Poland in South Africa

The International Competition of Polish Music seeks to showcase 19th- and 20-century Polish music around the world. The third edition of the event will be held from July 2-9, 2023 at the Artur Malawski Subcarpathian Philharmonic Hall in Rzeszów.

The competition promotes talented musicians with the hopes of encouraging them to include lesser-known works by Polish composers in their repertoires, with a special focus on pieces underperformed in Poland and abroad. The recordings taken during the event are available on major streaming platforms. The Competition also strives to promote Poland as a venue for artistic events of global reach. The competition is held every two years and can be intended for various lineups. 

“We hope to host musicians from all over the world in Rzeszow next year. The 3rd edition of the Competition has been promoted much more extensively than the previous two. As part of the "Polish Music on Stage" project, the National Institute of Music and Dance has recently invited artists from the United States to participate in the event; another invitation was extended to Asian musicians as part of the "44xMickiewicz" project. The US concerts featured the winners of previous editions of the competition. We want not only to popularize Polish music but also promote the artists themselves. Thus, we encourage pianists and chamber musicians to learn more about our rich musical traditions and showcase their skills during the Competition,” says Lech Dzierżanowski, acting director of the National Institute of Music and Dance.

Competition repertoire

The Competition repertoire will feature works by 60 Polish composers, among others Grażyna Bacewicz, Roman Maciejewski, Henryk Pachulski, Zygmunt Stojowski and Maria Szymanowska. The full list of composers can be accessed here: https://konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl/en/composers/.

The National Institute of Music and Dance is confident that the Competition will contribute to extending the knowledge of Polish music among international audiences, in particular with respect to the 19th and first half of the 20th century.

Competition prizes

Six grand prizes will be presented in each category. In 2023, a prize of €1,000 will be awarded for the performance of a work by one of the following composers: in the Pianists category, Antoni Stolpe, Eugeniusz Pankiewicz (125th death anniversary), Raul Koczalski (75th death anniversary); in the Chamber Ensembles category, Antoni Stolpe, Witold Maliszewski (150th birth anniversary) and Antoni Szalowski (50th death anniversary).

The Competition will also award special non-statutory prizes, including concerts at philharmonic halls, cultural and artistic institutions, as well as media prizes, financial awards, and in-kind prizes.

How to apply?

Competition applications should be submitted via muvac.com, an international platform that brings together cultural institutions and musicians from around the world. The National Institute of Music and Dance has joined the prestigious group of entities using Muvac. The website features announcements of competition, jobs, and auditions for orchestras and chamber ensembles. The Institute hopes that the international nature of the platform will encourage registrations from musicians of every.

To fill out the application form for the 3rd ICCM, applicants should create a user account on the platform. The registration is free of charge. Once the candidate fills out and submits the completed form, they will be approached by the Competition Office using the email address provided in the course of the application. Detailed information on how to apply can be found here: https://konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Muvac-przewodnik-ENG.pdf

Previous editions of the Competition

The first edition of the Competition was held in 2019 and attracted 81 participants from 6 countries. The winner in the piano category was Pavel Dombrovsky, a representative of Russia, while the winner in the chamber ensemble category was a Polish violin duo comprised of Marta Gidaszewska and Robert Laguniak, currently performing as the Polish Violin Duo.

Last year's edition of the event attracted eighty-six artists from three continents. The winning pianist was Canadian Carter Johnson, and in the chamber ensemble category, the main prize went to the Książek Piano Duo of Poland, composed of: Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek and Krzysztof Książek. Also awarded were 38 special prizes.

The Competition is implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance in cooperation with the Artur Malawski Subcarpathian Philharmonic Orchestra in Rzeszow, financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

More information: polishmusiccompetition.pl

Competition Office: office@polishmusiccompetition.pl

+48 785 360 000,
+48 887 507 017.

Muvac technical support: support@muv.ac 

Media contacts:

Agnieszka Wyszomirska: agnieszka.wyszomirska@nimit.pl, +48  887 240 011
Agata Szymczak: agata.szymczak@nimit.pl, +48 785 310 000