Ukrainian soprano Mariana Poltorak wins The Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition!
Mariana Poltorak – soprano from Ukraine with Polish roots – has been awarded First Prize (43,000 PLN) at the 21st Ada Sari International Vocal Artistry Competition by the international jury headed by Małgorzata Walewska, Artistic Director of the contest. Graduate of the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, Poltorak has also received the award for Outstanding Performance of a Polish Piece for “Ha! Dzieciątko nam umiera” – the scene and aria of Halka from Act IV of Stanisław Moniuszko’s opera “Halka.” The Second Prize (13,000 PLN each) was awarded ex aequo to two sopranos: Jessica Seo Jin Lee from South Korea and Etīna Emīlija Saulīte from Latvia. The Third Prize (9,000 PLN) went to Polish baritone Artur Garbas, a Polish baritone.
I can’t believe this is happening. It’s a tremendous honor for me. I’ve worked hard for a long time, and this award confirms that I’m on the right path, Poltorak said after the verdict had been announced to Agnieszka Malatyńska-Stankiewicz. The singer, who has lived in Poland for the past 9 years, is currently working on her PhD thesis on solo songs by 20th-century Lviv composers. The second round was the most difficult one, as the jury selected the pieces we had to perform out of six scores. I was also a bit worried about singing Wagner in the final – I wasn’t sure if my voice would carry over the orchestra. I decided to take the risk because I wanted to show different facets of my voice, she added.
Mariana Poltorak had applied with the Ada Sari Competition three times, and it was only this year — on her third attempt — that she was able to travel to Nowy Sącz and sing in the contest. She is a member of the Opera Academy — Young Talent Development Program at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, where she trains under Olga Pasiecznik, Izabela Kłosińska, Michał Biel and Sophia Muñoz.
The Ada Sari Competition was launched in May 1985 at the initiative of Professor Helena Łazarska. It is held by the Małopolska Cultural Centre SOKÓŁ in Nowy Sącz, a cultural institution of the Małopolska region. The competition was conceived as a stage in the education and preparation of young singers for major international contests and performances. It was on the stage in Nowy Sącz that a number of renowned artists began their careers, including Piotr Beczała, Andrzej Dobber, Anna Simińska, Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk, Hanna Elisabeth Müller, Miriam Albano, Arnold Rutkowski, Andrzej Lampert and Gabriela Legun. Since 2015, the Artistic Director of the Competition has been Małgorzata Walewska. The final stage of the 21st Ada Sari Competition is available for viewing on the OperaVision platform until June 23, 2025.