Cellists Maciej KuŠ‚akowski and Zuzanna Sosnowska share the top honour

Lutoslawski

The tenth Witold LutosŠ‚awski International Cello Competition has awarded joint first prize to 18-year-old Maciej KuŠ‚akowski and 21-year-old Zuzanna Sosnowska – both Polish students studying with Professor Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the Hochschule für Musik, Franz Liszt in Weimar, Germany.

Held every two years in Warsaw, the competition is open to cellists of all nationalities up to the age of 24 and offers total prize money of €15,000. The three live rounds encompass a range of repertoire, including the cello works of LutosŠ‚awski (pictured).

This year 50 participants competed for the top honour. Second prize was won by Turkish cellist Dorukhan Doruk, and third prize was not awarded. The finals took place in the large concert hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic in which KuŠ‚akowski performed Schumann's Concerto and Sosnowska performed LutosŠ‚awski's Concerto.

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