Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me a great pleasure to welcome all the participants and guests to the 5th International Violin Festival and Competition. Beginning with the current 2019 edition, this unique musical event is adopting the name of Karol Lipiński, the legendary Polish violin virtuoso, composer and pedagogue. I believe that Karol Lipiński who charmed his 19th century audiences with his virtuosity, compositional and pedagogical talents is a perfect musical role model for new generations of young artists. It is my hope that regardless of the results of the contest, all the experiences gathered during the process of preparation and participation in our competition will help all our participants in becoming truly well rounded and sensitive artists. I hope that this will lead into developing your artistic musical language capable of successfully communicating with the contemporary audiences of the 21st century.
Thank you to all the guests and listeners of our festival and competition, because your presence and genuine interests co-create this unique musical celebration. I am sure you will take home many wonderful musical memories.
Dr. Mariusz Smolij
Artistic Director of the 5th Karol Lipiński International Violin Festival and Competition
