lab is focused on the didactic-educational and artistic-scientific areas. It is aimed at broadening of knowledge and improvement of practice in the art of harpsichord playing and basso continuo performance, as well as broadly understood performance of early music. As a part of the Lab, two research projects are carried out:

• “The Influence of National Elements on the Keyboard Music of the 17^th and 18^th centuries” – project managed by Maria Banaszkiewicz-Bryła, PhD, DSc, ProfTit
• „Harpsichord Literature in the Works of Contemporary Polish Composers (20^th and 21^st centuries) – project managed by Natalia Hyżak, PhD.

The Lab’s tasks also include: organizing courses, conferences, scientific and scientific-artistic sessions, recordings, festivals and concerts, as well as creating scientific publications in collaboration with the Paderewski Academy of Music Press. The activities are aimed at developing the technique of playing historical keyboard instruments, with particular emphasis on basso continuo practice, as well as at broadening the knowledge and educating staff and students of the Academy in the field of historically informed performance. Work is also planned on editing and developing source musical note materials for educational, scientific and popularizing purposes, as well as translating important texts related to early music, which have not yet found their way into Polish language.

The projects include collaboration with pedagogues, artists and ensembles both from Poland and abroad.