Competition auditions
The first competition auditions of the first stage took place on November 18. Forty-four participants took part. The young conductors drew one of two selected pieces from each group. In the first stage, the choices were:
GROUP A
G. Rossini – Overture to the opera The Thief Magpie
C.M. Weber – Overture to the opera Oberon
G. Verdi – Overture to the opera Nabucco
S. Moniuszko – Fantastic Overture Fairy Tale
GROUP B
W.A. Mozart – Haffner’s Symphony in D major, KV 385
W.A. Mozart – Symphony in C major by Linzk, KV 425
L. van Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
L. van Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 Eroica
Each participant was accompanied during the auditions by the wonderful Symphony Orchestra of the Silesian Philharmonic.
In the first stage, the piece Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 by Beethoven was played seventeen times.The most frequently performed piece from group A was the Overture to the opera Oberon; our participants performed it fifteen times.
On November 22, the second stage auditions began, and twelve participants qualified. This group included one Polish representative – Joanna Natalia Ślusarczyk.
In the second stage, the competition participants selected two pieces from group A and two pieces from group B from the given repertoire (including a composition by Karol Szymanowski or Henryk Mikołaj Górecki), and then drew one piece from each group from those indicated. No more than 45 minutes were allocated to arranging the selected pieces with the orchestra.
GROUP A
E. Elgar – Enigma Variations op. 36
A. Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 in E minor From the New World, Op. 95
J. Brahms – Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
M. Karłowicz – Symphony in E minor, Rebirth, Op. 7
GROUP B
A. Dvořák – Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
H.M. Górecki – Concerto-Cantata op. 65
J. Sibelius – Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47
K. Szymanowski – Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61
In the second stage, Symphony No. 9 in E minor, From the New World, Op. 95 by Dvořák and Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61 by Szymanowski were played five times.
Six participants was qualified for the final stage. In the third stage, the competition participants selected two pieces from group A and two pieces from group B, and then drew one piece from group A and group B from those indicated. No more than 50 minutes (not more than 25 minutes for each selected song).
GROUP A
C. Debussy – The Sea
P. Hindemith – Symphony Mathis the Painter
B. Bartók – Concerto for orchestra
W. Lutosławski – Concerto for orchestra
GROUP B
K. Szymanowski – Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19
W. Lutosławski – Symphony No. 4
H.M. Górecki – Refrain op. 21
K. Penderecki – 2nd Christmas Symphony
In the finale, our participants performed three times the Second Symphony in B flat major, Op. 19 by Szymanowski and The Sea by Debussy.
The results of the competition were announced at the concluding press conference.
The third prize, i.e. 6,000 euros and the Bronze Baton, went to Mikhail Mering, the second place went to Sergey Simakov, who received the prize of 10,000 euros and the Silver Baton. The winner was the representative of China, Jong-Jie Yin, and for his victory he received EUR 20,000 and the Golden Baton.
