| The festival was founded by Ewa Gęga-Osowska, a diploma teacher at the Music School of Radom, who was artistic director of the festival for 11 years. The school is named after Oskar Kolberg. Realizing the first series of concerts was a difficult challenge, necessitating the help of many people and the need for fund raising. Thanks to dedication to their goal however, the autumn of 1997 saw the highly successful "First Days of Early Music", named after Nicolaus of Radom. The press reported "the great medieval composer, Nicolaus of Radom, has been waiting for the festival for 500 years"?. Another quote, delivered by the leader of the band Ars Nova, Jacek Urbaniak, just after the Sunday concert in the Church of the Bernardin Fathers in Radom, states: "I am very happy to have at last played in Radom, because the name Radom is in constant use. Nicolaus of Radom is a fantastic composer, the greatest before Chopin, but completely forgotten". The importance of this music event continued to grow. Two years later it changed its name to the "Nicolaus of Radom International Festival of Early Music". The festival is held every year in September. The Minister of Culture, the Speaker of Mazowiecki Province, the Mayor of Radom, Polish Radio Channel II, Television DAMI, Radio Eska, Radio Plus, and others sponsor it. The festival has achieved fame among regional and Polish music events. This has been confirmed in many articles and reviews in Ruch Muzyczny, Życie Muzyczne, Gazeta Wyborcza, Słowo Ludu, Echo Dnia. Ewa Gęga-Osowska received the "Radomska Nagroda Kulturalna" and other cultural distinctions, awarded by Wielka Kapituła (appointed by Gazeta Wyborcza). Each year the festival invites renowned artists, such as Jacek Urbaniak, Zbigniew Pilch, Gustaw Holoubek, Jan Węcowski, Aureliusz Goliński, Marek Toporowski, Tytus Wojnowicz, Ewa Obniska, Krzysztof Baculewski, Romana Agnel, Dominique Vellard (France), Michael Pospisil (Czech), Benedek Csalog (Hungary), Ludmila Tschakalova (Belgium) and Simon Standage (Great Britain). Instrumental ensembles such Ars Nova, Ardente Sole, Bornus Consort, Concerto Polacco, Il Canto, Il Tempo, La Fiamma (Germany), Ritornello (Czech), Ensemble Gilles Binchois (France) and others have also taken part. More than 50 ensembles from home and abroad have performed here.
In honouring the memory of our great countryman, Nicolaus of Radom, the Foundation ARS ANTIQUA RADOMIENSIS has thus brought to life the annual "Nicolaus of Radom International Festival of Early Music".
For the jubilee commemorating the festival's fifth year, Krzysztof Baculewski specially composed a Cantata for soprano and bass solo, mixed choir and baroque orchestra. The first performance took place on September 25th, 2001, in the Bernardin Fathers Church in Radom.
The festival's signature tune "Alleluja", by Nicolaus of Radom, also became the town's signature tune.
In 2003, the Foundation ARS ANTIQUA RADOMIENSIS organized the Nicolauses Competition for Polish-born participants. This is the first competition for early Polish music, dedicated to Nicolauses, Poland's foremost composers. Performers competed for the First Prize of the Town President of Radom.
In 2006 the festival celebrated its tenth jubilee. This year the greatest artistic event was performing all compositions of Radom Nicolaus by ensembles Ars Nova and Subtilior Ensemble. To commemorate the jubilee Przemysław Zych composed ?Alleluja? for voices and instruments. Its first performance took place on 24th September 2006 in Radom during the festival final concert.
The late Bishop Jan Chrapek wrote in 1999:
"Smaller countries create their own cultural identities through the organization of festivals and events. These elevate us into the world of beauty and art. I congratulate you on the conception and realization of the work you have undertaken, especially as it uncovers the roots of the Radom musical tradition. In doing so, you reach back to the great historical past of Polish compositions, and to the patron Nicolaus of Radom. In his works, as in the works of other Renaissance, Ars Nova and Ars Antiqua composers, we see how genius derived its inspiration from the Christian faith and thus celebrated the church liturgy through music."
Thanks to the "Nicolaus of Radom International Festival of Early Music", works by its patron - Nicolaus of Radom and others great composers, not only our town but also Polish music and tradition can be perfectly promoted every year during
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