Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition

The Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition lends an opportunity to exceptional young artists to gain momentum and propel their careers. The competition features four performance categories – piano, violin, string quartet, and voice – as well as a composition category. What binds them together are the various ‘glimpses’ of Szymanowski’s worlds that emerge somewhere between styles, traditions, and the participants’ individual sensibilities. The composer’s oeuvre welcomes a remarkable range of interpretative possibilities, while the competition encourages not merely excellence in performance, but the discovery of a personal artistic voice.

For young musicians, participation in the Szymanowski Competition offers a chance to step onto the international stage and acquire valuable professional experience that may help shape their future careers. Participants perform before a jury made up of leading figures from the music world, as well as critics and members of the audience. Winners receive prizes worth more than €300,000 in total, recording opportunities and invitations to perform in concerts. But the real stake of the competition is the chance for participants to transform their potential for entering the international music scene into a genuine artistic presence.

The competition repertoire has been thoughtfully selected to encourage musical discovery. The intention is not merely to reward technical accomplishment, but also to foster curiosity, interpretative imagination, and a willingness to venture beyond established conventions. The Szymanowski Competition therefore serves both as a tribute to its namesake and as an invitation to think about music creatively.

The event is held in Katowice, which – as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network – boasts the title of a City of Music. Its concert venues are provided by the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, both noted for their fine acoustics and distinctive atmosphere. The city, where industrial heritage meets the vitality of an international cultural scene, provides a particularly fitting setting for the competition.

The 3rd International Karol Szymanowski Music Competition is organised by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the City of Katowice, and partner institutions including the Polish Radio, the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, and the Karol Szymanowski Music Society in Zakopane.