After five years of eager anticipation, the wait is finally over. On September 20, the 6th International Karol Lipiński Violin Competition and Festival will commence in Toruń. What to expect? Here is the detailed programme. 

Festival Opening Gala

On September 20, Toruń will proudly become the European capital of violin music. At 7:00 PM, the Concert Hall of the Jordanki Cultural and Congress Centre will host the grand inauguration of the 6thInternational Karol Lipiński Violin Competition and Festival International Karol Lipiński Violin Competition and Festival. The star of the evening will be Elias David Moncado, the first-prize winner of the previous competition and a world-renowned violinist from Germany. Described by Anne-Sophie Mutter as “one of the greatest talents of his generation”, Moncado will perform a selection of captivating works, including Grażyna Bacewicz’s Overture for Symphony Orchestra, Zygmunt Noskowski’s From the Life of a Nation: Symphonic Variations on Chopin’s Prelude in A major (1901), and Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26. He will be accompanied by the Toruń Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dainius Pavilionis. The opening concert will be hosted by Urszula Guźlecka. 

Hollywood and Broadway

The following day, September 21, at 5:00 PM, a free concert will be held at the Chamber Hall of CKK Jordanki, with strings taking centre stage, fittingly aligned with the ongoing 6th International Karol Lipiński Violin Competition. The Sublima Quartet will present a programme featuring iconic pieces from films, operas, and musicals such as The Godfather, Carmen, and The Phantom of the Opera. The concert will also include beloved classical compositions like Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5 and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. While the concert is free, passes are required and can be picked up at the CKK Jordanki box office starting September 12. 

Two of the Hottest Names in Polish Jazz

On September 23, Toruń will be the stage for a special performance by violinist Adam Bałdych and pianist Leszek Możdżer. Bałdych, often hailed as a musical prodigy, began his career at the age of 14 and remains one of Poland's most gifted violinists. Leszek Możdżer, on the other hand, in 2012 became the first Pole to chair the jury of the prestigious Montreux Jazz Piano Competition. The two musicians, who have both signed to the prestigious ACT Music label, have reunited after more than a decade to create the album “Passacaglia”, a blend of improvisational and classical music. The Toruń audience will have the unique opportunity to hear pieces from this album, showcasing the artists' innovative jazz language, distinct styles, and musical freedom. Expect a performance that is both tempestuous and mysterious, yet also intimate and deeply personal. The concert begins at 7 PM. 

Lectures with Recital

On September 25, at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM, the public is invited to the Copernicus Library (Książnica Kopernikańska) for free lectures on the life and works of Karol Lipiński, accompanied by a short recital. Admission is free.

Violin Competition

The highlight of the festival begins on September 27 with the start of the violin competition, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in Europe, featuring a prize pool of nearly EUR 40,000. The competition will be inaugurated with a concert titled From Italian Land to Poland. This year’s jury chairman, Daniel Stabrawa—an outstanding violinist and conductor who served as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years—will perform on stage. He will be joined by the Toruń Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dainius Pavilionis. The programme includes the Mazurka from S. Moniuszko’s opera The Haunted Manor, marking the 160th anniversary of its completion, A. Panufnik’s Violin Concerto, in celebration of the 110th anniversary of the composer’s birth, and R. Strauss’s symphonic Fantasia Aus Italien, Op. 16, on the 160th anniversary of the artist’s birth. The concert will be conducted by Piotr Matwiejczuk. That evening, the order of participants for the first stage of the competition will also be drawn. The concert begins at 7:00 PM. 

List of Qualified Participants:

- Leon Blekh (1999) - The Netherlands
- Iván Orlín Ariza Chacón (1996) - Colombia
- Wonbeen Chung (1997) - South Korea
- Leonard Fu (1997) - Germany
- Alena Hove (1999) - USA
- Sarah Jegou-Sageman (1998) - France
- Lorenz Karls (2001) - Sweden
- Sojeong Kim (1991) - South Korea
- Jelin Lee (1998) - South Korea
- Maya Levy (1997) - Belgium
- Simon Luethy (2000) - Germany
- Sofia Manvati (2000) - Italy
- Carla Marrero Martínez (1995) - Spain
- Karolina Nowotczyńska (1992) - Poland
- Sunjae Ok (1998) - South Korea
- Audrey Park (2002) - USA
- Hanna Pozorska (2004) - Poland
- Yoanna Ruseva (1998) - Bulgaria
- Aoi Saito (1997) - Japan
- Kumi Shimizu (1991) - Japan
- Jakub Staszel (2003) - Poland
- Jaewon Wee (1999) - South Korea
- Tianren Xie (1994) - China
- Siqi Yu (1998) - China

On Saturday, September 28, the international violin competition will officially commence. Competitors will perform works by J.S. Bach, E. Ysaÿe, and either Paganini or Wieniawski. Admission to the auditions is free, with the detailed schedule to be announced shortly. The first-round auditions will continue until September 30 and will be broadcast live on the Toruń Symphony Orchestra’s YouTube channel. 

An Evening with Polish Music

On September 30, the names of the 12 violinists who qualify for the second stage of the competition will be announced. On the same evening, the audience is invited to attend “An Evening with Polish Music” at the Chamber Hall of the CKK Jordanki. The performance will feature the Polish Violin Duo, comprised of Robert Łaguniak and Marta Gidaszewska, both of whom are laureates of the 1st and 2nd editions of the International Polish Music Competition. Notably, Robert Łaguniak secured 2nd place in the previous edition of the International Karol Lipiński Violin Competition in Toruń. The duo will perform works by G. Bacewicz, M. Spisak, T. Paciorkiewicz, A. Derecskei, H. Wieniawski, and A. Rocławska-Musiałczyk. Free passes are required and can be picked up at the CKK Jordanki box office starting September 12. The concert begins at 6 PM. 

Violin & Piano Recitals

The second stage of the competition will take place on October 1 and 2. During these 45-minute recitals, the participants will perform with piano accompaniment, with each performance featuring a mandatory piece by Karol Lipiński. Accompanying the contestants will be distinguished pianists Bartłomiej Wezner and Radosław Kurek. Admission is free, with the exact schedule to be announced soon. 

Lutherie Workshops

On October 4 and 5, at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, esteemed luthiers Andrzej Nogaj and Mirosław Baran will conduct lutherie workshops in the conference rooms of the CKK Jordanki. Free passes are available at the CKK Jordanki box office starting September 12. 

Competition Finale

The competition’s thrilling conclusion will unfold on October 4 and 5, with the third stage showcasing six finalists performing concertos by some of the most influential composers in violin literature: K. Lipiński, M. Karłowicz, H. Wieniawski, F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, J. Sibelius, J. Brahms and L. van Beethoven. The young violinists will be accompanied by the Toruń Symphony Orchestra. The October 4 concert begins at 7:00 PM, and the October 5 concert at 6:00 PM That evening, the winners of the competition will be announced. On October 6 at 5:00 PM, the competition’s top violinists will perform in the highly anticipated Winners’ Concert, accompanied by the Toruń Symphony Orchestra. The programme will feature selected violin concertos or excerpts, with Dainius Pavilionis returning as conductor. The event will be hosted by Urszula Guźlecka and Piotr Matwiejczuk.