10 violinists (8 men and 2 women) qualified for this year’s edition of the International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition: Wojciech Barteczek (Poland), Eduardo Bortolotti (Mexico), Serge Hirsch (France), Kacper Malisz (Poland), Amalia Obrębowska (Poland), Guilherme Pimenta (Brazil), João Silva (Portugal), Lucy Southern (USA), Benjamin Sutin (USA), and Gabriel Vieira (Brazil).
The auditions in the semi-final and final stages were held at the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice. The violin virtuosos’ performances were assessed by an international jury consisting of jazz celebrities: Miroslav Vitouš, Mark Feldman, and Michał Urbaniak. This body selected six artists for the finals: Wojciech Barteczek, Kacper Malisz, Amalia Obrębowska, João Silva, Benjamin Sutin, and Gabriel Vieira.
The final results were announced on Friday just before midnight:
‘You are all wonderful artists, which has made it so hard for us to select winners. In fact, you are all winners!’ stressed Michał Urbaniak.
The jury has awarded the following prizes:
The 1st prize and PLN 40,000 – to the Polish violinist Kacper Malisz.
The 2nd prize and PLN 20,000 – to the Brazilian violinist Gabriel Vieira.
Two 3rd prizes of PLN 5,000 each – jointly to Polish artist Amalia Obrębowska and Benjamin Sutin from the USA.
A special award for the best Polish violinist, in the form of an invitation to give a concert at Lusławice’s Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music, was presented to Kacper Malisz.
The audience award went to Eduardo Bortolotti, a Mexican violinist residing in Poland.
The participants, jury members, and the audience that gathered in Lusławice also gave a tremendous applause to the jazz trio that accompanied each of the contestants: Piotr Wyleżoł (piano), Michał Barański (bass), and Dawid Fortuna (drums).
The 5th Seifert Competition ends on Monday with the concert ‘Remembering Tomasz Stańko’, featuring, apart from Stańko’s works, also music by Zbigniew Seifert, as interpreted by Marcin Wasilewski Trio and a guest artist – the Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær.
Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the earmarked government Fund for the Promotion of Culture, as part of the ‘Music’ programme implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance, as well as from the funds of the City of Cracow, the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, and with the financial support of the Małopolska Province.
The Competition’s partner is AUDI.
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