Composition competition - get to know the profiles of the finalists

The first edition of the international competition

The competition organized by ZAiKS and the Philharmonic in Szczecin was open to the composers from all over the world, with no age restrictions. The competition piece was supposed to be intended for a large symphony orchestra, and lasted from 9 to 12 minutes. The compositions could not be performed earlier and could not take part in other competitions.

The jury chaired by professor Marcin Błażewicz considered 176 works. Six compositions were qualified for the finals (alphabetical order according to the names of the composers):

• Jin Seok Choi – „Sunrise in Hyangil Am”
• Claudio Passilongo – „Symphonic Dystopia”
• Tomas Peire-Serrate – „Borealis”
• Adam Porębski – „Iluzje”
• Andrzej Szachowski – „Helix Nabula”
• Tomasz Szczepanik – „rumori”

Jin Seok Choi

He gained his musical education in his homeland – South Korea. There, he studied composition at two of the capital's universities. He is the laureate of such important presentations of contemporary music in Korea as Joogang Music Competition, Seoul Contemporary Music Festival or ARCO contemporary Music Festival. In 2019, he took part in the 16th International Kazimierz Serocki Competition for Composers, winning the 1st prize and a special prize. The performance of the winning piece by Hashtag Ensemble in the studio of the Witold Lutosławski’s Polish Radio, was broadcasted on Polish Radio. The Polish success paved the way for further awards, including the Luxembourg competition "Artistes en Herbe" and the composition competition of the Franz-Josef Reinl Foundation in Austria.

Claudio Passilongo

He is a composer of Italian origin living permanently in Denmark. He graduated with honors from the Music Conservatory in Naples, after which he studied composition at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. He is currently an organist at St. Klemens in Danish Randers. He composes orchestral and choral pieces for chamber ensembles and soloists. He is also a talented jazz pianist, known for his numerous concerts. What is more, not only he is the author of film and theater music, but creates organ compositions as well, and does not shy away from innovative music projects such as Roskildes Åbne Værksted, organized in 2016 by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Roskilde.

Tomàs Peire-Serrate

He comes from Barcelona, but has been living and working in Los Angeles for many years. He creates film music for many studios, and has presented his works around the world during a series of concerts such as Klang (Helsinki), Off Liceu (Barcelona) Hear Now and Jacaranda (Los Angeles) or at festivals, incl. Zodiac (Nice), HighScore (Pavia), Vipa (Valencia, Re-Imagined (Hong Kong), Chopin and Friends (New York). He is the winner of many awards and distinctions, including the third prize at the Krzysztof Penderecki International Composition Competition "Arboretum" and Grand Prix at the festival "iSing!" in Shouzou (China).

Adam Porębski

In 2014, he graduated from the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław in the composition class and in the violin class. In 2016, he received a doctorate degree in the field of musical arts, and since September 2020 he has been the deputy dean at the Faculty of Composition, Conducting, Music Theory and Music Therapy at his alma mater. The creative output of Adam Porębski includes over 70 compositions, performed in many European countries, the USA and Australia, and includes various genres and forms of instrumental, vocal and electroacoustic music. He is the laureate of over a dozen international and national composing competitions.

Andrzej Szachowski

A student of composition at the Music University of Frederic Chopin in Warsaw. He graduated in musicology at the University. He has received distinctions at prestigious composers' competitions devoted to film music, including Young Talent Award (Film Music Festival in Krakow) and Transatlantyk Film Music Competition in Łódź. He works for the Polish Radio Chopin and Program 2 PR, where he deals with sound editing and the production of self-promotion. Occasionally he composes music for commercials and short films and regularly collaborates with the Oscar winner Jan A.P. Kaczmarek.

Tomasz Szczepanik

The composer, arranger, conductor and the teacher. He has graduated from the Academy of Music in Łódź in the following subjects: artistic education, composition, music theory and Postgraduate Studies in Film, Computer and Audiovisual Music. He has also studied electronic music with Krzysztof Knittl. He took part in composition courses, including the Summer Academy of Music in Wrocław (2012) and the Summer Academy of Music in Kraków (2012). In 2017, he obtained a doctorate degree. His works have been presented at festivals and concerts: the Festival of Polish Music in Moscow, Warsaw Autumn, Musica Polonica Nova, at the National Philharmonic, Łódź, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Gorzów and many other Polish and European cities. He is the laureate of numerous competitions.

Final concert on March 19th

The premiere performances of the pieces will be heard during the concert on March 19th 2021. They will be performed by the Symphony Orchestra of the Philharmonic Mieczysław Karłowicz conducted by Szymon Bywalec. Just after hearing the premieres, the jury will decide on the final verdict and announce the results. The prize pool in the competition is PLN 100,000.


Additionally, the Audience Award (SMS and online voting) and the Orchestra Award will be given.

The final concert will be broadcasted for free on Philharmonic YouTube and Facebook channels on Friday, 19th March at 7 PM

The international audience watching the concert online will be involved in selecting their favorite. After the concert, viewers will be able to choose the best song, in their opinion, via internet voting and text messages. The prizes funded by ZAiKS and the Philharmonic will be drawn among the participants.