About competition

The competition is held every two years and can be designed for different performance ensembles. The third edition of the competition will be held in two categories – piano and chamber ensembles. The competition is open to musicians-instrumentalists who apply individually and as chamber ensembles (from duos to six-member ensembles). There are no restrictions on the age and nationality of participants in the competition.

• Qualified participants have paid accommodation during the competition and reimbursed travel.

• Find out how to apply via muvac.com

• Bus schedule for participants

Edition 2019

Edition 2021

The Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish Music in Rzeszów (the first edition) was officially launched on 18 December 2018, with the Institute of Music and Dance as the organiser and under the auspices of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów became the co-organiser and the province of Podkarpackie Voivodeship the host of the event. The letter of intent was signed by Prof. Piotr Gliński, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage; Maxymilian Bylicki, director of the Institute of Music and Dance; Prof. Marta Wierzbieniec, director of the Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów; and Władysław Ortyl, Marshal of Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, became the National Patron of the Competition in the 100th Anniversary of the Restoration of Polish Independence.

First edition

The first edition of the Competition was held from September 20-27, 2019 at the Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic Hall in Rzeszów in two categories: “pianists” and “chamber ensembles.” 17 pianists and 24 chamber ensembles, a total of 81 musicians, qualified for the Competition. Participants came from Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Hong Kong and Israel.
The jury in the “pianists” category, chaired by Prof. Jarosław Drzewiecki, awarded first prize to Russian pianist Pavel Dombrovsky, an alumnus of Moscow art schools. The second prize, funded by the PKO Bank of Poland Foundation, went to Polish pianist Piotr Ryszard Pawlak. The third prize, funded by the Society of Authors ZAiKS, went to Mateusz Krzyżowski. Honourable mentions in this category went to Michal Dziewior, Tymoteusz Bies and Ivan Shemchuk from Ukraine. All pianists, in the final stage, performed a piano concerto of their choice, accompanied by the Artur Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Tadeusz Chmiel and Jerzy Salwarowski.

In the “chamber ensembles” category, the jury chaired by Prof. Andrzej Tatarski awarded the first prize to the violin duo from Poland – Gidaszewska / Łaguniak Duo (now Polish Violin Duo). In this competition category, the jury decided to award two equal second prizes. They went to the string quartet Ãtma Quartet and the wind quintet Cracow Golden Quintet. The prize for the Ãtma Quartet was funded by STOART – Association of Performing Artists. In the “chamber ensembles” category, no third prize was awarded, honourable mentions went to the following ensembles: Roksana Kwaśnikowska / Łukasz Chrzęszczyk, Novi Piano Duo and Apeiron Trio.

Second edition

The second edition of the Competition was held from September 11-18, 2021.

Carter Johnson, a young and talented Canadian pianist, won the Second International Polish Music Competition in the piano category, while in the chamber ensemble category, the Książek Piano Duo, composed of Agnieszka Zahaczewska-Książek and Krzysztof Książek, won an unqualified victory.

The second prize in the piano category went to Ivan Shemchuk, representative of Ukraine, winner of the First International Competition of Polish Music in 2019, while in the chamber ensembles the Warsaw-based wind Kwintofonia. Third prize winners were pianist Michal Karol Szymanowski and violin and piano duo Aleksandra Kuls and Marcin Koziak.

Honourable mentions were awarded to pianists Ruslan Kazakov (Russia), Adam Mikołaj Goździewski, Krzysztof Kozlowski and chamber musicians Popko / Thieu-Quang, Dobrowolski / Słapiński Duo and Trio Legend.

The jury also awarded a total of 38 non-statutory prizes, the vast majority in the form of special concerts in leading philharmonic halls and festivals in Poland and abroad. For the first time in the competition’s history, among other prizes, a special prize was awarded for the best performance of a chamber work by Miłosz Magin, funded by the composer’s daughter, Margot Magin, as well as a prize of one thousand euros in each performance category, which was awarded by the journalistic.

The laureates performed on September 18 at a gala concert with the Podkarpacka Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Massimiliano Caldi and Tomasz Chmiel.