Grand Final - 10th International Moniuszko Vocal Competition

The story

Programme

In the final round of the 10th Moniuszko Vocal Competition, fourteen singers perform one aria from a Polish opera or oratorio, and one opera aria from the global repertoire, accompanied by the Orchestra of Teatr Wielki and conducted by Andriy Yurkevych.

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE HAUNTED MANOR
Jadwiga’s Dumka – ‘Biegnie słuchać w lasy, w knieje’
Yajie Zhang

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE COUNTESS
Ewa’s aria – ‘Perché belli labbri’
Alina Adamski

Karol Szymanowski
KING ROGER
Roxana’s song – ‘Uśnijcie, krwawe sny króla Rogera’
Monika Buczkowska

Karol Szymanowski
KING ROGER
King Roger’s aria – ‘Słońce! Słońce’
Gihoon Kim

Karol Szymanowski
KING ROGER
Roxana’s song – ‘Uśnijcie, krwawe sny króla Rogera’
Ruslana Koval

Giacomo Puccini
LE VILLI
Roberto’s recitative and aria – ‘Ecco la casa... Torna ai felici dì’
Long Long

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE HAUNTED MANOR
Hanna’s recititive and aria – ‘Do grobu trwać w bezżennym stanie… Któraż to, która’
Slávka Zámečníková

Alfredo Catalani
LA WALLY
Wally’s aria – ‘Ebben! Ne andrò lontana’
Maria Motolygina

Gaetano Donizetti
IL DUCA D’ALBA
Marcello’s aria – ‘Angelo casto e bel’
Matheus Pompeu

Gaetano Donizetti
IL DUCA D’ALBA
Marcello’s recitative and aria – ‘Inosservato, penetrava... Angelo casto e bel’
Piotr Buszewski

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE HAUNTED MANOR
Miecznik’s aria – ‘Kto z mych dziewek serce której’
Cody Quattlebaum

Stanisław Moniuszko
HALKA
Stolnik’s aria – ‘O mościwi mi panowie’
Milan Siljanov

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE HAUNTED MANOR
Jadwiga’s Dumka – ‘Biegnie słuchać w lasy, w knieje’
Zlata Khershberg

Stanisław Moniuszko
VERBUM NOBILE
Stalisław’s aria – ‘Nakaż, niech ożywcze słonko’
Hubert Zapiór

-- INTERVAL --

Gioachina Rossini
LA CENERENTOLA
Angelina’s aria – ‘Nacqui all’affanno… Non più mesta’
Yajie Zhang

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL
Konstanze’s aria – ‘Martern aller Arten’
Alina Adamski

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
IDOMENEO
Ilia’s recititive and aria – ‘Quando avran fine omai… Padre, germani, addio!’
Monika Buczkowska

Reggero Leoncavallo
PAGLIACCI
Tonio’s aria – ‘Si può?’
Gihoon Kim

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
THE MAGIC FLUTE
The Queen of the Night’s aria – ‘Der Hölle Rache’
Ruslana Koval

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE HAUNTED MANOR
Stefan’s aria – ‘Cisza dokoła’
Long Long

Charles Gounod
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
Juliette’s recititive and aria – ‘Dieu! Quel frisson court dans mes veines… Amour ranime mon courage’
Slávka Zámečníková

Stanisław Moniuszko
HALKA
Halka’s recitative and cavatina – ‘Ha! Dzieciątko nam umiera... O mój maleńki’
Maria Motolygina

Stanisław Moniuszko
HALKA
Jontek’s dumka – ‘Szumią jodła na gór szczycie’
Matheus Pompeu

Stanisław Moniuszko
THE HAUNTED MANOR
Stefan’s aria – ‘Cisza dokoła’
Piotr Buszewski

Sergei Rachmaninoff
ALEKO
Aleko’s cavatina – ‘Ves’ tabor spit’
Cody Quattlebaum

Giuseppe Verdi
ERNANI
Silva’s aria – ‘Infelice! E tuo credevi’
Milan Siljanov

Gaetano Donizetti
LA FAVORITE
Leonora’s recitative and aria – ‘Fia dunque vero, oh ciel?... O mio Fernando’
Zlata Khershberg

Gioachina Rossini
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
Figaro’s aria – ‘Largo al factotum’
Hubert Zapiór

Insights

Established in 1992 by Maria Fołtyn – Polish soprano, legendary Halka, opera director, animateur, and tireless promoter of Stanisław Moniuszko’s oeuvre – the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition sees its tenth anniversary in 2019.

From its very inception, the competition has been more than just fierce artistic rivalry at the highest level; it has also been a chance to promote Polish vocal literature to an international audience. The competition’s repertoire list includes the oeuvre of its patron Stanisław Moniuszko, who is considered the father of Polish opera, as well as pieces by Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and contemporary Polish composers, such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Paweł Mykietyn, or Mieczysław Weinberg.

This tenth edition of the Moniuszko Vocal Competition coincides with Moniuszko’s 200th birthday. After the Opening Gala, 88 singers compete in two stages of preliminary auditions with piano accompaniment, which are held over four days. In the final round, twelve singers are invited to perform one aria from a Polish opera or oratorio, and one opera aria from the global repertoire, accompanied by the Orchestra of Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera.

The winner of the First Prize is awarded €15,000, but there are several other special prizes up for grabs. These include the Maria Fołtyn Prize for the best performance of an aria by Stanisław Moniuszko; the Jan and Edward Reszke Prize for the best performance of a Polish work by a foreign entrant; the Marta Eggerth and Jan Kiepura Prize for the most promising Polish voice; and the Carlo Maria Giulini Prize, which is awarded for a performance of profound musical expression drawing on the essence of humanity.

For many, the competition becomes a launch pad to an international career. The list of past prizewinners and finalists includes such excellent artists as Aleksandra Kurzak, Urszula Kryger, Małgorzata Walewska, Mariusz Kwiecień, Olga Busuioc, Alexey Markov, or Vladimir Moroz. Prizewinners of the last, ninth edition – Salome Jicia, Andrzej Filończyk, Ewa Tracz, Jakub Józef Orliński, Joanna Zawartko, and Leon Košavić – are now sought-after artists of the new generation and boast successes on the world’s leading opera stages and at top concert halls.

The competition jury gathers managers of top international opera houses as well as other leading members of the opera world. Among this year’s fifteen-member jury are John Allison, Editor of Opera Magazine; Boris Ignatov, Casting Director at Staatsoper Stuttgart; Peter Mario Katona, Director of Casting at Royal Opera House; Nicholas Payne, Director of Opera Europa; Alain Perroux, Artistic Advisor of Festival d’Aix-en-Provence; contralto Ewa Podleś; and Evamaria Weiser, Artistic Administrator of Salzburger Festspiele and European Casting Consultant of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.