Winners Gala Concert

The 21st Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition concluded on Saturday, 24 May, with the Winners Gala Concert. This was the final chord of a week-long celebration of singing in Nowy Sącz. In the performance hall of the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Culture Centre, the organiser of the Competition, music lovers gathered to applaud the young artists who will soon grace the world’s greatest stages and concert halls. The concert, like all stages of the Competition, was streamed online and remains available there for the next thirty days.

Traditionally, the concert opened with a recording of the Competition’s patron, thus commencing the ceremonial proceedings. At the outset, Minister Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, advisor to the President of the Republic of Poland, presented three high state distinctions to the Competition’s organisers on behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland. The Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta was awarded to: Małgorzata Walewska, Artistic Director of the Competition, "for outstanding contributions to Polish culture and achievements in artistic activity," and Antoni Malczak, co-founder of the Competition alongside Prof. Helena Łazarska, director of MCK SOKÓŁ from 1985–2019, "for outstanding contributions to the development of culture and art." The Gold Cross of Merit "for contributions to the development of culture and art" was awarded to Liliana Olech, long-time Head of the Competition’s Organisational Office and deputy director of MCK SOKÓŁ for professional arts.

– "Before my eyes, the Ada Sari Competition has grown into an internationally renowned event, comparable to the Belvedere or Queen Elisabeth competitions. It is extraordinary that the laureates of this Competition already perform in the greatest opera houses worldwide, and every two years, the jury includes the most distinguished figures of the operatic and musical world. This is the achievement of Prof. Helena Łazarska over many years and, for the past decade, Małgorzata Walewska. Thanks to her global recognition as an outstanding singer and pedagogue, no one declines her invitation to Nowy Sącz," said Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, who has been associated with the event for 35 years.

– "I am deeply moved and honoured, all the more so because I receive this award from the hands of Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, who has been my friend for many years," said Małgorzata Walewska, expressing her gratitude for the distinction. – "Tadeusz, I know this is your doing. Without your lobbying and presence at all the important artistic events in this country, we would not be so highly regarded. Once again, I thank you most sincerely," she emphasised.

As befits a Winners Gala Concert, there were many words of thanks and congratulations. Monika Gubała, Director of the Department of Culture and National Heritage at the Marshal's Office of the Małopolska Region, read a letter from Marshal Iwona Gibas, a member of the Małopolska Regional Board responsible for culture. It contained many kind words about the Competition, as well as congratulations for the laureates.

Thanks were also extended to patrons, sponsors, prize donors, performers, jurors, SOKÓŁ staff, and all those who have supported the Ada Sari Competition over the years. Andrzej Zarych, Director of MCK SOKÓŁ, conveyed these thanks on behalf of the organiser.

– "Our Competition is cherished not only by its patron but also by Prof. Helena Łazarska, whose guidance shaped me as the Artistic Director. Perhaps it’s generationally incorrect, but the mother of Ada Sari is Helena Łazarska, and the father is Antoni Malczak, the long-time director of MCK SOKÓŁ," added Małgorzata Walewska, urging both jurors and laureates to promote the Ada Sari Competition wherever they go in the world.

During the official part, the young artists were showered with honours and distinctions. The prize pool amounted to nearly one hundred and ten thousand złoty, including the Competition’s first prize of forty-three thousand złoty, awarded to Mariana Poltorak. Special attention should be paid to two additional prizes. The first is the Helena Łazarska Award (5,000 złoty) for the best performance of a work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, funded by Antoni Malczak, initiator and director of the Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition and Festival from 1985–2019. This year, the jury awarded it to Jessica Seo Jin Lee for her performance of "Temerari / Come scoglio," the recitative and aria of Fiordiligi from Act I of W.A. Mozart’s opera "Così fan tutte." The artist received the award from its founder and Władysław Łazarski, son of Prof. Helena Łazarska. The second notable distinction is the Ada Sari Award (3,000 złoty), granted to Daria Korolova from Ukraine for the most promising soprano. The award was presented by its donor, Jacek Lelek, Mayor of Stary Sącz. In addition to financial prizes, the laureates also received material awards, such as jewellery sets and—most valuable—performance invitations.

In the musical part, the young artists were accompanied by the Orchestra of the Kraków Opera under the baton of Marta Kluczyńska. The concert began with the "Highland Dances" from Act III of the opera "Halka," followed by the finest young voices taking the stage. Mariana Poltorak—a Ukrainian soprano with Polish roots, first prize winner and recipient of the award for outstanding performance of a Polish work—presented two arias: "Ha! Dzieciątko nam umiera," the scene and aria of Halka from Act IV of S. Moniuszko’s "Halka," and Elisabeth’s aria "Dich teure Halle" from Act II of R. Wagner’s "Tannhäuser."

The other laureates each performed one piece. Jessica Seo Jin Lee, a soprano from South Korea and winner of the second prize and the Helena Łazarska Award for the best Mozart performance, presented "Temerari / Come scoglio," the recitative and aria of Fiordiligi from Act I of W.A. Mozart’s "Così fan tutte." The other second-prize winner, Etīna Emīlija Saulīte, a soprano from Latvia, performed "Sì, mi chiamano Mimì," the aria of Mimì from Act I of G. Puccini’s "La Bohème." The third-prize laureate, Polish baritone Artur Garbas, sang Enrico’s aria "Cruda funesta smania" from Act I of G. Donizetti’s "Lucia di Lammermoor."

Additionally, two other artists recognised in the Competition performed at the Winners Gala Concert: Viktoriia Shamanska, a soprano from Ukraine, performed "Roxana’s Song" from Act II of K. Szymanowski’s "King Roger," while Mariya Medetova, a soprano from Kazakhstan—who, besides an honourable mention, also received the Award for Outstanding Song Performance (for Alban Berg’s "Sieben frühe Lieder")—presented "Quel guardo il cavaliere / So anch’io," Norina’s cavatina from Act I of G. Donizetti’s "Don Pasquale."

During the official part of the Winners Gala Concert, Prof. Helena Łazarska appeared on screen, saying: "Love the music in yourself, not yourself in the music." This famous phrase of the professor serves as a perfect motto for all the laureates, who, with honours, contracts, and hopes, embark from the Ada Sari Competition into professional, often international, careers. We will follow their paths with great interest and keep our fingers crossed for them. Let us remember that the Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition in Nowy Sącz, held continuously for 40 years, has launched many careers, including those of artists such as Piotr Beczała and Andrzej Dobber.

Prizes awarded, this year’s edition of the Competition now passes into history. See and hear you in two years at the XXII Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition!

May beautiful singing be with you!