Szymanowski Competition / 1st stage / piano - NOSPR

Is it possible to imagine Karol Szymanowski’s world without the piano? Absolutely not! The piano was his confidant and inseparable companion at times of creative reveries. It was the instrument which enabled him to express himself not only as a composer, but also as a performer. 

In Tymoszówka, the Szymanowskis’ family estate, the piano was virtually a member of the family. The story of its alleged destruction – by being thrown into a pond – is at the same time a story of an end of an era, also an era in the history of music. Yet, history goes on. In the competition, we search for pianists who are able to find the meaning of Szymanowski – here and now. 

The Szymanowski Competition is held every 5 years in 4 performance categories: piano, violin, string quartet and voice. The fifth, special category is the composition competition, which takes place a year before the performance competition, during which the winning works will be performed.  

This event is an opportunity for outstanding young artists. A chance to give their careers momentum and pace. A chance to become an artist recognized to the world. And also, to win a high prize. The prize pool is close to €300,000! 

Admission to the competition auditions is free. Auditions are held in 2 sessions:

1st session from 10:00-13:50

2nd session from 15:50-17:05 (canceled) 

at the Concert Hall at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.

Online booking via the links below is mandatory:

1st session RESERVATION

2nd session RESERVATION

Reservation of entrance tickets will be conducted until the pool of available places is exhausted. Confirmation of the allocation of tickets will be sent to the e-mail address indicated in the reservation process. Tickets will be available for pickup on the day of the event at the place indicated in the e-mail.

Please arrive in advance, in order to take seats in the hall, to ensure uninterrupted auditions.

The full schedule of the competition is available here.

Learn more about the Competition here.