Concert of the winners of the 3rd Grzegorz Fitelberg National Conductors Competition

Performers: laureates of the 3rd Grzegorz Fitelberg National Conductors Competition

Silesian Chamber Orchestra

Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Program: Grzegorz Fitelberg — Song of the Falcon Op. 18

Mieczysław Karłowicz — Eternal Songs, Op. 10

Antonín Dvořák — Symphony No. 9 in E minor Op. 95 From the New World

After years of hiatus, the Grzegorz Fitelberg National Conductors Competition returns to the Silesian Philharmonic. The final concert of the third edition will not only be the culmination of several days of struggle of young Polish conductors, but also an opportunity to meet artists who in the future can co-create the face of the Polish music scene.

The competition refers to a tradition started by the Silesian Philharmonic many years ago. Over time, the event developed into the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conductors Competition, which today belongs to the most important conducting competitions in the world. The return of the national competition opens a new chapter in this history, creating a space for the presentation of the talents of the young generation of Polish conductors.

During the three stages of the competition, participants will work with pianos, the Silesian Chamber Orchestra and the Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. Their interpretations will be judged by a jury composed of prominent personalities of Polish conducting: Antoni Wit, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Agnieszka Duczmal, Łukasz Borowicz and Yaroslav Shemet.

The concert program of the laureates consists of three works that require the conductor both excellent technical skills and the ability to build a broad musical narrative. The evening will open with Grzegorz Fitelberg's Song of the Falcon — a symphonic poem inspired by a short story by Maxim Gorky. The work belongs to the most important compositions of the patron of the competition and remains a testament to his compositional talent, which today remains somewhat in the shadow of his conducting activity.

A special place in the program will be occupied by Mieczysław Karłowicz's Eternal Songs — one of the most outstanding works of Polish late Romanticism. The three-part symphonic poem leads the listener from a reflection on the eternal permanence of nature, through the experience of transience, to a vision of an all-encompassing being. Karłowicz created extremely suggestive music, full of rich orchestration, broad phrases and philosophical reverie.

The concert concludes with Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor from the New World — one of the most recognizable works in the history of music. Created during the composer's stay in the United States, the symphony combines European tradition with inspiration from American music. The famous Largo, the exuberant scherzo and the triumphant finale have delighted audiences around the world for more than a hundred years, and for the participants of the competition they represent a unique test of musical imagination and interpretive maturity.

CONCERT INFORMANT