This is the Moment

Every artist reaches a moment when years of study come to an end, and a professional career begins. For conductors, this moment is the diploma concert – an event that is not merely an examination, but also a first opportunity to demonstrate the full range of their skills before an audience and a professional symphony orchestra.

During this concert, the stage of The Philharmonic in Szczecin will be taken by a student completing their studies at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. The diploma concert marks the culmination of years of work, including hundreds of hours of individual practice, lessons with teachers, masterclasses and stage performances. It is the moment when acquired experience meets the responsibility of leading a full-scale concert programme with a symphony orchestra.

For us, it will also be a unique opportunity to hear an artist standing at the threshold of a professional career. The history of music is full of performers who first presented themselves to a wider audience at concerts of this kind, going on to win prestigious competitions, perform on the world’s most important stages and record for leading labels. Every great career has a beginning – often in a concert hall, during the final examination that marks the end of formal studies.

For years, the symphonic concerts series has presented outstanding artists and the most important works of the symphonic repertoire. This time, its protagonist will be a young musician standing at the threshold of a professional career. We will witness an event that will remain one of the most important moments in the performer’s artistic life – the first major step towards a career on the concert stage.