Stage II auditions

Eight Singers, Including Six Women and Two Men, to Perform in the Final of the 21ˢᵗ Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition in Nowy Sącz. This was decided today, on Singer’s Day, by the international jury chaired by Małgorzata Walewska. Among the finalists are three singers from Ukraine, two from Poland, and one each from South Korea, Kazakhstan, and Latvia. The largest vocal group consists of sopranos, with the remainder being baritones. Notably, no tenors, basses, or mezzo-sopranos made it to the final.

The final will take place on Friday, 23rd May at 6 PM in the performance hall of the organiser, the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Culture Centre in Nowy Sącz. The finalists are: Artur Garbas, Daria Korolova, Jessica Seo Jin Lee, Mariya Medetova, Mariana Poltorak, Szymon Raczkowski, Etīna Emīlija Saulīte, and Viktoriia Shamanska. They will be accompanied by the Kraków Opera Orchestra, conducted by Marta Kluczyńska. The final will be streamed live on adasari.pl and, for the first time, on the international platform operavision.eu, which offers free broadcasts and reruns of the world’s most famous operas from leading stages.

"You were all wonderful. The standard was very high. Many of you scored so highly that you could have been in the final. Unfortunately, we could only select eight. Those who made it were simply better," said Małgorzata Walewska, the jury chair and artistic director of the Ada Sari Competition, before announcing the results. "Congratulations to all the finalists. You now face a big challenge – the final round with an orchestra. To those who didn’t make it, please don’t be discouraged. Instead, come to us, the jury, for feedback on why you weren’t selected," she added.

"I’m genuinely happy. I didn’t expect this. After the second round, I was devastated. Now, I’m just overjoyed. It’s hard to put into words," said Artur Garbas, a Polish baritone who will perform in the final. This young artist, who already has stage experience, made his debut at the Ada Sari Competition.

In the second round, competitors performed three or four pieces with piano accompaniment, selected by the jury from their submitted repertoire. The performances were emotionally charged, showcasing an exceptionally diverse range of music. Each singer had 12-15 minutes to impress the jury across various styles – from Baroque to contemporary.

"The second round was much tougher – there was a lot more singing," said Kacper Kostrzewski, a 24-year-old baritone, after his performance. "The hardest part was arranging the pieces in the right order. I chose to start with Wagner, ordering them by emotional intensity, from the calmest. I’m pleased – the jury listened attentively, and I gave my best. No regrets. Now, it’s in their hands."

Today, the jury also honoured the pianists who collaborated with the singers. Two artists received equal distinction for outstanding accompaniment: Laura Kluwak-Sobolewska and Aleksander Teliga.

"I’m glad my work has been recognised," said Aleksander Teliga. "This competition is extremely demanding, covering a vast repertoire from Baroque to contemporary. I worked with 15 singers, though only 11 made it to this stage. Preparing over 130 pieces was a challenge. This is my third time as a competition pianist, and I’m proud to be part of it. The song category is still ahead of me."

Tomorrow, on the fifth day of the Nowy Sącz event, the song competition will take place, featuring eight artists from Poland (5), South Korea (2), and Kazakhstan (1). They will perform selected song cycles, with the winners announced tomorrow afternoon.