2017 marks the 2nd edition of the Karol Szymanowski International String Quartet Competition in Katowice. In collaboration with the Karol Szymanowski Music Society, the competition will be hosted by the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice on September 18-23. The aim of the contest is to promote the work of Karol Szymanowski and other Polish composers through obligatory pieces in the competition, which translates into the promotion of Polish culture in general. Organizers have noted the absence of Szymanowski’s quartets in the programs of other competitions and hence, the lack of them in the curricula of foreign music schools.
The deadline to submit an application is June 30, 2017 and should be sent to the following address:
2nd Karol Szymanowski International String Quartet Competition
The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice
Ul. Zacisze 3, 40–025 Katowice, Poland
Additional requirements and regulations can be found here: szymanowski-competition.com
The total value of prizes for this year’s competition is 32,000 PLN (approximately 8,000 Euros). The awarded compositions will be performed at the 41st Days of Karol Szymanowski Music Festival (Zakopane), the Silesian Quartet and Its Guests Festival (Katowice), and in various programs in Katowice during the 2018/2019 season. The jury will consist of internationally renowned artists and teachers, such as Peter Schuhmayer of the Artis Quartet in Vienna, Marek Czech of the Royal String Quartet, Tim Frederiksen of the Danish String Quartet, Mats Lindstrom from the Royal Academy in London, and Arkadiusz Kubica of the Silesian Quartet in Katowice—who will also serve as the Artistic Director of the Competition.
[Sources: polmic.pl, szymanowski-competition.com]