Representatives of musical institutions, prominent and well-known artists, pedagogues and, above all, entrants of the vocal arts will visit a charming, little town in the South of Poland called Nowy Sącz to attend the jubilee edition of the Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry 20th Festival and 18th Competition, the oldest vocal competition in Poland, starting on April 27th, 2019. This year, organizers expect 81 young singers from 14 countries.

Jubilee 20th Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Festival will start on April 27th, 2019, at the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice. In an extraordinary event, we will hear a concert performance of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Suor Angelica and Ludomir Różycki’s symphonic poem Anhelli op. 22. It is no coincidence that the works of these two composers are combined: writing the one-act opera Suor Angelica, Puccini was inspired by the cloister act from Różycki’s opera Eros and Psyche. The solo parts will be performed by finalists of previous editions of the Competition, as well as Małgorzata Walewska. The Beethoven Academy Orchestra and the Polish Radio Choir in Krakow will be conducted, for the second time in the Festival’s history, by José Cura, world-famous singer and conductor. 

The Festival and the Competition, held cyclically every two years, incessantly since 1985, quickly became something more than just a rivalry of singers on stage, promoting the opera art locally, in Małopolska, at a national and international level. It was in Nowy Sącz, on this competition stage, that artists such as Piotr Beczała, Andrzej Dobber, Milijan Nikolić, Anna Simińska, Anna Lubańska and Arnold Rutkowski started their careers. 

From April 27th to May 5th, gifted young vocalists from 14 countries (Poland, Austria, Brazil, Croatia, China, Georgia, the Netherlands, Ireland, Israel, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Italy) will present their skills in front of a jury of artists, opera agents, pedagogues and representatives of music institutions from around the world. Next to chairwoman Małgorzata Walewska, the jury will include: Josef Fuchs - casting director at Nederlandse Reisopera, Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha - singer, teacher at the Music Academy in Krakow, Ioan Holender - artistic advisor at the Tokyo Spring Festival, Izabela Kłosińska - singer, casting director at the Polish National Opera, Franziska Hunke – director of the “Artista International” Agency in Munich, Constanze Könemann - director of the “Canto +” Agency in Baden--Baden and Wojciech Maciejowski - singer, singing teacher, secretary of the jury. 

The Winners Gala Concert will take place on May 4th, 2019. The soloists will be accompanied by the Orchestra of the Silesian Opera conducted by Maestro Sebastian Perłowski. Winners will be awarded following prizes: separately for male and female voices, as well as honorable mentions and special awards. The prize pool this year is 16,000 Euro. A day later, on May 5th, the concert of the best singers will be repeated at the Silesian Opera in Bytom. 

It is worth recalling that the Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Festival and Competition was initiated in May 1985 thanks to two figures: prof. Helena Łazarska, then head of the Department of Vocal Studies at the Academy of Music in Krakow and full professor at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, and Antoni Malczak, a long-time director of the Province Cultural Center and the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre in Nowy Sącz. In 2015, outstanding Polish mezzo-soprano Małgorzata Walewska was nominated Artistic Director of the Ada Sari International Festival and Competition.

PROGRAMME OF THE ADA SARI INTERNATIONAL VOCAL ARTISTRY
20th FESTIVAL AND 18th COMPETITION

April 27th, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice

EXCEPTIONAL SYMPHONIC CONCERT
Giacomo Puccini - Suor Angelica, Ludomir Różycki - Anhelli op. 22

Performed by: Suor Angelica - Adriana Ferfecka, La zia principessa - Małgorzata Walewska, La badessa - Anna Lubańska, La suora zelatrice - Kinga Borowska, La maestra delle novizie - Agata Schmidt, Suor Genovieffa - Sylwia Olszyńska, Suor Osmina - Monika Buczkowska, Suor Dolcina - Hanna Okońska, La suora infermiera - Jadwiga Postrożna, Le cercatrici - Magdalena Czarnecka, Barbara Grzybek, Le novizie - Magdalena Pikuła, Dobromiła Lebiecka, Le converse - Aleksandra Krzywdzińska, Ewa Kalwasińska

Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Polish Radio Choir
Katowice City Singers’ Ensemble CAMERATA SILESIA

Maria Piotrowska-Bogalecka - preparation of the choir
Anna Szostak - preparation of the ensemble

Conductor - José Cura

♦ ♦ ♦

April 28th - 29th, 2019, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Location: SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre, ul. Jana Długosza 3, Nowy Sącz

Auditions - Stage I (free entrance)

♦ ♦ ♦

April 30th - May 1st, 2019, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., 
Location: SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre, ul. Jana Długosza 3, Nowy Sącz

Auditions - Stage II (free entrance)

♦ ♦ ♦

April 30th, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
Location: St Margaret’s Church in Nowy Sącz

CONCERT OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY IN KRAKOW - WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Church Sonatas: C major KV 78, C major KV 263, C major KV 329,
Krönungsmesse in C major, KV 317

Performed by students of the Voice and Drama Faculty: Magdalena Drozd - soprano,
Yana Hurtova - alto, Bartłomiej Chorąży - tenor, Łukasz Dziuba - bass

Choir and Chamber Orchestra of the Music Academy in Krakow
Choir preparation - Andrzej Korzeniowski

Conductor - Maciej Tworek

♦ ♦ ♦

May 3rd, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Location: SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre, ul. Jana Długosza 3, Nowy Sącz

Finals of the Competition

♦ ♦ ♦

May 4th, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Lucjan Lipiński Hall at SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre in Nowy Sącz

AWARDS CEREMONY AND WINNERS GALA CONCERT OF THE 18th ADA SARI INTERNATIONAL VOCAL ARTISTRY COMPETITION

Orchestra of the Silesian Opera in Bytom
Conductor - Sebastian Perłowski
Narrator - Jerzy Snakowski

♦ ♦ ♦

May 5th, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Lucjan Lipiński Hall at SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre in Nowy Sącz

Anna Burzyńska - The Accompanist

Direction - Grzegorz Chrapkiewicz
Dawid Załęski - Scenography

Cast:
Hanna Śleszyńska (Amelia - The singer)
Jan Jankowski (Leon - The accompanist)

♦ ♦ ♦

May 5th, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Adam Didur Concert Hall, Silesian Opera in Bytom

THE WINNERS GALA CONCERT

Larysa Czaban - piano
Host of the Evening - Małgorzata Walewska
Narrator - Jerzy Snakowski