From the History of the Competition – the Conductors’ Chivalry, or a Noble Duel of Sounds and Tuning Forks

When recalling the successive editions of the International Choir Conducting Competition ‘Towards Polyphony’, it is impossible not to think back to December 1991, when, on the initiative of Professor Zofia Urbanyi -Krasnodębska, the then Chair of Vocal and Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble Conducting at our Academy created an opportunity for young choir conductors to present and compare their skills for the first time. Probably no one imagined then that the competition would continue in the following decades, and that we would be proud of the fact that to this day it remains the only event of its kind in Poland with international significance and established, high prestige. The turn of the 1980s and 1990s was a time of significant political and systemic changes. It was these changes that inspired Professor Wanda Czerniawska to organise the Competition, which, according to her intentions, was to refer to the idea of noble, chivalrous rivalry and create a symbolic bridge connecting the choral communities of Eastern and Western Europe. In organising each subsequent edition of the Competition, we strive not only to preserve Professor's guiding principle, but also to develop it further. We are delighted that over the past 34 years, more than 140 conductors have taken part in the competition, and that the ‘musical bridge’ has reached new countries and continents, showcasing choral art as a value that unites people around the world. 

The International Choir Conducting Competition ‘Towards Polyphony’ is a cyclical event, and although its first three editions were held at different time spans (1991, 1999, 2005), the main idea is to organise the competition every three years. There was a slight disruption to the schedule and a reduction in the waiting time to two years in 2016, when the 7th edition of the Competition was held as part of the World Choral Day and European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 celebrations. It was a special time for our city, with many artistic projects promoting the history and culture of Wrocław. These included the National Composition Competition in the field of choral composition. It is worth noting that the winning composition, Tutelaris Wratislaviae by Przemysław Szczotka, was performed for the first time during the 7th Tournament by the participants of the third stage and the NFM Choir. The next editions – the 8th and 9th – took place as planned in 2019 and 2022.

The International Choir Conducting Competition ‘Towards Polyphony’ is a large and demanding undertaking, managed in terms of content and organisation by the Chair of Choir Conducting with the full support and assistance of both the authorities and all administrative departments of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław. It is widely known that even the greatest passion and commitment would not help in the final completion of the planned project without the appropriate financial resources. We are grateful to note that the patrons of the last three editions of the Competition included: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Marshal of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, the Mayor of Wrocław, KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., the Honorary Consul of the Italian Republic in Wrocław, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Austria in Wrocław, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus in Katowice and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania. The high status of our event is emphasised by the honorary patronage granted by important individuals and institutions. As part of our partnership, we cooperate on an ongoing basis with the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, as well as Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne (2016) and “Ruch Muzyczny” (2022).

Years of practice and observation have allowed us to develop a competition model which, in the opinion of the Chair's members, best showcases the talent, skills and, above all, personality of the participants through an appropriate selection of repertoire representing different styles and eras. During the competition, young conductors have the opportunity to work with several choirs. In addition to ensembles such as the choirs of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, the NFM Choir (2016, 2019, 2022, 2025), the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music Choir in Katowice (2016, 2019), the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music Chamber Choir in Poznań, Rondo Vocal Ensemble (2022), the Chamber Choir of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (2025), Cantores Minores Wratislavienses (2025), and EuropaChorAkademie (2025). When writing about the competition, it is impossible not to mention the jury, as it is their scores that determine the winners and the final distribution of prizes. The participants' performances are evaluated by an international panel of five outstanding choir conductors. Throughout the history of the Competition, they have represented countries such as Belarus (Inessa Bodyako, Andrei Savritski), Croatia (Jasenka Ostojić), Estonia (Raul Talmar), Georgia (Liana Chonishvili), Lithuania (Vytautas Miškinis, Gintautas Venislovas), Germany (Hans Jaskulsky, Anne Kohler), Poland (Anna Domańska, Stanisław Krawczyński, Marcin Tomczak, Elżbieta Wtorkowska), Slovenia (Marko Vatovec), Great Britain (Graham Lack), Italy (Andrea Angelini) and Taiwan (Heng-Yi Pao). Their work is chaired by Prof. Dr Hab. Marta Kierska-Witczak, and Aleksandra Milcarz serves as secretary.

As organisers, we make every effort to ensure that the main protagonists of the Competition are its participants, i.e. 16 of the most talented young choir conductors, selected through competitive eliminations from both Polish and foreign music centres. We provide them with appropriate care, make the Academy's infrastructure available to them so that they can prepare for their competition performances, and above all, we ensure a friendly atmosphere, in which our students – volunteers and members of workshop choirs – play an invaluable role. As they themselves emphasise, this is a time of great effort for them, but also of satisfaction, resulting from the opportunity to gain new experiences, contacts and friendships.

Three days of competition excitement culminate in a gala Concert of Laureates in the Concert Hall of the Wrocław Academy of Music. Following the professional careers of all the winners, we note with great satisfaction that our competition has become an excellent promotion of their talent, and that they themselves are developing international artistic careers, collaborating with professional choirs and cultural institutions, among others.

Three days of competition excitement culminate in a gala Concert of Laureates in the Concert Hall of the Wrocław Academy of Music. Following the professional careers of all the winners, we note with great satisfaction that our competition has become an excellent promotion of their talent, and that they themselves are developing international artistic careers, collaborating with professional choirs and cultural institutions, among others.

Martynas Staškus from Lithuania (the first winner of the competition in 1991) joined the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius, where he served as principal conductor for several seasons. He collaborates with outstanding soloists and directors from European stages and has also conducted many world premieres of works by Lithuanian composers.

Evita Taranda from Latvia (first prize in 1999) worked with the world-renowned ensemble “Ave Sol”, and since 2000 she has been the conductor of the Stradiņš University Choir in Riga and an artist and choirmaster of the State Choir “Latvija”. She has gained wide recognition for her interpretative sensitivity, particularly in the field of contemporary music.

Dr Kaspars Ādamsons from Latvia (first prize in 2005) is the conductor of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, a teacher at the JVLMA and the artistic director of the Sōla choir. He is also the principal conductor of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival. He is regularly invited to collaborate with European orchestras, conduct masterclasses and serve as a juror at competitions and festivals.

Jānis Liepiņš from Latvia (first prize in 2008) worked as conductor of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet in Riga and artistic director of the youth choir Kamēr…,  with which he gained international fame. He is currently principal conductor at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, where he stages numerous opera and ballet premieres, and also guest conducts other European ensembles.

Alexander Humala from Belarus (first prize in 2011) worked with the NOSPR, conducted Capella Sonorus and was artistic director of the Krakow Philharmonic. He has recorded for Mezzo and ARTE and made numerous festival appearances.

Yuval Weinberg from Israel (first prize in 2014) is currently the principal conductor of the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart and the conductor and artistic director of “Det Norske Solistkor”. He also collaborates with leading European radio choirs. He records acclaimed albums, and his masterclasses are very popular.

Linas Balandis from Lithuania (first prize in 2016) is Dean of the Faculty of Music at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius and conductor of the “Kariūnas” male choir and the “Polifonija” choir. He combines his artistic activities with academic work, educating new generations of Lithuanian conductors.

Heng-Yi Pao from Taiwan (first prize in 2019) is developing his career in both choral and orchestral conducting. He conducts the KSO Youth Orchestra and lectures at several universities, while also actively performing in Asia and Europe.

Sophia Khutsishvili from Georgia (first prize in 2022) is expanding her artistic portfolio by collaborating with renowned European choirs, including the Berlin Radio Choir and the Sofia National Philharmonic Choir. Since 2022, she has been the artistic director of the “Cappella-Albertina” ensemble in Vienna.

We hope that the 10th International Choir Conducting Competition ‘Towards Polyphony’ will once again become a unique celebration of choral music, and that our Academy of Music will once again open a culture-creating space uniting a multi-generational, international group of choir conductors. I wish the participants of this year's edition of the Competition artistic courage and the best possible presentation of their musical knowledge and sensitivity, and the jurors, choir members and listeners – satisfaction and joy resulting from their encounter with choral music.

Prof. Dr Hab. Jolanta Szybalska-Matczak

Head of the Chair of Choir Conducting

Artistic Director of the Competition