mgr Mariana Poltorak

ORCID: 0000-0002-9149-8048

The topic of my dissertation is: Art songs in the works of Ukrainian composers of the Lviv school of the second half of the 20th century.

The main research object is selected art songs by Ukrainian composers of the Lviv school of the second half of the 20th century. The dissertation consists in completing the current knowledge of Ukrainian composers. The main task of the dissertation is to collect and publish information on art songs by Ukrainian composers of the Lviv school, to analyse compositional styles, their significance for vocal art, to study historical influences on music making. Ukrainian music underwent great changes in the second half of the 20th century. It was a time of persecution of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, but also the beginning of independence and a breath of freedom for Ukrainian artists. Conservatories were established in Kiev, Odessa and Lviv. From then on, musicians were able to train professionally in Ukraine. Opera, symphonic and instrumental music developed intensively. Borys Latoshinsky, Lev Revutsky and Stanislav Ludkevich created a national school of composers. Unfortunately, the decrees of the ruling authorities regarding literature and music deprived artists of the right to creative exploration. This impeded the natural process of art development. Towards the end of the century, sacred (liturgical) music based on biblical texts began to develop. Authors of spiritual music included Y. Stankovych, V. Sylvestrov, Lesia Dychko, M. Skoryk, H. Hawrylec, V. Stepurko, I. Shcherbakov, V. Kaminsky and others. The traditions of the Ukrainian avant-garde were initiated by Boris Latoshinsky. Stanislav Ludkevich continued the development of the Western Ukrainian school of composition. According to Ludkevich, the younger generation turned their work towards instrumental music. The 1960s marked the breakthrough of the Ukrainian school of composition on the world stage, mastering the latest trends of European musical culture. The 1970s and 1980s saw the rise to fame of composers who enriched the traditional late-Romantic style of Ukrainian music with the latest methods of European modernism - M. Skoryk, J. Stankovych, I. Karabyc, V. Bibyk and others. As before, a characteristic feature of Romanticism is its genre and thematic diversity, determined by the composers' interest in the best examples of poetry from the past. Ukrainian art songs still occupies an important place. This genre is actively developing and acquiring new forms and styles. The Ukrainian art songs imitates the German das Lied and is a challenging genre for performers. The dissertation will include analyses of selected songs by Ukrainian composers of the second half of the 20th century, as well as structured information on the lives and works of the composers.

Scholarships:

  • Gaude Polonia - Scholarship Programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, February-June 2023
  • Lotte-Brauer-Stipendium during the International Rossini in Wildbad Festival, Belcanto Opera Festival, July 2022

Awards:

  • First place and Special award for the best performance of Z. Noskowski's songs, 5th Z. Noskowski National Vocal Competition in Brzesko, 2018.
  • distinction – 4th K. Jamroz National Vocel Competition, Kielce/Busko-Zdrój, 2018.
  • Third place - 1st Open S. Krushelnitskaya Vocal Competition in Ternopil, Ukraine, 2018.
  • Special award - International Jan Kiepura Vocal Competition, Krynica- Zdrój, 2019.
  • distinction and special award - VI Jan, Edwarad, Józefina Reszko Vocal Competition in Częstochowa, 2019.
  • Third prize – 7th Skwara National Vocal Competition in Mława 2019.
  • Third prize in the category of vocal duets in the VII International Chamber Music Competition for Instrumental and Vocal Duets Vocal Duets at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, 2021
  • 1st place - 4th International Vocal Competition "Amber Songs", Rivne, Ukraine, 2021.
  • Special award for the best duet in the 1st International ARTSONG OPUS Song Competition, 2021
  • 1st degree distinction and Prize of the Director of the W. Lutosławski Chamber Philharmonic in Łomża – 7th K. Jamroz National Vocal Competition, Kilce/ Busko-Zdrój, 2022

Highlights of artistic performances:

  • XVI International Scientific Conference Musica Galiciana "Women in the musical culture of Galicia", Vocal music concert "From the repertoire of Salomea Kruszelnicka", 16 November 2017, Przemyśl
  • In the Footsteps of Forgotten Heroes. Regency Council. Multimedia photographic exhibition by Joanna Bąk and Kamil Domański, accompanied by a accompanied by the premiere recital "Music to historical texts historical texts", 18 November 2018, Alwernia
  • Opera arias and duets, 23 April 2018, Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów
  • 18th Przemysl International Festival Salesian Summer of Music, Concert of vocal music, 13 August 2018, Przemyśl
  • Gala concert "Beauty, courage, inspiration - this is my Moniuszko", 8 November 2019, Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów
  • XI International Festival of Borderland Culture, 3 September 2019, Jarosław
  • Choral concert to celebrate the anniversary of the Frankfurt-Krakow city partnership, Solo in Moniuszko’s f-moll mass, 6 December 2019, Frankfurt
  • Musical bridges, concert for Ukraine, 20 March 2022, Philharmonic Hall Krakow Philharmonic
  • Royal Opera Festival, Open-air oratorio concert, 18 June 2022, Krakow
  • Rossini in Wildbad, Belcanto Opera Festival:

o Ermione 16, 23 July 2022.

o Rossini & Co 17, 23 July 2022.

o Waldkonzert, 24 July 2022.

  • Fourth Jan Kusiewicz Music Festival, Evening of Polish Vocal Lyrics, 01.10.2023
  • Monthly concerts starting in December 2022 at the National Opera House in Warsaw as part of the programme for young singers at the Opera Academy at the Theatre.