Inaugural Concert of the 15th Michał Spisak International Music Competition Symphonic concert
In 2025, the Michał Spisak International Festival will commemorate important anniversaries and places connected with its patron — the 60th anniversary of the composer’s death and the 110th anniversary of his birth.
The Festival is an important event, highlighting the musical artistry of young performers and fostering the exchange of experiences. It draws attention to the role of the soloist, orchestral musician, and pedagogue in the development and promotion of musical life both in Poland and abroad. The life and work of the composer provide the framework for successive editions of the Festival.
The musical backdrop encompasses a wide repertoire of Polish and international composers, spanning many eras from the 17th century to the present day. The Festival is also a journey through musical styles — from the classics, through improvisations at the intersection of classical music and jazz, to a fusion of classical music with folklore.
A broad spectrum of performance is presented — from solo to tutti — including small forms, chamber ensembles, and large symphonic formations.
The event, held as part of the 5th Michał Spisak International Festival, will be graced by a performance of the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, founded on the initiative of Jerzy Semkow. The soloist of the concert will be Seina Matsuoka, a Japanese violinist based in Vienna. She studied under Prof. Machie Oguri, Prof. Michael Frischenschlager, Prof. Peter Schuhmayer, and Prof. Stefan Mendl. She was a semifinalist of the Queen Elisabeth Competition (2019), winner of the 1st Prize at the 1st VŠMU International Violin Competition (2022), and 1st Prize laureate at the 2nd Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition in Katowice (2023).
The concert will be conducted by the distinguished Joanna Natalia Ślusarczyk, participant of numerous mentoring programs and scholarship holder, who has led many orchestras in countries including Norway, Israel, the United States, Portugal, France, Italy, and Hungary. In November 2024, she received the prestigious Coryphaeus of Polish Music Award presented by the Polish Music Council in the category “Discovery of the Year.”
