In addition, the jury awarded, in the female voice category, the third prize (PLN 6,000) to soprano Celine Mun, who comes from South Korea. In the category of male voices, the third prize was not awarded by the jury.
Honorable mentions (PLN 2.5 thousand each) were awarded to Iryna Haich, a mezzo-soprano from Ukraine, and Adrian Janus, a baritone from Poland. For the first time in this edition of the Competition, the Helena Lazarska Prize (PLN 5 thousand) was awarded for the best performance of a work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was awarded to Justyna Khil for Donna Elvira's aria "In quali eccessi/Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata" from Act II of the opera "Don Giovanni." This award was founded by Antoni Malczak, initiator and director of the Ada Sari International Festival and Vocal Artistry Competition in 1985-2019. Hyejin Lee also won the Ada Sari Award (PLN 2,000) for the best coloratura soprano, funded by Jacek Lelk, mayor of Stary Sącz.
The winners of the XX Ada Sari Competition were showered with a rain of financial, material and those in the form of invitations to concerts. The minutes, which were read out before 2 a.m. today by Wojciech Maciejowski, secretary of the jury, were interrupted every now and then by applause from the young artists. The prize pool this year amounted to more than 100 thousand zlotys (details below, in the jury minutes).
The Final of the Competition at the Krakow Opera House was preceded by a press conference, during which Malgorzata Walewska, chairwoman of the jury and Artistic Director of the Competition, Andrzej Zarych, director of the SOKOŁ Malopolska Cultural Center in Nowy Sacz, and Piotr Sulkowski, director of the Krakow Opera House, spoke about this year's event. They noted that it was extremely international and at a very high level. The organizers were surprised by the large number of singers from Asia perfectly prepared, not only musically, but also linguistically. Especially the Polish jurors, were captivated by the Polish pronunciation of foreign singers. Interestingly, Asian artists in the backstage emphasized that for them the Polish language is extremely simple and were unable to understand why Poles find their language difficult to sing.
The final auditions were held with the participation of the audience, which applauded the artists. The concert was accompanied by great emotions, as the level of the Competition was high. It was, as Malgorzata Walewska told reporters, a war of nerves. The singers performed two arias each, chosen by them from a compulsory list of works. The artists were accompanied by the Cracow Opera Orchestra under the baton of Piotr Sulkowski.
The finale outside of Nowy Sącz, was held for the first time in the history of the Competition. The performance on the opera stage, was not only a great experience for many artists, but also a chance for greater promotion.
The singers were judged by an international jury, chaired by Małgorzata Walewska, which included Marcin Habela - Professor of Singing at the Geneva University of Music, artistic advisor to the Tibor Varga Academy of Music in Sion, Switzerland, and the Music Academy of the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Music in Spetses, Greece; Beata Klatka - Director of the International Vocal Competition named after Stanislaw Moniuszk and Head of the OPERATION ACADEMY at the Grand Theater of the National Opera in Warsaw; Dominik Licht - Casting Consultant at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen; Rebekah Rota - Director of the Wuppertal Opera in Germany (from the 2023/2024 season); Keith Bernard Stonum - Artistic Director of Jungen Oper im NORD (Staatsoper Stuttgart, Germany), singer; and Wojciech Maciejowski (secretary).
On Saturday, September 13, at 12:00 pm, a press conference will be held at the Beskid Hotel in Nowy Sącz, during which the winners, jurors, and organizers of the Competition will be available to the media.
In the evening, meanwhile, at 6:00 pm, the Laureates Concert will begin at the SOKÓŁ Malopolska Cultural Center in Nowy Sacz, during which the winners will be presented with their awards. The event will be broadcast at: www.adasari.pl
Recall, the organizer of the Competition is the SOKÓŁ Malopolska Cultural Center in Nowy Sacz, and the co-organizer of this edition is the Cracow Opera.
Due to technical reasons, an error crept into the verdict of the 20th Ada Sari International Competition in Nowy Sącz, which was read out today, at two o'clock in the morning. The awards of the Musical Theater Section of the Union of Polish Stage Artists (PLN 1,100 each) for the greatest artistic personalities of the Competition went to: Weronika Rabek, mezzo-soprano (Poland) and Liang Wei, tenor (China), and not Justyna Khil, as previously reported. We apologize to both the singers and the prize funders! Organizers of the Competition.
Minutes of the Jury
of the 20th Ada Sari Internationa
Vocal Artistry Competition in Nowy Sącz
The jury composed of: Małgorzata Walewska – chairperson, Marcin Habela, Beata Klatka, Dominik Licht, Rebekah Rota, Keith Bernard Stonum and Wojciech Maciejowski – secretary, awarded the following prizes:
FIRST AWARD IN THE CATEGORY OF FEMALE VOICES IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 24,000
the prize was not awarded
TWO SECOND AWARD IN THE CATEGORY OF MALE VOICES EACH IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 11,000
Weronika RABEK, mezzo-soprano, Poland
Hyejin LEE, soprano, South Korea
THIRD AWARD IN THE CATEGORY OF FEMALE VOICES IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 6,000
Celine MUN, soprano, South Korea
FIRST AWARD IN THE CATEGORY OF MALE VOICES IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 24,000
Chao LIU, baritone, China
SECOND AWARD IN THE CATEGORY OF FEMALE VOICES IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 11,000
Liang WEI, tenor, China
THIRD AWARD IN THE CATEGORY OF FEMALE VOICES IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 6,000
the prize was not awarded
2 HONORABLE MENTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 2.500 EACH
Iryna HAICH, mezzo-soprano, Ukraine
Adrian JANUS, baritone, Poland
SPECIAL AWARDS
AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 3,000 FOR AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF A ART SONGS CYCLE
Justyna KHIL for the performance of the Art Songs of Szymon Laks Five songs for the words by Julian Tuwim
HELENA ŁAZARSKA AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 5,000 FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PIECE BY WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Justyna KHIL for her performance of Donna Elvira's aria In quali eccessi/Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata from Act II of the opera Don Giovanni
Founder of the Award is Antoni Malczak, Originator and Director of the Ada Sari International Festival and Vocal Artistry Competition in 1985-2019
ADA SARI AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 2,000 FOR THE BEST COLORATURA SOPRANO
Hyejin LEE
Founder of the Award is Jacek Lelek, the Mayor of Stary Sącz City.
AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 3,000 FOR AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF A POLISH PIECE
Justyna KHIL for her performance of the scene and aria of Halka Ha! Dzieciątko nam umiera / O mój maleńki from Act IV of the opera Halka
Founder of the Award is Bartosz Kaliński the Mayor of Wadowice City
The winner of the Award also receives an oil painting entitled "Kalwaria" by Małgorzata Wójtowicz-Cichoń.
Founder of the Award is Society of Lovers of the Wadowice Land.
AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 2,000 FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PIECE BY A COMPOSER BORN AFTER 1950
Leonie PAULUS for the performance of Enno Poppe’s Wespe
STOART ASSOCIATION OF PERFORMERS ARTISTS AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 10,000 FOR THE BEST POLISH COMPETITION WINNER
Justyna KHIL
TWO AWARDS OF THE MUSICAL THEATERS SECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF POLISH STAGE ARTISTS IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 1,100 EACH FOR THE GREATEST ARTISTIC PERSONALITIES OF THE COMPETITION
AND
TWO AWARDS OF THE MUSICAL THEATERS SECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF POLISH STAGE ARTISTS IN THE FORM OF PARTICIPATION OF THE COMPETITION WINNERS IN THE CONCERT ON THE DAY OF THE SINGER ARTIST IN WARSAW
Weronika RABEK
Liang WEI
ORFEO BOGUSŁAW KACZYŃSKI AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 7.000 FOR THE BEST POLISH VOICE FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN OPERA ART IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE COMPETITION
Justyna KHIL
PRIZE FOR THE YOUNGEST PARTICIPANT IN THE COMPETITION OF PLN 4,000
Zhengyu LI
2 AWARDS IN THE AMOUNT OF PLN 4.000 FOR AN OUTSTANDING PIANIST - ACCOMPANIST
Rozalia KIERC
Manfred SCHIEBEL
TWO AWARDS OF THE KAROL SZYMANOWSKI PHILHARMONIC IN KRAKOW IN THE FORM OF PARTICIPATION OF COMPETITION WINNERS IN CONCERTS IN THE ARTISTIC SEASONS 2023/2024 AND 2024/2025
Justyna KHIL
Weronika RABEK
AWARDS OF THE GRAND NATIONAL OPERA THEATRE IN WARSAW IN THE FORM OF PARTICIPATION IN A CONCERT IN 2024
Hyejin LEE
Liang WEI
AWARD OF THE ACADEMY OF OPERA OF THE GRAND NATIONAL THEATRE IN WARSAW IN THE FORM OF PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKSHOP IN 2023
Gabriela CELIŃSKA-MYSŁAW
2 AWARDS FROM THE KRAKÓW CHAMBER OPERA IN THE FORM OF PARTICIPATION OF THE COMPETITION WINNERS IN AN OPERA PERFORMANCE IN THE ARTISTIC SEASON 2023/2024
Justyna KHIL
Adrian JANUS
PRIZE OF THE WUPPERTAL OPERA IN THE FORM OF AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN AN OPERA PERFORMANCE IN THE ARTISTIC SEASON 2024/2025
Lukas Enoch LEMCKE
10 AWARDS IN THE FORM OF JEWELLERY FOR ALL THE FINALISTS OF THE COMPETITION AND THE WINNER OF THE AWARDS FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK BY A COMPOSER BORN AFTER 1950 FUNDED BY THE SEZAM BOGDAN BUCZEK JEWELLERY SHOP IN NOWY SĄCZ
20 SETS OF COSMETICS FOR ALL FINALISTS AND THE WINNER OF THE AWARD FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK BY A COMPOSER BORN AFTER 1950 FUNDED BY DOUGLAS PERFUMERY
The founders of the cash awards, apart from the above-mentioned founders, are the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre in Nowy Sącz as the main organizer of the Competition.