The National Institute of Music and Dance has awarded the Coryphaeus of Polish Music Awards for 2022. They have been awarded for 11 years in four categories. The winners in the categories Personality of the Year, Event of the Year and Honorary Award were selected by the Electoral College during a secret voting. The winner in the Discovery of the Year category was chosen by the public.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jadwiga Mackiewicz, the legendary Auntie Jadzia, an educator, and populariser of music among children’s audiences, for whom she conducted numerous concerts and radio and television broadcasts over many years.

The Personality of the Year was violinist Agata Szymczewska – for her educational and popularising activity, bringing closer to Henryk Wieniawski in an accessible way (also as Ambassador of the 16th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition).

The 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition was recognised as the Event of the Year – for broad access to competition auditions through various digital platforms. The award in this category was received by Stanisław Leszczyński, deputy director of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, the organiser of the Competition.

The award in the Discovery of the Year category was based on an open audience vote. This year, the music lovers decided on the victory of the conductor Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, nominated for several successes and awards in the last artistic season, with particular emphasis on the first prize at the La Maestra Conducting Competition in Paris.

The award winners received statuettes designed by Professor Adam Myjak. Financial awards were funded by the Union of Performing Artists STOART and the ZAiKS Authors’ Association.

The award gala was accompanied by a concert whose programme was entirely devoted to Romantic music, on the occasion of the ongoing Year of Polish Romanticism.

Adrian Andrzejewski