The Winners of the 3rd Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers’ Competition

The International Mieczysław Karłowicz Composers’ Competition is an opportunity for all those who have musical imagination, practice composition, and are willing to share their musical sensitivity.

On the Friday evening of 29 November 2024, during the final gala at the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin, we learned the results of the 3rd International Mieczysław Karłowicz Composers’ Competition.

The final works were performed by the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Szymon Bywalec. After listening to all five premiere performances, the jury, chaired by Aleksander Nowak and composed of – Szymon Bywalec, Szymon Godziemba-Trytek, Przemyslaw Neumann, Diana Rotaru, Michal Ziolkowski, and Anna Maria Huszcza – secretary of the competition, without voting rights, decided that:

The first prize (in the amount of 15,000 euro) goes to Maciej Kabza for the work asc / desc – (no) ending

The second prize (in the amount of 11,000 euro) goes to Diego David Cuevas Sanchez for the work Three Differential Fantasies

The third prize (in the amount of 7,000 euro) goes to Massimo Lauricella for the work Poiché non vi sarà più notte, né luce di sole

Two honorable mentions (in the amount of 3,500 euro each) were also awarded to Emircan Pehlivan for the work The Treachery of Images and Girolamo Deraco for the work Sussicran virtual complex.

The orchestra and the audience also awarded their prizes.
The Orchestra Award went to Diego David Cuevas Sanchez, while the Audience Award went to Maciej Kabza.

The participation of a live orchestra and the prospect of performing a work in front of a flesh-and-blood philharmonic audience, without doubt, make up for any inconvenience that might result from taking part in the competition, said Jury Chairman Aleksander Nowak, and added: The choice of finalists is the result of a confluence of often very different individual preferences of a particular jury. We want to thank all the composers who submitted their works and wish them good luck and unrelenting motivation to pursue their work. We extend our warmest congratulations to the finalists and laureates.

Two hundred eighty-four compositions from all over the world were submitted to this year's edition of the Competition. Among the entrants, there were composers from Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yemen.

Undoubtedly, this confirms the words of the originator of the Competition, the conductor, composer, and President of ZAiKS, Miłosz Bembinow, who, on the occasion of the previous edition, said: I am sure that the next editions of this event, the prestige of which grows from year to year, will continue to enjoy such great interest from creators from all over the world.” And as Aleksander Nowak added: “Apparently, the ambitions and need for expression of today's creators are still successfully fulfilled within the framework of symphonic music with a traditional composition.