Applications Open for Poland’s 2024 Wajnberg Violin Competition

With applications closing on June 16, 2024, the competition will run from December 1–8, 2024

Founded in 2021 and currently on its second edition, the International Mieczysław Wajnberg Violin Competition in Katowice, Poland, was named for Polish composer Mieczysław Wajnberg, whose contemporaries included Lutosławski, Prokofiev, Bartók, and Shostakovich. 

Open to violinists of any nationality born between 1993 and 2005 (inclusive), the competition will award a €10,000 first prize, €5,000 for second place, and €3,000 for the third prize winner. Each of the finalists will also receive a diploma.

Applications must be received by June 16, 2024. The form is available here. 

The complete application must be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]. Candidates should include the application form, a short biographical note, a current photograph, a video recording on YouTube of the competition repertoire, and proof the €25 entry fee has been paid.  

Rules and competition repertoire can be found here. 

Candidates will receive a confirmation email on June 21, 2024. Participants in the competition will be announced publicly on the competition’s website by June 30, 2024.

“In December 2021 we admired the wonderful creations of young artists from around the world who visited Katowice during the 1st edition of the Competition,” reflected the competition’s director Szymon Krzeszowiec on Facebook. “Shortly after its success, the eyes of the whole world were drawn to the dramatic events in Ukraine that are still taking place today.

“We believe that as people united by the beauty and power of music — a universal bond beyond all divisions, we are able to unite and express our opposition to Russian aggression with the loud voice of our instruments and provide spiritual support to its victims.

“Mieczysław Wajnberg’s life was also marked by pain and suffering, but even in his most moving works there is a note of hope,” he added. “Let the tragic fate of the Competition's patron be a symbol of the strength of survival, reconciliation and care for a better tomorrow.

“I cordially invite young violinists to participate in the 2nd International Mieczysław Wajnberg Violin Competition in Katowice and encounter the timeless beauty and immeasurable depth of his music, which can touch the most sensitive strings of every person’s soul. Hope to see you all in Katowice in December!”