Weronika Włodarczyk, a final-year student (Master's degree) at the Vocal Department of the Academy of Art in Szczecin in the solo singing class of Dr. Sylwia Burnicka-Kalischewska, won 1st place and a gold medal in the New York Golden Classical Music Awards International Music Competition 2025. She was also invited to participate in the winners' concert, which took place on March 17 at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York.
For the competition, the student presented works exclusively by Polish composers, Karol Szymanowski and Stanisław Moniuszko, including songs and arias in various styles and from different eras. As decided by the jury, during the laureates' concert, the mezzo-soprano presented the aria Jadwiga Biegnie słuchać w lasy, w knieje from the opera "The Haunted Manor" by Stanisław Moniuszko, which undoubtedly has a positive impact on the promotion of Polish culture worldwide. During the preparation and recordings of the mentioned works, Weronika was accompanied by Agnieszka Barańska. However, during her performance at Carnegie Hall in New York, the piano accompaniment was provided by Lianhua Chi, with whom Weronika had previously performed in July of the previous year at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Her participation in the competition was co-financed by the Marshal's Office of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute under the "Polish Culture in the World" program, and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Sylwia Burnicka-Kalischewska
