Jury
Ewa Vesin - soprano
Artistic Director of the International Antonina Campi Vocal Competition, Ph. D. in Arts. Born in Lublin, Poland, Ewa Vesin is a talented singer and teacher. She started her musical education and artistic career in her native city. She has been involved in teaching and preparing the most gifted young people to become opera singers, e.g. at Antonina Campi Opera Masterclass. She mastered her vocal technique and educational competence also at Yale University, USA, with Professor Doris Yarick-Cross and Timothy Shaindlin. Ewa Vesin studied singing at the Academy of Music in Kraków and in Wrocław. She completed post-graduate studies in management at the Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw. She is a winner of the Special Prize and the scholarship of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2007). She was honoured with the Bronze Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis Medal (2010).
At the time, Ewa Vesin has in her repertoire the main roles in e.g. Moniuszko’s Halka, Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Prokofiev’s Fiery Angel, Puccini’s Tosca and Turandot or Wagner’s Tannhäuser, Walküre, Sigfried, Götterdammerung, Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmélites, Verdi’s Nabucco, Don Carlos, Otello, Il Trovatore, Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, Giordano’s Andrea Chénier.
The artist also performs symphonic and oratorio music. Her repertoire includes works of e.g. H.M. Górecki, G. Mahler, G. Verdi, K. Szymanowski, L. van Beethoven, K. Penderecki, and W.A. Mozart.
Ewa Vesin had been collaborating with many great music institutions worldwide – the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, Warsaw Philharmonics, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Opera National Montpellier, Opera de Toulon, the National Theatre in Prague, Theater an der Wien, The Norwegian Opera House, Hannover Staatsoper, Hamburg Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Opera di Roma, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro Communale di Bologna.
In her career, the soprano has collaborated with some of the most world-famous conductors: Axel Kober, Krzysztof Penderecki, Oksana Lyniv, Kazushi Ono, Valery Gergiev, Alexander Liebreich, Paul McCreesh, Ernst Kovacic, Łukasz Borowicz, Michał Klauza, Benjamin Bayl, Bassem Akiki, Andrzej Boreyko, Michael Schoenwandt, Valerio Galli, Michele Mariotti, Xian Zhang, Carlo Goldstein and Aleftina Loffe.
In June 2024, the Artist debuted in one of the most important opera companies in the world – La Monnaie in Brussels where she sang in premiere performances of Puccini’s Turandot – the role she also performed in Teatro Massimo in Palermo in September 2024, while in October she continued her Italian journey in Teatro Communale di Bologna with Wagner’s Walküre. She also will play the same role on stage in the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing in spring 2025, while in Autumn she will debute as Ortrud in Wagner’s Lohengrin in Hannover. Ewa Vesin will finish 2025/2026 season in Opera Antwerpen and Luxembourg with Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco and in Staatsoper Stuttgart as Turandot.
Agnieszka Rehlis - mezzosoprano
She graduated from the Academy of Music in Wrocław in the class of Barbara Ewa Werner.
In 1996-2007 she was a soloist of the Wrocław Opera, where she sang many significant opera parts. She sang, among others, the role of Laura in the premiere of A. Ponchielli's Gioconda realized at the Odra in Wrocław (TVP, 2003) and as Aza in Paderewski's Manru (DUX, Fryderyk Award in the category: the most outstanding recording of Polish music, 2004).
Since 2007, she has been working as an independent artist. For many years she has specialised in concert activity, and her repertoire includes over 80 items of this type, from works by Bach to contemporary composers. She has given concerts in philharmonic halls in Poland and Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Ukraine, Lithuania, Austria, Latvia, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland). She has taken part in many international festivals, including. She has taken part in many international festivals, including Wratislavia Cantans, the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, the Probaltica Festival in Toruń, the Usedomer Musikfestival in Peenemünde, the Festival Pablo Casals in Prades, the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, festivals of sacred music in Marseille and Nuremberg, George Enescu Festival (Bucharest), Rheingau Musik Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Kontrasty in Lviv, Prague Spring, Bregenzer Festspiele, Beijing Music Festival, Café Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival or Klarafestival (Brussels).
She has performed with the accompaniment of, among others: National Philharmonic Orchestra, NOSPR, Sinfonia Varsovia, NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg / Elbphilharmonie, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, London Symphony Orchestra, Israel Camerata under the baton of many eminent conductors led by Krzysztof Penderecki, with whom she worked regularly between 1999 and 2016.
She appeared as Hannah in the world premiere of M. Weinberg's The Passenger, directed by D. Pountney in Bregenz, as well as at Houston Grand Opera, Lincoln Center Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Florida Grand Opera. In the lead role of Lisa in the same opera, Agnieszka Rehlis made her highly successful debut at the Grand Theatre - National Opera (TW-ON). At TW-ON she has also appeared in many premiere productions as Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia by G. Donizetti, Hagar in Knapik's Moby Dick, Marta in P. Tchaikovsky's Iolanta or Fenena in G. Verdi's Nabucco. Verdi.
In 2016, she sang the part of Amneris in Aida by G. Verdi at the Estonian National Opera in Tallinn. For many years, she was mainly associated with contemporary music not of her own choosing, but 2017 (the role of Adalgisa in V. Bellini's Norma alongside Edita Gruberova at TW-ON) saw a significant turn and development of her career towards opera music on world stages, resulting in many debuts.
She appeared in S. Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel at Opernhaus Zürich, Scottish Opera, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and TW-ON. As Azucena (Troubadour by G. Verdi), she was successful at the DomStufen-Festspiele in Erfurt, at the Konzert Theater Bern and most recently at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. She was Amneris and Carmen at the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen and Narodni Divadlo in Prague, Anna in Berlioz's opera The Trojans at the Semperoper Dresden and Fenena at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Chiwria in M. Mussorgsky's Sarorgsky's Fair at the Komische Oper Berlin or Waltraute in R. Wagner's Twilight of the Gods at the Teatro Campoamor (Oviedo).
On 15 October 2021, the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, awarded the artist the Silver Medal ‘Meritorious for Culture Gloria Artis’.
In 2021, she enjoyed great success in the role of Azucena in Troubadour by G. Verdi at the Zürich Opernhaus, alongside Piotr Beczała. 2022 proved to be a year of great debuts at the Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro Real, Royal Opera House, La Scala, Fondazione Arena di Verona, Savonlinna Opera Festival 2022, among others, while 2023 only confirmed the earlier successes by bringing more at venues such as the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, Sydney Opera House, Royal Opera House, Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse.
Many more debuts and opera stages lie ahead for the artist. She is scheduled to perform at venues such as the Osterfestspiele Salzburg, the Staatsoper Berlin, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, the Oper Frankfurt or to return to such great venues as the Royal Opera House, the Opernhaus Zurich or the Teatro de la Maestranza, among others.
photo Karpati&Zarewicz
Tadeusz Szlenkier - tenor
He holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Warsaw and a degree in voice and acting from Yale University. In 2005, he won first prize at the Klassik-Mania International Vocal Competition in Vienna.
In the current and upcoming season, he will present himself on international stages as Ctirad in Šárce Fibich at the Narodny Divadle in Prague, Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Chilean National Opera and the Krakow Opera, Turridu in The Chivalry of the Countryside and Canio in The Pagliacs at the Opéra de Toulon, Parsifal and Lohengrin in Wagner's operas at the Staatstheater Nürnberg and Don Alvaro in The Power of Destiny. He will also appear in the Chorus Opera production at the Grand Theatre - National Opera in Warsaw and sing the role of Silvanus Schuller in Penderecki's Black Mask with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
The spinto tenor at his disposal performs a wide repertoire including parts such as: Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, the Prince in Rusalka, Manrico in Troubadour, the Singer in The Knight of the Silver Rose, Don José in Carmen, the titular Don Carlo in Verdi's opera, Gustavo in Masked Ball, the Emperor in Woman Without a Shadow, Leicester in Maria Stuart, Jontek in Halka, Shepherd in King Roger, Stefan in The Haunted Manor, Chevalier des Grieux in Manon, Ishmael in Nabucco, Prince Sinodal in The Demon and the Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucrezia.
He has worked with conductors such as Joana Mallwitz, Patrick Fournillier, Björn Huestege, Roberto Rizzi-Brignoli, Guido Johannes Rumstadt, Edward Cumming, Leon Botstein, Giuseppe Grazioli, Jeremy Silver, Antoni Wit, Uwe Theimer and Eraldo Salmieri.
photo B. Banaszak
Artur Ruciński - baritone
Artur Ruciński is one of the most recognizable Polish opera singers in the world, who has gained great international fame in recent years.
His vocal artistry is appreciated by audiences and critics and opens the way for him to the largest and most prestigious opera stages. In recent years, he has been hailed as one of the best Verdi baritones of our time.
In the 2009/2010 season, the Austrian magazine "Festspiele" placed the artist on the list of the 20 best opera singers in the world. In February 2016, he made his debut on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera in the role of Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Since then, he has performed on the stage of the MET in dozens of performances, Massenet's Manon and Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with his participation were broadcast to cinemas around the world in the Live in HD series
The turning point in his career, however, was when Maestro Daniel Barenboim heard him and immediately invited him to sing in Eugene Onegin under his baton at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin. His stage partners are usually the most distinguished singers, and the performances and concerts in which he sings are led by the most distinguished conductors.
The artist has appeared on the stages of many of the most important opera houses and concert halls in the world. So far, he has appeared on over 30 stages: from San Francisco, through New York, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Vienna, Zurich, London to Tokyo. Artur Ruciński devotes part of his busy schedule to participating in concerts, radio and television appearances and festivals, including in Warsaw, Paris, Oslo, Dresden, Vienna, Berlin, performing masterpieces of the oratorio-cantata repertoire, including Szymanowski's Stabat mater, Orff's Carmina burana or Gustav Mahler's songs. Numerous CD and DVD recordings document the versatility of this exceptional artist. The late music journalist Karl Löbl wrote about his performance in Carmina Burana: "The baritone discovery at the Vienna Musikverein – remember the name Artur Ruciński and go to every opera where you can hear this singer..."
photo Karpati&Zarewicz
Rafał Siwek - bass
The Polish bass Rafal Siwek has distinguished himself as an interpreter of Verdi’s roles, including Filippo II (Don Carlo), Zaccaria (Nabucco), Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra), the Grande Inquisitore (Don Carlo), Padre Guardiano (La Forza del destino), the title role in Attila, Silva (Ernani), Ramfis (Aida).
He is a regular guest on international stages including Opéra Bastille in Paris (Lohengrin, La Forza del destino, Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto), Covent Garden in London (Rusalka), Bayerische Staatsoper Munich (Nabucco, Don Carlo, Luisa Miller, Aida, Rigoletto, Turandot, Onegin, Siegfried, Don Giovanni), Staatsoper Berlin (Don Carlo, Aida) and Deutsche Oper Berlin (Don Giovanni), Opernhaus Zürich (Don Carlo, Aida, Don Giovanni), Staatsoper Hamburg (Prince Igor), Semperoper Dresden (Rusalka), Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (Boris Godunov-season opening, Ivan the Terrible, Don Carlo, Prince Igor), Marinsky Theatre (Prince Igor), New National Theatre in Tokyo (Don Carlo, Die fliegende Holländer), Teatro Real in Madrid (Die Zauberflöte, Don Carlo, Aida), Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam (Rigoletto, Don Giovanni, Oedipus Rex), Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (Nabucco, Die Zauberflöte).
He appears also frequently in Italian theatres including Teatro alla Scala in Milan (Die Zauberflöte, Don Carlo), Arena di Verona 2005, 2014-2024 (Nabucco, Aida, Turandot, Don Giovanni, La Boheme), Teatro dell’Opera in Rome (Tristan und Isolde, Aida), Teatro Regio in Turin (Don Carlo), Teatro Comunale in Bologna (Norma, Yolanta, La Forza del destino), Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (La Boheme, Il Trovatore), Teatro Regio in Parma (Simon Boccanegra, Luisa Miller), Teatro San Carlo in Naples (Nabucco), Teatro Massimo in Palermo (Simon Boccanegra).
Rafal Siwek is an active concert artist. Under the baton of Lorin Maazel, he has sung in Verdi’s Requiem in Milan, Venice, Casablanca, Fez, Busseto, Assisi and Jerusalem, and in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Milan, Rome, the Vatican, Brussels and Taormina. He has also worked with Zubin Mehta at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome in Verdi’s Requiem and at the Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Audiences in Verona have heard Siwek in Rossini’s Stabat Mater, conducted by Alberto Zedda. At the Amsterdam Concertgebouw he has sung Thibaut d’Arc in Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans and Simon Boccanegra, in Paris Philharmonic Verdi’s Gala with Plácido Domingo and at the Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with Fabio Lusi.
Among the conductors with whom he collaborated are Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, Fabio Luisi, Helmuth Rilling, Valery Gergiev, Kent Nagano, Alberto Zedda, Philippe Jordan, Daniel Oren, Ivor Bolton, Kiril Petrenko and Marco Armiliato.
Rafal Siwek's discography includes two recordings of Verdi's Requiem, under Zubin Mehta for TDK and with Lorin Maazel for Medici Arts, Puccini’s Edgar for Deutsche Grammophon with Plácido Domingo, Luisa Miller for Unitel, Norma for Hardy Classic and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under Maazel for Kultur, Nabucco and Don Giovanni for BelAir at the Arena di Verona among others.
photo Karpati&Zarewicz
Magdalena Idzik - Secretary of the Jury on behalf of The Bogdan Paprocki Association
A graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, she continued her studies in Milan with Vittorio Terranova and in London with Joy Mammen. She received the Promotion of Talent scholarship awarded by the Ewa Czeszejko-Sochacka Foundation. In 2001, she graduated from the Rossini Academy in Italy under the excellent conductor Alberto Zedda. She made her debut on the stage of the Grand Theatre - National Opera in the performance of Moniuszko's Śpiewnik domowy [Moniuszko's Home Song] directed by Maria Fołtyn. Since then, her repertoire has included many mezzo-soprano parts With the ensemble of the National Opera, she has participated in guest performances in Cyprus, Japan and Spain. The artist's oratorio, cantata and lieder repertoire is also rich and she performs it successfully on philharmonic stages at home and abroad. She has been applauded by concert hall audiences in Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, Luxembourg, Paris, Valencia, New York, Toronto and Tokyo. She regularly collaborates and gives concerts with Wiesław Ochman and the Polish Radio Orchestra. In 2014, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she sang Verdi's Requiem at the Kyiv Opera House on the occasion of the 100-year anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. She is currently a lecturer at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw with a postdoctoral degree. Since 2021, she has been a member of the Council of Doctoral Studies at the UMFC. Awarded in 2021 by the Rector of her alma mater with a first year award for teaching, artistic and scientific achievements. The Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Piotr Gliński, awarded her the prize for artistic achievements in 2024.
