On June 4, 2018, the jury chaired by Krzysztof Penderecki, out of 106 submitted works, selected the laureates of the "Warsaw Polonaise for Independence" composition competition. The winning works will be recorded and solemnly performed during this year's edition of the La Folle Journée Festival and the Warsaw Polonaise Procession.

In September 2017, Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra has announced a competition for composers to write a polonaise to grace the centenary of the country’s independence. The idea was to mobilise composers, particularly young Polish talent, to draw on the tradition of one of Poland’s national dances.

The compositions submitted on June 1 and 2 were evaluated by a committee chaired by prof. Krzysztof Penderecki, composed of: Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil, Agata Zubel, Paweł Mykietyn, Paweł Szymański, Tadeusz Strugała and Janusz Marynowski, director of the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, a cultural institution of the Capital City of Warsaw.

The winners of the competition are: Emil Wojtacki (Krakow), the emblem: PELOPONEZ (first prize), Paweł Siek (Lublin), the emblem: ORNANT-RAMENT-20 (2nd prize), Ireneusz Boczek (Kraków), the emblem: B169164K (III prize). The jury also decided to award an extra distinction for the youngest participant in the competition – Adam Józef Falenty from Toruń (born on December 17, 2005), the emblem: VISTULA. The prizes were funded by the Capital City of Warsaw: 50,000 PLN (1st place), 30,000 PLN (2nd place) and 20,000 PLN (3rd place).

The three winning compositions will be recorded by Sinfonia Varsovia in August this year at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio, under the direction of the young Polish conductor Paweł Kapuła. CDs with the recording will be sent to Warsaw secondary and music schools, libraries and faculties of musicology and music universities in Poland. The premiere of the winning polonaises will take place on September 29 at 1.00 pm, during the 9th edition of the La Folle Journée Festival at the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera.

More details at: http://www.sinfoniavarsovia.org/pl/