The first stage of the 4th Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers’ Competition has concluded
On 28 September 2026, the five works selected for the second stage of the 4th Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers’ Competition were announced.
On 27 November, they will be performed by the Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Szymon Bywalec.
“Taking part in the previous edition of the competition was a valuable and formative experience for me, both artistically and personally. I had the opportunity to present my work to a professional jury, performing artists and the audience gathered that evening at the Szczecin Philharmonic,” says Maciej Kabza, last edition prize-winner and a member of this year’s jury.
The jury, chaired by Zbigniew Kozub and comprising Anna Maria Huszcza, Szymon Bywalec, Karl Fiorini, Maciej Kabza, Przemysław Neumann (Director of the Philharmonic) and Julia Marczuk-Macidłowska (Secretary, non-voting), selected five works from among 206 submissions:
La Dame à la licorne – Marcin Molski (Poland)
Resonar – Lorenzo Petrizzo (Italy)
SILVER MIRRORING – Olgierd Juzala-Deprati (Poland)
the extraterrestrial excursion of Messrs. Chopin, Karłowicz, and Szymanowski through the asteroid belt, ca. 1909 – Erqing Wang (China)
Vesper – Wojciech Chałupka (Poland)
“This year, as a member of the jury, I had the opportunity to experience a broad spectrum of works by contemporary composers. For me, this diversity was not only a testament to the richness of contemporary music, but also an inspiring encounter with many individual approaches to musical art,” Kabza adds.
This year’s edition confirmed the words of the competition’s initiator, ZAiKS President Miłosz Bembinow, who has emphasised that the event’s growing prestige continues to attract large numbers of creators. Now firmly established on the international music scene, the competition once again drew considerable interest from composers from around the world.
Composers from 35 countries took part in this year’s competition, representing Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The final of the 4th Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers’ Competition will take place on 27 November 2026 at the Szczecin Philharmonic. The orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Szymon Bywalec.
The Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers’ Competition is organised by the Polish Society of Authors and Composers ZAiKS and the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin.