Seifert Competition is the world’s only international jazz competition dedicated to improvising string players – violinists, violists and cellists.
The Artistic Director of the competition is Aneta Norek-Skrycka – President of the Zbigniew Seifert Foundation, who has been developing the competition since its first edition in 2014.
The originator and initiator of the Zbigniew Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition is dr Małgorzata Jantos – Chair of the Council of the Zbigniew Seifert Foundation.
The legacyof Zbigniew Seifert
Held in Kraków, the city where Zbigniew Seifert was born, the competition brings together young musicians from around the world who share a passion for improvisation, creativity and musical courage.
The idea for the competition was born from a desire to preserve and promote the legacy of Zbigniew Seifert – one of the most outstanding jazz violinists in the history of the instrument. In the 1970s Seifert revolutionized the role of the violin in jazz, creating his own musical language that combined the freedom of improvisation with the virtuosity of classical technique.
Since its first edition, Seifert Competition has become an important meeting place for a new generation of improvising string players. For many young artists it has been a breakthrough moment – an opportunity to perform before an international jury, meet other musicians and open the door to an international career.
The competition formula is open – we welcome different musical styles, performance approaches and original compositions. The organizer of the competition aims to discover strong musical personalities in the spirit of Zbigniew Seifert. We therefore look forward to exciting musical experiences, artistic surprises and the emotions that come with the performances of a new generation of artists.
Seifert Competition is more than a competition – it is a celebration of creativity, artistic individuality and the living spirit of jazz.
Judged bymasters
The jury has included outstanding figures of the international jazz and improvisation scene, such as Michał Urbaniak, Miroslav Vitouš, Mark Feldman, Anja Lechner and Ernst Reijseger – musicians who have helped shape the history of contemporary jazz and improvised music.
