Moniuszko Vocal Competition opens in Warsaw

Monday is the first day of the auditions, with 80 singers from across the world taking part. They have been selected from among 378 applicants from 57 countries, a record in the history of the event, which was launched in 1992.

The growing international stature of the Moniuszko Competition is reflected in the line-up of event’s jury, which alongside such operatic stars as Polish tenor Piotr Beczała includes casting directors from the Metropolitan Opera in New York (Jonathan Friend), the Opera National de Lyon (Robert Koerner), the Berlin Staatsoper (Tobias Oliver Hasan), and the Lyric Opera in Chicago (Eva Maria Wieser), as well as John Allison, editor of Opera Magazine.

The jury is chaired by Peter Mario Katona, casting director at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Despite its name, the programme of the Moniuszko Competition is not focused solely on the songs and arias of Moniuszko but includes works by a wide range of Polish composers such as Chopin, Szymanowski, Karłowicz, Weinberg, Nowowiejski, Paderewski, Penderecki and Mykietyn.

Prizewinners’ names will be announced on May 10.

Past winners of the Moniuszko Competition include world-renowned soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, baritone Mariusz Kwiecień and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.

(mk/pk)