Artists from the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic received a Golden Diploma during Saturday’s (September 20) Gala of the 5th Anniversary International Musical Eagles Competition. The Competition Jury awarded them in the Premiere category for their opera Joash, King of Judah by Paweł Łukaszewski. The diploma was accepted by the Director of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, Professor Violetta Bielecka. Thank you for this wonderful distinction!

The Golden Diploma for composing the opera Joash, King of Judah (in the Composition category) was also awarded to the composer himself, Professor Paweł Łukaszewski, who has collaborated with the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic for years, enriching its repertoire with outstanding compositions. This is one of five distinctions awarded to the composer during Saturday’s Musical Eagles Gala. Congratulations!

Joash, King of Judah is the first Polish opera based on a libretto by Pietro Metastasio. The work’s concert premiere took place on August 18, 2024, on the Main Stage of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, during the 2nd edition of the International Metastasio Without Borders Festival. The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, along with soloists (Anna Wolfinger, Paulina Boreczko-Bura, Joanna Motulewicz, Paweł Cichoński, Tomasz Rak, Krzysztof Szyfman), were led by the distinguished Italian conductor Massimo Mazzeo; the choir was prepared by Professor Violetta Bielecka. The opera is an absolutely unique event, the result of the work of outstanding artists, including composer Paweł Łukaszewski, who created an innovative, emotional adaptation of the biblical story and was the first contemporary composer to use librettos by Pietro Metastasio.

The concert premiere of the work was recorded and released as a two-disc album by DUX Recording Producers. The release is available in the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic’s online store and at the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic ticket office on Odeska Street.

The gold diploma for the premiere of Joasz is another distinction for the artists of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in the Musical Eagles Competition. In last year’s edition, the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir, conducted by Professor Violetta Bielecka, received an award in the Phonographic Record category for their three-disc album Kantyki supraskie (Supraval Canticles).

photo: Justyna Białous (OiFP)