Participants Universitas Cantat 2022
University of Gdańsk Chamber Choir, Poland
Conductors: Marcin Tomczak, Aneta Majda
University of Gdańsk Chamber Choir, Poland
University of Gdańsk Chamber Choir — one of the most valued university choirs in Poland. Founded in 1971 by the university authorities, it currently operates within the Alternator Academic Cultural Center. The Choir has participated in many prestigious music festivals and has won Gold Medals in the World Choir Games in Busan, South Korea; Bremen, Germany; Xiamen, China and Riga, Latvia. The group has received top awards and grand prizes at international competitions in Poland and abroad. The Choir has recorded 10 albums and taken part in 6 other recordings. For its artistic achievements, the Choir has been awarded a golden badge of merit of the Polish Association of Choirs and Orchestras. The Choir's repertoire includes oratorios as well as Polish and foreign a cappella works of different music styles and periods. Additionally, the Choir's accomplishments include the first performances of the following music works: 2005 – first performance of the Jan A. P. Kaczmarek's Cantata for Freedom to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity movement and the Gdansk Agreement 2007 – Leszek Mozdzer's Missa Gratiatoria for choir and jazz trio 2017 – Emigre – Symphony without End – the world premiere of the work composed by the Academy Award winner, Jan A. P. Kaczmarek The Choir has performed under the baton of the world-famous composers, such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Jean-Michel Jarre and Ennio Morricone: 2005 – The Space of Freedom concert with Jean-Michel Jarre to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity movement and the Gdansk Agreement 2009 – A concert with Ennio Morricone at the Gdansk Shipyard to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the peaceful political transformation in Poland In the season of 2015/2016, the Choir prepared the songs of the Polish interwar period, newly arranged by Artur Jurek, in a stunning performance with elements of choreography and stage acting. Since 1992, prof. Marcin Tomczak has served as the conductor and artistic director of the Gdansk University Choir. Currently (since 2011), the conductor's assistant is Aneta Majda – the PhD student at the Faculty of Choral Conducting, Church Music, Arts Education, Eurhythmics and Jazz of the Stanislaw Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdansk. Since November 2021, she has been the Second Conductor of the Gdansk University Choir.
Marcin Tomczak – full professor, choirmaster, conductor and academic teacher at the Stanislaw Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdansk and Postgraduate Voice Training and Choral Conducting Studies at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, Vice-Rector for Art and Student Matters at the Music Academy in Gdansk (2005-2012) and Head of the Chair for Choral Conducting (2005-2008, 2012-2016). Since 2016 Director of the Choral Conducting Institute at the Music Academy in Gdańsk. Since 1992, he has served as the conductor and artistic director of the Gdansk University Choir. In this capacity, he has received numerous grand prizes at domestic and international choir competitions as well as gold medals at the world choir games in Busan, South Korea (2002); Bremen, Germany (2004); Xiamen, China (2006) and Riga, Latvia (2014). He has toured extensively with the Choir, performing in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Prof. Tomczak has won many individual awards for conducting (Poland, 1999, 2016; Korea, 2002; the Czech Republic, 2005 and 2008). Recognized for his artistic work in the area of music, culture and art, prof. Tomczak has been an initiator and co-organizer of numerous culture projects. He is the originator of the Music Tuesdays at the University concert series, where the students of the Music Academy in Gdansk can demonstrate their talents on the Gdansk University theater stage. He is an authority figure in the area of choral music, and has been invited to serve as a juror at domestic and international choral festivals and competitions (Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Macedonia, Romania). Since 2007, he has been the Artistic director and Chairperson of the Jury at the Mundus Cantat Sopot International Choir Festival.
Aneta Majda a conductor, mezzo-soprano, pianist, speech therapist. She graduated from the State Music School Complex named after G. Bacewicz in Koszalin in the piano class. A graduate of The Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, majoring in Choral Conducting in the class of prof. Aleksandra Grucza - Rogalska and a graduate of MA studies in Speech Therapy (University of Gdańsk). Currently a PhD student in the field of Conducting at the home Music Academy in the class of prof. Marcin Tomczak. Co-founder of the "Vocal Collective" chamber choir, which in 2013 won the Gold Diploma at the 8th National Christmas Carol Competition in Chełmno and the Silver Diploma in the Secular Choir category at the 2nd National Mary Song Festival "Ave Maria" in Chojnice. Since 2007, associated with the Gdańsk University Choir. Since 2011, assistant to prof. Marcin Tomczak and accompanist in the Gdańsk University Choir. Since November 2021, he has been the Second Conductor of the Gdańsk University Choir. She is also an employee of the Academic Center of Culture of the University of Gdańsk. Since September 2020, he has been a lecturer, voice emission and conducting teacher at the Gdańsk School of Cantors, operating at the Oblate Cultural Center. In 2013, together with the choir, she won the 1st place in the category of Sacred Music and the 3rd place in the category of Mixed Choirs at the Cracow International Choir Festival „Cracovia Cantans”. In 2017, the group conducted by Aneta Majda won the highest awards at the Andrea Del Verrocchio International Choral Festival competition: Gold medal in the 'Mixed Choirs' category, Gold medal in the 'Sacred Music' category, Special Prize for the best performance of a contemporary work ('Gloria' by Hyo Won-Woo) and the Grand Prix of the entire Festival. In recognition of the outstanding artistic achievements under the direction of Aneta Majda, Gdańsk University Choir received a financial award from the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, professor Jerzy Piotr Gwizdała. In January 2019, the Choir under her direction took part in the XIII International Sacred Music Festival "Silver Bells" in Daugavpils (Latvia) and won 1st place in the "Contemporary Sacred Music" category. She also received awards from the Center of Latvian Culture, the House of Polish Culture in Latvia, Special Award for the most interesting selection of repertoire and the Festival's Grand Prix. In 2021, the jury of the 3rd World Virtual Festival in Indonesia, organized by the Bandung Choral Society, awarded a gold medal to the choir under the direction of Aneta Majda in the "Non-virtual" category for the piece "O Sapientia" composed by Tadeja Vulc. In March 2022 the Academic Choir of the University of Gdańsk, conducted by Aneta Majda, won the gold in the "Academic choral singing" category at the International Online Choir Competition "Accordo Festivo".
