The finalists of the 1st Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers' Competition have been named

The following works have qualified to the finals:

• Tomas Peire-Serrate – „Borealis”
• Andrzej Szachowski – „Helix Nebula”
• Adam Porębski – „Iluzje”
• Tomasz Szczepanik – „rumori”
• Claudio Passilongo – „Symphonic Dystopia”
• Choi Jin Seok – „Sunrise in Hyangil Am”

The jury deliberating on the decision was composed of: Marcin Błażewicz (the Chairman), Krzysztof Knittel, Szymon Bywalec and Miłosz Bembinow (the Competition Secretary, without a right to vote).
The jury has reviewed 176 works from Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA. The submitted works have been found to be very diverse stylistically and of high artistic value.

“I want to congratulate the finalists and express my impatience to witness the finals. It brings a lot of satisfaction to be able to hear first performances of compositions created thanks to the initiative of ZAiKS. I am especially glad that the works we recognized do not vanish from the repertoires after the competition is over. This year, we, the composers, acutely feel the separation from the audience, the orchestra, the atmosphere of the concert hall. We can now only wait for the restrictions to be relaxed in order to let the music play freely in our imagination” – said Miłosz Bembinow, the originator of the competition and secretary of the Jury.


If a work qualifies for the finals it means that it will have to be professionally performed and recorded. The finalist works will have their first performance during a concert in the M. Karłowicz Philharmonic Hall in Szczecin planned for 19 march 2021. The works will be performed by the M. Karłowicz Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Szymon Bywalec. Only after hearing the first performances will the jury reach the final decision and announce the results. The awards are as follows: for the 1st place – 50,000 PLN, for the 2nd place – 30,000 PLN, for the 3rd place – 20,000 PLN. Additionally, an Audience Award and an Award of the Philharmonic Orchestra will be awarded.

The fact that it is the Szczecin Philharmonic that is working with ZAiKS to create the new brand that is the International Composers’ Competition is no coincidence. The bold interior of the Philharmonic Hall justifies offering the audience a completely contemporary repertoire. The finale of the competition will be a regular, ticketed concert and the listeners will participate in choosing their favourite. We are hopeful that the epidemic situation will improve and that the concert will take place as scheduled with full audience attendance.

ZAiKS and the Szczecin Philharmonic are organizing the composers’ competition together for the second time already. The first edition, then still without a patron, was organized in connection with ZAiKS’s centenary in 2018. The high artistic quality of the submitted works inspired both institutions to continue this unique musical enterprise, which is to take place every two years.

More information about the competition can be found on: karlowiczcompetition.pl.