11th International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music

In the days 30 Augus  to 1st September 2007 in the Krakow took place the 11th edition of the International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music, which is recognized as one of the greatest competitions of interpreting contemporary music in Europe. The level of the competition was judged as ';unusual high', what audience could hear during the Gala Concert when the Grand Prix was prized.

This year editon gathered 58 participants not only from Europe (Germany, France, Swiss, Netherlands, Serbia, Croatia, Armenia, Belgium and Poland) but also from Asia (Japan, Taiwan, South Korea). Participants were playing in fourth categories: solo, duo, trio and quartet, had a possibility present themselves with two pieces include one of the polish composer.

Members of the Jury this year were: Jan Pilch (chairman),

Paul Patterson, Geoffrey Douglas Madge, Hanna Kulenty and Tadeusz Wielecki.

Audiences last two days (30th and 31st September 2007) and were hol in the Concert Hall of the Music School in Krakow. Each evening we had a possibility to hear a recital of the previous laureate of the competition. On the 30th August the laureate of the 10th Competition - Joanna Wicherek (piano) -played and on the 31st August played Axoum Duo (Elwira Ślązak-marimba and Gabriel Collet-marimba) laureates of the 2nd prize in the 7th Competition and 1st in 8th Competition.

The Grand Concert was on the 1st September in the Philharmonic Hall. Laureates of the fisrt prizes were compete fo the first prize: Bartosz Koziak from Poland (cello), Piano Duo LP from Serbia, Berolina Trio Japan-Poland-Germany and Sonic Art Quartet from Germany.

The Final Concert were opened by serbian duo - Piano Duo LP, who won the first prize among duos and Special Prize for the best perfomence of the Netherlands Composer after them played soloist from Germany - Paul Hübner, the winner of the Special Prize name of the Prof. Marek Stachowski for the best performence of the polish piece (he was the only player who did not take part in the contest for the Grand Prix).

The pianist from Poland - Natalia Koziarz, was honoured with the Bravissimo Prize founded by Polish Institute in Stockholm. The prize is a concert in Stockholm for the pretending polish artist.

The high standard of the competition emphasized the decision the Jury to give two Grand Prix ex aequo for the Berolina Trio (Eriko Makumura, Katarzyna Górska, Krzysztof Polonek) and Sonic Art Quartet (Ruth Velten, Alexander Doroshkevich, Martin Posegga, Annegret Schmiedl)

The special guest of the Concert was the Grand Prix Laureate of the 4th Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in 2000, the accordion trio from Krakow - Motion Trio (Janusz Wojtarowicz, Marcin Gałażyn, Paweł Baranek). Artists played prapremiere pices of the Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Wojciech Kilar.

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