The Parliament of the Republic of Poland, convinced of the immense significance of the writer's legacy, has declared the year 2025 as the Year of Stefan Żeromski. On this occasion, the Świętokrzyska Philharmonic in Kielce, a Cultural Institution of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, announces the International Composition Competition "Żeromski 2025." The subject of the competition is a symphonic work (without soloists) inspired by the novella "Puszcza jodłowa" by Stefan Żeromski, particularly one of its themes: historical, natural, or magical. The deadline for submitting scores is November 20, 2025 (the postmark date is decisive).
The competition is open to composers of all nationalities, with no age limit. Each composer may submit more than one score.
The score must be submitted anonymously and marked with a verbal or digital emblem.
Only unpublished works, not publicly performed, and not awarded in other competitions, will be accepted for the competition.
The duration of the work: 15-20 minutes.
The Jury consists of: Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (chairwoman), Jerzy Kornowicz, and Jacek Rogala.
The organizers have established three main prizes:
- I prize funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage – 25,000 PLN
- II prize funded by the Marshal's Office in Kielce – 15,000 PLN
- III prize funded by the Marshal's Office in Kielce – 10,000 PLN
A Special Prize from the Polish Music Publishing House for the youngest laureate will be a complete set of CDs and scores.
The award ceremony and the world premiere of the winning compositions will take place on February 20, 2026, during the Winners' Concert at the Świętokrzyska Philharmonic in Kielce.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.
Rules and regulations: https://www.filharmonia.kielce.pl/konkurs_2025.html
