The 9th International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competitiontook place on May 9 – 14 in Warsaw. Held every three years, the competition is a great opportunity for young artists to demonstrate their talent to leading figures of the music scene who make up the international jury. In the words of juror Peter Mario Katona, casting director at the Royal Opera House-Covent Garden, this year’s edition has gathered singers presenting extremely high level of performing ability. As a result, the jury voted to admit 16 instead of 12 contestants to the finals.
This year’s competition jury included mezzo-soprano Ewa Podleś, baritone Jerzy Artysz, soprano Izabela Klosińska, and pianist Jerzy Marchwiński. The finalists sang a Polish and an international operatic aria each, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Teatr Wielki conducted by Andriy Yurkevych. The competition was broadcast online at vod.teatrwielki.pl. The winners were as follow:
Female vocal category:
- I Prize – Salome Jicia (Georgia), also Maria Fołtyn Prize for the best performance of a Moniuszko piece and invitation by the director of the Teatr Wielki in Łódź to appear in the company’s production of Halka
- II Prize – Ewa Tracz (Poland)
- III Prize – Joanna Zawartko (Poland), also an invitation by the director of the Teatr Wielki in Łódź to appear in the company’s production of Halka
Male vocal category:
- I Prize – Andrzej Filończyk (Poland), also three special prizes: the Marcella Sembrich-Kochańska Prize for the youngest finalist funded by the Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association (USA), the Bogusław Kaczyński Prize for the best Polish singer funded by Orfeo – the Bogusław Kaczyński Foundation, and the Maria Fołtyn Prize of the Mayor of Radom for the best Polish voice
- II Prize – Jakub Józef Orliński (Poland), competition no. 53
- III Prize – Leon Košavić (Croatia),
Other individual vocal prize winners include: Agata Schmidt – Prize for the best performance of Polish song, Dagmara Barna – The Carlo Maria Giulini Prize in female vocal category for a performance of profound musical expression drawing on the essence of humanity, Kacper Szelążek – The Carlo Maria Giulini Prize in male vocal category for a performance of profound musical expression drawing on the essence of humanity, Leon Košavić – The Jan and Edward Reszke Prize for the best performance of a Polish work by a foreign entrant, Krzysztof Bączyk – The Marta Eggerth and Jan Kiepura Prize for the most promising Polish voice, Keon Woo Kim – Special Prize of the Chair of the Jury Izabella Kłosińska, Sylwia Olszyńska – The Ada Sari Prize funded by the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Culture Centre in Nowy Sącz for the best coloratura soprano. Pianists’ prizes went to: Michał Biel and Mariusz Kłubczuk (two equivalent prizes for outstanding young pianists).
A full list of winners is available at: teatrwielki.pl.
[Source: teatrwielki.pl]