Katowice in southern Poland has been awarded the status of UNESCO City of Music, the mayor has confirmed.

The Seat of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) in Katowice. Photo: wikimedia commons/Bartłomiej Barczyk

“We have been convinced for a long time that Katowice is a musical city,” Mayor Marcin Krupa reflected in a statement.

“The title awarded by UNESCO is the finest confirmation for us that we were right,” he added.

“It is also proof that the city's strategy of investing in culture is bearing fruit.”

Katowice has become the first Central and Eastern European city to win the title, joining such destinations as Bogota (Colombia), Bologna (Italy), Seville (Spain), Glasgow (United Kingdom), Ghent (Belgium), Brazzaville (The Congo), Hamamatsu (Japan), and Mannheim and Hanover in Germany.

The Silesian city boasts such prestigious ensembles as the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with its recently-opened concert hall, the Silesian Philharmonic, the Silesian Quartet, and the Camerata Silesia Choir. Katowice is also the venue of thirty music festivals. (nh/mk/rk)