A long ovation and shouts of "bravo" ended the Laureate Concert of the XX Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition in Nowy Sacz on Saturday, May 13. This event, which brought together on stage the best vocal youngsters from around the world, selected by an international jury, was the final chord of this year's edition. "We tried to appreciate and honor you. You are all wonderful and promising," Margaret Walewska, chairwoman of the jury and Artistic Director of the Competition, addressed the Laureates before their evening performance.
At the Laureate Concert, on the stage of the performance hall of the SOKÓŁ Malopolska Cultural Center in Nowy Sacz, seven vocalists, winners of the main statutory prizes, performed. Only the Laureates of the highest places had the opportunity to show on stage twice. The evening belonged primarily to Chao Liu, a baritone from China, winner of first place in the male voice category, who presented Wolfram's aria "O! Du mein holder Abendstern" from Act III of Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser," as well as Belcore's aria "Come Paride vezzoso" from Act I of Donizetti's opera " L' Elisir d'amore " Also singing twice was Liang Wei, a tenor from China, presenting Cavaradosi's aria "Recondita armonia" from Act I of Puccini's opera "Tosca" and Don José's aria "La fleur, que tu m'avais jetée" from Act II of Bizet's opera "Carmen." His performances drew huge applause from the audience.
The winners of two equal second prizes (the first prize in the female voice category was not awarded by the jury) appeared on stage twice: Weronika Rabek, mezzo-soprano from Poland, and Hyejin Lee, soprano from South Korea. Interestingly, both artists, everyday colleagues at the Theater in Magdeburg, performed the same aria of Rosina "Una voce poco fa" from Act I of Rossini's opera " Il Barbiere di Siviglia " And each differently! In addition, the Pole still sang Sesto's aria "Parto, parto" from Act I of Mozart's opera " La clemenza di Tito" while the Korean sang Gilda's aria "Gualtier maldè / Caro nome" from Act I of Verdi's opera "Rigoletto." Their performances also ended with cheers from the audience.
The Laureate Concert also featured: Celine Mun, a soprano from South Korea, who won third place in the female voice category (the jury did not award third prize in the male category). She boasted flawless Polish, singing Hanna's aria from Act IV of Moniuszko's opera "The Haunted Manor", which carries an extremely difficult to pronounce cluster of words, such as: "(...) do grobu trwać w bezżennym stanie ". Also performing that evening were honorable mention winners: Adrian Janus, a baritone from Poland, and Iryna Haich, a mezzo-soprano from Ukraine. The artists, as in the finale, were accompanied by the Cracow Opera Orchestra under the direction of Piotr Sulkowski.
Laureate performances were preceded by a prize-giving ceremony, the pool of which amounted to more than PLN 100,000 in this edition. It was a real rain of prizes, because in addition to the financial ones, the artists also received, among others, sets of jewelry, sets of cosmetics, as well as as well as invitations to concerts.
For the first time this year, the Prof. Helena Łazarska Award, the creator of the Competition, was presented, which was founded by Antoni Malczak, also the creator of the event. The founder, together with the son of the late Professor, Władyslaw Łazarski, who died last year, presented the award with great emotion to Justyna Khil from Poland. The audience received Antoni Malczak's remembrance of Helena Lazarska with a standing ovation. Especially as the motto of the creator of the Competition was recalled as a guideline for the young: "Love the music in yourself, not yourself in the music."
The official part also did not lack thanks directed from the organizers to patrons, sponsors, performers, employees and all those who have supported the idea of the Ada Sari Competition in Nowy Sacz for years. "I must say that this Competition is the kindest and best in the world," - said from the stage Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, chairman of Radio RDC and advisor to the President of Poland for cultural affairs, who funded two prizes in the form of on-air concerts on his radio station.
Many kind words were also said - during the press conference - to the Laureates of the Competition. The judges emphasized that they were all excellent in their own way, and their skills made it possible to discuss the nuances of performances and interpretation. "This is the first time I've been to a Competition where the bar is set so high. You are all magnificent, gifted with beautiful voices," Marcin Habela, a professor of singing at the Geneva University of Music, among others, said at the press conference. And after the evening's concert, he added: "These are wonderful talented young people. It was a pleasure to listen to them today."
In addition to the aforementioned Małgorzata Walewska and Marcin Habela, the singers were judged by an international jury consisting of Beata Klatka - Director of the International Moniuszko Vocal Competition. Stanislaw Moniuszko and Head of the Opera Academy of the Grand Theater - 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 2023/24 season) and Keith Bernard Stonum - Artistic Director of the Jungen Oper im NORD (Staatsoper Stuttgart, Germany), a singer who sat on the jury for the first time and who was delighted with the young artists.
The organizers of the Competition - SOKÓŁ MCC in Nowy Sącz - also heard a lot of compliments. Both from the participants and the jurors. They all emphasized the unusual atmosphere of the event, professionalism, and the great heart of those involved in the event. Behind Andrzej Zarych, director of SOKÓŁ MCC, and Liliana Olech, head of the Contest Organizing Office, who has been working on the event from the beginning, is a team of excellent SOKOL employees and volunteers. Their extraordinary work was recognized with long applause. The director thanked many people from the stage.
During this year's edition, the Competition was co-organized by the Cracow Opera, and the finals took place in Cracow. "Please don't move the Competition to Krakow for us," said Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, at a press conference. "The Competition will always be in Nowy Sącz, and there is no doubt about that," Andrzej Zarych, director of SOKÓŁ MCC, reaffirmed to all gathered.
This was best summed up by the words of Chao Liu a Chinese baritone, winner of first place, "First of all, we want to have experience, and to maintain the passion of this profession. For us, the most important thing is not to win, but to stand on stage. What's important first and foremost is the role and the interpretation and emotions it carries. Congratulations to all my excellent colleagues. I am extremely pleased with the victory," he said.
Recall that this year's Competition eventually attracted 55 participants from 11 countries: Poland (33), China (7), South Korea (3), Ukraine (3) and two each from Germany and the USA, as well as one each from: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden. This is 9 more people than in the previous, pandemic edition.
The contest has been held since 1985, every two years. Its organizer is the SOKÓŁ Malopolska Cultural Center in Nowy Sacz.
That's it for now. Come back in two years, when the XXI edition of the Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition in Nowy Sacz will take place in 2025.
See you there!
The winners of two equal second prizes (the first prize in the female voice category was not awarded by the jury) appeared on stage twice: Weronika Rabek, mezzo-soprano from Poland, and Hyejin Lee, soprano from South Korea. Interestingly, both artists, everyday colleagues at the Theater in Magdeburg, performed the same aria of Rosina "Una voce poco fa" from Act I of Rossini's opera " Il Barbiere di Siviglia " And each differently! In addition, the Pole still sang Sesto's aria "Parto, parto" from Act I of Mozart's opera " La clemenza di Tito" while the Korean sang Gilda's aria "Gualtier maldè / Caro nome" from Act I of Verdi's opera "Rigoletto." Their performances also ended with cheers from the audience.
The Laureate Concert also featured: Celine Mun, a soprano from South Korea, who won third place in the female voice category (the jury did not award third prize in the male category). She boasted flawless Polish, singing Hanna's aria from Act IV of Moniuszko's opera "The Haunted Manor", which carries an extremely difficult to pronounce cluster of words, such as: "(...) do grobu trwać w bezżennym stanie ". Also performing that evening were honorable mention winners: Adrian Janus, a baritone from Poland, and Iryna Haich, a mezzo-soprano from Ukraine. The artists, as in the finale, were accompanied by the Cracow Opera Orchestra under the direction of Piotr Sulkowski.
Laureate performances were preceded by a prize-giving ceremony, the pool of which amounted to more than PLN 100,000 in this edition. It was a real rain of prizes, because in addition to the financial ones, the artists also received, among others, sets of jewelry, sets of cosmetics, as well as as well as invitations to concerts.
For the first time this year, the Prof. Helena Łazarska Award, the creator of the Competition, was presented, which was founded by Antoni Malczak, also the creator of the event. The founder, together with the son of the late Professor, Władyslaw Łazarski, who died last year, presented the award with great emotion to Justyna Khil from Poland. The audience received Antoni Malczak's remembrance of Helena Lazarska with a standing ovation. Especially as the motto of the creator of the Competition was recalled as a guideline for the young: "Love the music in yourself, not yourself in the music."
The official part also did not lack thanks directed from the organizers to patrons, sponsors, performers, employees and all those who have supported the idea of the Ada Sari Competition in Nowy Sacz for years. "I must say that this Competition is the kindest and best in the world," - said from the stage Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, chairman of Radio RDC and advisor to the President of Poland for cultural affairs, who funded two prizes in the form of on-air concerts on his radio station.
Many kind words were also said - during the press conference - to the Laureates of the Competition. The judges emphasized that they were all excellent in their own way, and their skills made it possible to discuss the nuances of performances and interpretation. "This is the first time I've been to a Competition where the bar is set so high. You are all magnificent, gifted with beautiful voices," Marcin Habela, a professor of singing at the Geneva University of Music, among others, said at the press conference. And after the evening's concert, he added: "These are wonderful talented young people. It was a pleasure to listen to them today."
In addition to the aforementioned Małgorzata Walewska and Marcin Habela, the singers were judged by an international jury consisting of Beata Klatka - Director of the International Moniuszko Vocal Competition. Stanislaw Moniuszko and Head of the Opera Academy of the Grand Theater - 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 2023/24 season) and Keith Bernard Stonum - Artistic Director of the Jungen Oper im NORD (Staatsoper Stuttgart, Germany), a singer who sat on the jury for the first time and who was delighted with the young artists.
The organizers of the Competition - SOKÓŁ MCC in Nowy Sącz - also heard a lot of compliments. Both from the participants and the jurors. They all emphasized the unusual atmosphere of the event, professionalism, and the great heart of those involved in the event. Behind Andrzej Zarych, director of SOKÓŁ MCC, and Liliana Olech, head of the Contest Organizing Office, who has been working on the event from the beginning, is a team of excellent SOKOL employees and volunteers. Their extraordinary work was recognized with long applause. The director thanked many people from the stage.
During this year's edition, the Competition was co-organized by the Cracow Opera, and the finals took place in Cracow. "Please don't move the Competition to Krakow for us," said Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, at a press conference. "The Competition will always be in Nowy Sącz, and there is no doubt about that," Andrzej Zarych, director of SOKÓŁ MCC, reaffirmed to all gathered.
This was best summed up by the words of Chao Liu a Chinese baritone, winner of first place, "First of all, we want to have experience, and to maintain the passion of this profession. For us, the most important thing is not to win, but to stand on stage. What's important first and foremost is the role and the interpretation and emotions it carries. Congratulations to all my excellent colleagues. I am extremely pleased with the victory," he said.
Recall that this year's Competition eventually attracted 55 participants from 11 countries: Poland (33), China (7), South Korea (3), Ukraine (3) and two each from Germany and the USA, as well as one each from: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden. This is 9 more people than in the previous, pandemic edition.
The contest has been held since 1985, every two years. Its organizer is the SOKÓŁ Malopolska Cultural Center in Nowy Sacz.
That's it for now. Come back in two years, when the XXI edition of the Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition in Nowy Sacz will take place in 2025.
See you there!
Agnieszka Malatyńska-Stankiewicz
Competition Press Office
