ROCHESTER, NY — Culminating a 10-day performance tour in Poland, Abigail Duffy of Clayton and the members of the Nazareth College Chamber Singers, were recently awarded the Grand Prix top prize under the direction of Professor Brian Stevens at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Rzeszow, Poland.
The choral competition was part of the performance calendar for the group’s third tour to Poland, which included concerts and performances at the Krakow Academy of Music, the University of Rzeszow, the A. Malawski Philharmonic Hall and the Rzeszow Institute of Music. These artistic events were organized under the patronage of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, as part of the celebrations of the life and work of Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko. The Chamber Singers performed a piece by Moniusko’s arranged by Nazareth music alumnus Daniel Halbstein (May 2017).
“Our most heartfelt congratulations go to our wonderful and amazing students,” said Mario Martinez, D.M.A., professor and Nazareth Music Department chair. “What an ultimate joy it was to witness their artistic growth with every rehearsal and performance, their dedication and commitment to high caliber music making, as well as their growing love for each other.”
The Nazareth Chamber Singers were among 12 choral groups performing, and were awarded several first prizes. The Grand Prix Prize was created on the spot to recognize the Nazareth College Chamber’s group’s superior artistic quality and performance level above all categories and prizes. This is the third time that Nazareth choral groups have visited Poland in the last 10 years, thanks to the efforts of Zbigniew Granat, Ph.D., professor of music and director of the short-term study abroad program in Poland.
Following the success of their most recent tour, the Nazareth music department is in the early stages of planning artistic, musical, and academic exchanges with the Krakow Academy of Music, the University of Rzeszow’s Institute of Music, and the Artur Malawski Philharmonic Orchestra.
