The KF International Marcella Sembrich International Voice

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The KF is excited to announce the winners of the 2015 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition:

1st prize – Jakub Jozef Orlinski, counter-tenor; 2nd prize – Piotr Buszewski, tenor; 3rd prize – Katharine Dain, soprano; Honorable Mention – Marcelina Beucher, soprano;

Out of 92 applicants, 37 contestants took part in the preliminary round of the competition on Saturday, November 7th, with 9 progressing into the final round on Sunday, November 8th at Ida K. Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College.

This year's competition was evaluated by an exceptional jury: Charles Kellis (Juilliard, Prof. emeritus) served as Chairman of the Jury, joined by Damon Bristo (Vice President and Artist Manager at Columbia Artists Management Inc.), Markus Beam (Artist Manager at IMG Artists) and Dr. Malgorzata Kellis who served as a Creative Director and Polish song expert.

About the KF's Marcella Sembrich Competition: Marcella Sembrich-Kochanska, soprano (1858-1935) was one of Poland's greatest opera stars. She appeared during the first season of the Metropolitan Opera in 1883, and would go on to sing in over 450 performances at the Met. Her portrait can be found at the Metropolitan Opera House, amongst the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Giuseppe Verdi.

The KF's Marcella Sembrich Memorial Voice Competition honors the memory of this great Polish artist, with the aim of popularizing Polish song in the United States, and discovering new talents (aged 18-35) in the operatic world.

This year the competition has turned out to be very successful, considering that the number of contestants have greatly increased and that we have now also attracted a number of International contestants from Japan, China, South Korea, France, Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland. The Final auditions started at 11:00am until 3:30pm.

The Kosciuszko Foundation: The American Center of Polish Culture New York City Office: 15 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065, tel: (212) 734-2130, fax: (212) 628-4552 Washington D.C. Office: 2025 O Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-5913, tel: (202) 785-2320 Warsaw, Poland Office: ul. Dobra 56/66, BUW, 00-312 Warszawa Phone/Fax: 011 (4822) 621 7067

From left: Dr. John Micgiel (KF President), Ewa Zadworna (KF Development), Piotr Buszewski, tenor (2nd place), Marcelina Beucher, soprano (Honorary Mention), Jakub Jozef Orlinski, counter-tenor (1st place), Katarzyna Koziol (KF Communications & Cultural Events), Katharine Dain, soprano (3rd place), Prof. Charles Kellis – Chairman of the Jury, Damon Bristo (Columbia Artists Management), Markus Beam (IMG Artists), Dr. Malgorzta Kellis (Artistic Director), Aneta Kuczewska (Vice-Consul, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland), Richard Wargo (Artistic Director, The Sembrich Opera Museum)

Contact: Katarzyna Koziol at [email protected] Photo Gallery: www.TheKF.org

BIOS

Charles Kellis - Chairman of the Jury Charles Kellis is a vocal consultant, voice teacher and writer of reviews and articles on the romance of the voice. He has been a Professor of Music at the University of Iowa, Southern Illinois University, and for 16 years the voice faculty of the Juilliard School. He has served as adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions and as a teacher for the Metropolitan Lindemann Young Artists Program. His students have appeared in leading roles in most major opera houses of the world including: the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Berlin, Covent Garden, Paris, Moscow, Hamburg, Barcelona, Zurich, Bayreuth Festival, Frankfurt, Glyndeborne, Zurich, Viennna, Aix en Provence Festival, Orange Festival, New York City Opera, Los Angeles, and Chicago Lyric. His students have been winners in many prestigious international competitions including: Tchaikovsky in Moscow, Cardiff Singer of the World, Metropolitan Opera, Caruso, Maria Callas, Marion Anderson, Puccini Foundation, Sullivan Award, Joyce Dutka, Arleen Auger, Bel Canto Vocal, the Munich International, Opera Index, Moniuszko International in Warsaw and the Pavarotti Mozart Prize. Master classes and seminars in Europe and USA, including at the San Juan, Puerto Ricco, Pablo Casals Festival with Krzysztof Penderecki. He has been a judge for the Moniuszko International Vocal Competition in Warsaw, and conducted master classes in Radom and at the Krakow Academy of Music in Poland. He is also a reviewer at the Metropolitan Opera for the periodocal Twoja Muza. September, 2015 brought him to China for a series of Master Classes and as Chairman of the Lanzhou University International Vocal Competition, with a return engagement scheduled for 2016. His book “A vocal Journey” will be forthcoming in January 2016.

Damon Bristo – Jury Damon Bristo is a Vice President and Artist Manager at Columbia Artists Management Inc. During his career, he has represented many renowned artists including Isabel Leonard, Deborah Voigt, James Morris, Dolora Zajick, and Amanda Majeski. A frequent guest on the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast intermission Opera Quiz, he has also been heard as a guest on WQXR’s Operavore. Mr. Bristo earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music and has conducted classes for aspiring singers at Wolf Trap, Washington National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Los Angeles Opera, Curtis Institute of Music, and Yale University. He has also held positions at the Glimmerglass Festival, Seattle Opera, and Cleveland Art Song Festival.

Markus Beam - Juror Markus Beam has enjoyed a multifaceted career in the arts. Currently an artist manager at IMG Artists, Mr. Beam works with some of the world’s most established artists and emergingtalent. Prior to his work in artist management, Mr. Beam enjoyed an extensive career as a baritone, singing leading roles on international stages including Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Leipzig, and Theater St. Gallen Switzerland. Highlights of US engagements include appearances with the Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Glimmerglass.

Dr. Malgorzata Kellis, soprano – Artistic Director Polish American Malgorzata Kellis received her MA from the Music Academy in Krakow and her DMA from the Academy of Music in Gdansk. She has been heard performing in concert, opera and oratorio throughout Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Italy. She toured throughout Germany, Austria and France with the Ricercar Orchestra and also performed with the Silesian Orchestra, Mazowiecki Theatre Orchestra, Camerata Polonia, Nowa Ensemble, Munchen Philharmonic, the Warsaw Philharmonic and the Slavic Arts Ensemble. She has been featured at the Warsaw Royal Castle and the Lancut Castle, Teatr Stu, Teatr Polonia in Warsaw, the Krakow Opera, Silesia Opera, Mazowiecki Music Theatre, Riverside Opera, Brooklyn Opera, Queens Opera and the Polish Theatre Institute. She toured Germany with the "Chantal" ensemble with whom she also recorded a CD. Last summer she was heard as the first Polish singer in recital dedicated to the memory of the famous Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich at the Sembrich Museum in Bolton Landing, Lake George. A frequent guest at International Music Festivals, she was a performing artist at the K.Jamroz International Music Festival at Busko- Zdroj and most recently was honored at the opening the XXIII International Organ and Chamber Music Festival in Lezajsk with the legendary Metropolitan tenor, Wieslaw Ochman. She has also performed with the legendary Simon Estes, the famous baritone Mariusz Kwiecien and Jennifer Rowely. This past summer and fall 2015, she was heard in Washington,DC, Portland,OR, Wroclaw,Poland and in Lanzhou, China. The coming months will bring her to the West coast to appear in a recital in Los Angeles CA.

Jakub Józef Orliński, counter-tenor – 1st Prize

Jakub Józef Orliński is a native Polish counter-tenor. He graduated from The F. Chopin University of Music in 2014 earning his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance. During his studies he performed vocal recitals and concerts in Poland as well as around the world. His debut was in Warsaw in Collegium Nobillium Theatre during his freshmen year at the university. He is a member of a prestigious program for young artists - Opera Academy in Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa in Warsaw since 2012. In August 2015 he started studies in The Juilliard School on Graduate Diploma programme with Edith Wiens.

He signed contracts with opera theaters in Warsaw and Białystok in Poland performing roles of: Cupid in Venus & Adonis by J. Blow; Narciso in Agrippina by G.F. Handel. In Germany Jakub performed role of: Ruggiero in Alcina by G. F. Handel in Aachen and in Cottbus; H. Purcell's songs in a ballet production “Othello” in Leipzig Opera House; G.P. Telemann's role of Philippus in Der Misslungene Braut-Wechsel oder Richardus I based on G.F. Handel's Riccardo Primo, Re d'Inghilterra in Gießen/Germany.

Jakub participated in several competitions: Sacred Music Competition/Rome; Neue Stimmen/Germany; Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition/Ireland; the 1 Vocal Competition/Poland, where he have got The Special Mention and The Special Prize; Rudolf Petrák's Singing Competition/Slovakia, where he placed The First Prize; Debut 2012 Singing Competition/Germany, where he have got The Special Prize and the next edition of Debut 2014, where he placed The Third Prize, The 8th Mazovian Golden Voices Competition/Poland, where he has got The 1st Special Mention; Le Grand Prix de l'Opera in Bucharest/Romania, where he placed The Third Prize and the Special Prize, and Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition/New York City, where he placed The First Prize.

Jakub additionally to the singing has always been interested in expressing himself in variety of ways. He especially enjoys dancing breakdance among other styles of dance. His achievements include taping a video clip in Bangkok for a street wear company CROPP; prizes in many dance competitions (The 4 th Place on The Red Bull BC One Poland Cypher; The 2nd Place on The Stylish Strike – Top Rock Contest and The 2nd Place on The Style Control Competition), video clips and photo shootings as a dancer, model and also as an acrobat for many commercial companies such as: Levis; Nike; Turbokolor; Samsung; Mercedes-Benz; MAC Cosmetics; Algida and Danon.

Piotr Buszewski, tenor – 2nd Prize

Tenor Piotr Buszewski, from Warsaw, Poland. He is currently studying at The Juilliard School in New York, studying with Dr. Robert C. White. Ms. Buszewski is also a member of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Opera Studio in Rome, under the direction of Renata Scotto.

Last year, Mr. Buszewski won a second prize in The 2015 Hal Leonard Vocal Competition. He also appeared as Rinuccio in “Gianni Schicchi” by G. Puccini during The Trentino Music Festival in Italy along with making his debut in the Alice Tully Hall in New York.

He has honed his vocal skills under guidance of such notables as Renata Scotto, Deborah Voigt and Bernd Weikl.

Katharine Dain, soprano – 3rd Prize

American soprano Katharine Dain, acclaimed for "thrilling," "heart-piercing" performances, has performed in Europe and North American with companies including the Dutch National Opera, Operadagen Rotterdam, Gotham Chamber Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Omnia, the Center for Contemporary Opera, and Ash Lawn Opera; on festivals including the Holland Festival, West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, and the New York Festival of Song; as soprano soloist with organizations such as Asko|Schönberg, Alexandria Symphony, Springfield Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, Collegiate & Masterwork Chorales, the New York City Ballet, and the Mark Morris Dance Group; and in venues including New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and Vienna's Musikverein. She currently lives in the Netherlands.

Marcelina Beucher, soprano – Honorable Mention

She was born in 1986, and she began her music education as a cellist at the Karol Szymanowski School of Music in Wroclaw (class of prof. Feliks Tatarczyk).

She studied at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wroclaw in her mother's class - prof. Maria Czechowska-Królicka, and graduated from the Academy with a special distinction. In 2012 she spent one year in Riga (Latvia) in prof. Lilija Greidane’s class in frame of Erasmus study programe. Since 2013 she has been a PhD student at the Academy of Music in Wroclaw.

She has won prizes in many national and international competitions, such as: - 44th National Competition for Young Musicians - Karol Kurpiński’s Songs and Arias Competition in Wloszakowice, Poland in 2011 (Special Prize), - 2nd Academic Art Song Competition in Wroclaw, Poland in 2011 (Special Prize), - "Beatrice" International Vocal Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2011 (Special Prize), - 3rd Adam Didur International Competition in Bytom, Poland 2012 (Special Award), - 16th International Vocal Competition Hariclea Darclée in Braila, Romania in 2012 (Foundation Darclée Prize), - 1st Andrzej Hiolski International Vocal Competition in Kudowa Zdroj, Poland in 2012 (Finalist), - Musica Sacra International Vocal Competition in Roma in 2012 (Prize Oratorio), - 6th Halina Halska-Fijałkowska International Vocal Competition in Wroclaw, Poland in 2013 (Second Prize), - Competition "I love Mozart", Musical Theatre in Poznan, Poland in 2013 (First Prize). - 50th International Vocal Competition 's Hertogenbosch, Netherlands in 2014(Laureate). - I. International Eva Marton Singing Competition, Hungary in 2014 (3rd Prize and three Special Prizes). - 4th International Jazeps Vitols Singing Competition, Latvia in 2015 (First Prize).