After two all-Poland’s editions (1970 and 1974), on Fitelberg’s 100th birthday, the 1st International Competition for Conductors commemorating him was held, with Karol Stryja as his initiator. Ever since then, the Silesian Philharmonic has been an extremely important centre of educating and discovering new conducting talents. The mission of the event established in 1979 was – and still remains – not only to help the most talented conductors to begin their artistic careers and to open the doors of the world’s grandest concert halls to them, but also to popularise Polish music amongst contestants from abroad and music lovers who follow the course of the Competition. Promotion of the Polish cultural heritage beyond the borders of Poland constitutes the essence of the idea Fitelberg devoted almost his entire life to.
Jong-Jie Yin wins the Gold Baton in Katowice
Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition is commemorating the 70th anniversary of the passing of its namesake conductor and patron
The Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors is one of the most prestigious performance competitions in Poland. It is addressed to artists younger than 39. Its renown and the prestige associated with winning any place on the podium open a path to a world career for young conductors. Since its very beginning, the Competition has been organised by the Silesian Philharmonic, which ever since the first years of its existence has been strongly connected with the figure of the patron of the competition. He was a regular on the stage of this institution, where he performed together with the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Radio. His ideas were implemented in the Philharmonic in Katowice with particular respect by its director of many years, Karol Stryja, Grzegorz Fitelberg’s student, the only one Fitelberg had ever prepared for the diploma.
The 11th edition of this prestigious event has been planned six years after the previous one, that is in 2023, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Grzegorz Fitelberg’s death. The groundwork for the 11th edition was provided already in 2021, with the announcement of a grant from the budget of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund within the scheme of the programme “Music”, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance. Preparations to the 11th Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors comprise – without limitations – concerts, exhibitions, and masterclasses. Their goal is to revive the memory of Grzegorz Fitelberg, to promote Polish music, to search for new conducting talents, and to emphasise the role of the Silesian Philharmonic as the organiser of the Competition as an institution that really influences the shape of the world’s leading music scene.
Prizes:
1st Prize: Jong-Jie Yin, Beijing
2nd Prize: Sergey Simakov, Zürich
3rd prize: Mikhail Mering, Rishon Lezion
Jury:
Lawrence Foster, Patrick Fournillier, Ayyub Guliyev, Federico Hernández, Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, Michał Nesterowicz, Yaroslav Shemet, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Daniel Stabrawa, Christopher Warren-Green, Johannes Wildner, Stephen Wright, Andriy Yurkevych
Artists:
Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Jong-Jie Yin, 1st prize
Sergey Simakov, 2nd pirze
Mikhail Mering, 3rd prize
