The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic (Polish: Państwowa Filharmonia Pomorska imienia Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego) has been at its present site in Bydgoszcz, Poland, since 16 November 1953.

On stage Philharmonic concerts are accompanied by Polish or foreign groups, to play at the occasion of jubilees, commemorations and congresses organized by universities and private companies.

In 1925, an initiative to establish an Orchestra of the Pomeranian Philharmonic Society, composed of professional musicians, failed for public foundings reasons.

World War II and the years of occupation have destroyed these achievements: Alfons Rezler died during the invasion of Poland, many musicians were killed or fled abroad.

Already at that time, initiatives to invite eminent conductors (Witold Rowicki and Bohdan Wodiczko[8] and soloists started (Stanisław Szpinalski, Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Regina Smendzianka, Kazimierz Wiłkomirski, Wanda Wiłkomirska).

In the same year the name of the institution was changed to Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic,[8] earning the esteem of more and more talented graduates of music schools.

[5] Thanks to the efforts of the Social Committee for the Philharmonic Building, the cornerstone laying ceremony of the edifice at 16 Libelta street took place on June 26, 1954.

[5] Thanks to Andrzej Szwalbe's work, 1961 witnessed the first musical event on a national scale, the "Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Piano competition" (Polish: Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im.

[5] The exceptional acoustics of the concert hall has drawn some of the best artists from around the world to Bydgoszcz, including Witold Małcużyński (1959), Arthur Rubinstein (1960), David Oistrakh (1961), Benjamin Britten (1961), Sviatoslav Richter (1963), Arthur Moreira Lima (1965), Bernard Ringeissen (1965), Ruggiero Ricci (1969), Garrick Ohlsson (1973), Grigori Zhislin (1977), Eugen Indjic, Vadim Brodsky, Stanislav Bunin (1986), Luciano Pavarotti (1964), Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Maurizio Pollini, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Krystian Zimerman, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, George Byrd, Shlomo Mintz, Mischa Maisky, Kevin Kenner, Kurt Masur, Kazimierz Kord, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Antoni Wit.

[11] In 1966, Andrej Szwalbe organized, in cooperation with the Bydgoszcz Scientific Society and the Department of Musicology of the University of Warsaw, the first festival of ancient music "Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis".

[5] As a homage to his major contributions to the development of the Philharmonic and his outstanding cultural role, Andrej Szwalbe was nominated "Honorary Citizen of Bydgoszcz".

Interiors are adorned with a collection of portraits and busts of prominent composers and an exhibition of historic pianos, as well as rich music library.

On March 24, 1953, the Presidium of the Provincial Council in consultation with the Central Board of Opera, Philharmonic Hall and Musical Institutions in Warsaw adopted a resolution allowing the construction of the building.

[13] The jury, chaired by professor Piotr Biegański who co-led the reconstruction Old and New Town of Warsaw, elected the team headed by: Construction began in February 1954, under the supervision of Zbigniew Arciszewski from Gdansk University of Technology.

The interior decor was designed by a team of artists from Torun-Stefan Zarębski, Joseph Kozlowski and Jozef Kowalczyk-, wood panelling prepared by Bydgoszcs's Furniture Factory, railings by Blacksmith craftmen from Gdańsk and chandelier by Szklarska Poręba glassworks which provided chandeliers for Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science.

Over the stage, acoustic reflectors are placed on the back wall, and the whole interior is paneled in order to obtain balanced reverberation time through the entire frequency spectrum.

[16] The main concert hall of the Pomeranian Philharmonic is classified as acoustically one of the best in Europe, as confirmed by well-known artists and music critics.

[15] Its excellent acoustics gives to the Pomeranian Philharmonic a fame among well-known artists, being regularly the site of professional recording for music publishers.

Works have been realized by authors such as: Adam Myjak, Kazimierz Gustaw Zemła, Barbara Zbrożyna, Marian Konieczny, Alfons Karny, Ryszard Wojciechowski or Michał Kubiak.

Among the artists portrayed are Frédéric Chopin, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Karol Szymanowski, Ludomir Różycki, Józef Koffler, Artur Malawski, Bolesław Szabelski, Witold Małcużyński, Wojciech Kilar, Henryk Górecki, Arthur Rubinstein, Tadeusz Baird, Stefan Kisielewski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutosławski.

In the first floor lobby are paintings and graphics of contemporary Polish authors: Jerzy Nowosielski, Zdzisław Beksiński, Jan Tarasin, Władysław Hasior and others.

[21] The Harpsichord Collection has been established in 1976, by director Andrzej Szwalbe who was inspired by the activity of the band "Capella Bydgostiensis" specialized in playing on Early music instruments.

[22] The Sculpture gallery of composers and virtuosos consists of busts and monuments located in the interiors and surroundings of the Pomeranian Philharmonic building.

In the course of several years he held the unveiling of monuments with participation of the living artists in the halls and corridors of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, generally associated with special concerts.

Gallery is a review of Polish sculpture from the late 1950s to the 1990s: each work reveals specific characteristics of its sculptor and the original psychological approach of each character.