Karol Szymanowski Foundation Awards
On January 9, 2016, opera singer Mariusz Kwiecień and musicologist Alistair Wightman received the 2015 Karol Szymanowski Foundation Annual Award. The jury members (Teresa Chylińska, Agnieszka Chwiłek, Zofia Helman (chairperson), Witold Karol Juchniewicz, Eugeniusz Knapik and Zdzisław Szakiewicz) awarded Kwiecień in recognition of his interpretation of the role of Król Roger [King Roger] and promoting Karol Szymanowski’s opera worldwide, whereas Alistair Wightman received the award for his publications and studies on Karol Szymanowski’s compositions.
The Foundation was established in 1996. In previous years the award was given to: musicologist Teresa Chylińska, violinist Wanda Wiłkomirska, pianist Jerzy Godziszewski, singer Stefania Woytowicz, conductor Simon Rattle, pianist Piotr Anderszewski, director Mariusz Treliński, musicologist Zofia Helman, conductor Jerzy Katlewicz, conductor Jan Krenz, musicologist Elżbieta Markowska, singer Zofia Kilanowicz, pianist and musicologist Reilnild Mees, Szymanowski Quartet, singer Urszula Kryger, curator of ”Atma” – Karol Szymanowski Museum – Maciej Pinkwart, director Józef Opalski, director Wojciech Graniczewski, violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, conductor Antoni Wit, musicologist Didier van Moere, composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, singer Elżbieta Szmytka, conductor Valery Gergiev, musicologist Edward Boniecki.
[Source: polmic.pl]
Bacewicz International Violin Competition: 1st Edition
The first Grażyna Bacewicz International Violin Competition was held in Łódź from December 9-13, 2015. The Competition was open to violinists of all nationalities with no age limit. The following prizes were awarded:
- 1st prize (ex aequo): Anne Luisa Kramb & Sławomira Wilga
- 2nd Prize: Mateusz Makuch
- 3rd prize (ex aequo): Robert Łaguniak & Amelia Maszońska
- Distinction: Roksana Kwaśnikowska
The winners also received special prizes funded by Penderecki European Music Centre (half-recitals during the ‘Emanacje’ Festival). Sławomira Wilga also won two additional awards: financial prize funded by Rector of the Academy of Music in Łódź and a high quality bow funded by Marcin Mazur Violin Maker Workshop.
Diplomas for outstanding pianists were awarded to: Michał Francuz, Hanna Holeksa, Wojciech Kubica, Marcin Sikorski, Krzysztof Stanienda, and Wojciech Wołoszyn.
[Sources: amuz.lodz.pl, facebook.com]
Second International Szymanowski Contest For Composers
The Second International Karol Szymanowski Competition for Composers in Katowice concluded on December 10 with the announcement of the winning work, Snowise, snowhere, snoway. Snowsence by Daniele Gasparini of Italy. This year’s Szymanowski Competition specified a 10-20-minute long work for large symphony orchestra. The Competition jury, including Eugeniusz Knapik, Krzysztof Meyer, Rafał Augustyn and Sławomir Czarnecki, reviewed 139 compositions sent in from 35 countries.
The Second Prize was awarded to South Korean composer Hyunsuk Jun for Vistara, and the Third Prize went to the American composer Jonathan Posthuma for Strings of Pearls. Polish composer, Andrzej Karałow received an Honorable Mention for his work Multicolour Horizon.
All of the prize-winning works will be performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio (NOSPR) in Katowice, the Szymanowski Philharmonic in Kraków, and the Karol Szymanowski Academic Symphony Orchestra in Katowice during the 2016-2017 concert season.
The First International Karol Szymanowski Competition for Composers was held in Katowice in 2012 to commemorate the 130th anniversary of Szymanowski’s birth. 176 works by composers from 36 countries across the world were submitted on that occasion with the Spanish composer’s Oscar Prados Sillero, Chant des nuages du soir, winning the top honors. Karol Szymanowski Music Society and the Katowice Music Academy jointly organize this Competition.
[Source: email from Prof. Joanna Domańska, President of the Szymanowski Society]