The Kosciuszko Foundationin New York City just announced the Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition. It will be held October 12-13, 2024, and the winners will split over $20,000 of prize money. Singers of all nationalities aged 20-32 may apply and the application deadline is August 1, 2024.
The Sembrich Competition is overseen by its Artistic Director, Thomas Lausmann, Director of Music Administration at the Metropolitan Opera, with world-famous Polish tenor Piotr Beczała serving as the Competition’s Honorary Patron. This year’s jury will include conductor Daniele Callegari, bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny, and Beata Klatka, Director of the Moniuszko Vocal Competition at Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki.
The Kosciuszko Foundation Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition was established in 1968 to encourage young singers to study the repertoire of Polish composers and to honor Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich Kochańska, one of the greatest artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1883. After an enormously successful career, the popular singer founded the vocal programs at both the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute.
Complete information on the application process, repertoire requirements, auditions and other details about the Competition can be found at: www.kfsembrich.org.
[Sources: press release, kfsembrich.org]