Seifert Competition 2026 in Krakow – we know the dates and participants!

Between June 18 and 20, the 7th edition of the Seifert Competition, a competition for young jazz musicians, will be held at Cricoteka in Cracow. The event is a tribute to Zbigniew Seifert and an opportunity to follow the exciting live auditions of artists from around the world.

The Seifert Competition is the world’s only event dedicated to improvising string musicians – violinists, violists and cellists. For more than a decade it has attracted artists from all over the world – from Brazil to Japan – becoming a place where new personalities of the jazz scene are born. Among the award winners are Bartosz Dworak, Mateusz Smoczynski, Stanislaw Slowinski, Mario Forte, Kacper Malisz and Anaïs Drago. During the 7th edition of the competition, audiences will have the opportunity to follow the birth of more personalities of the improvised scene.

This year, submissions came from all over the world, and the jury – consisting of jazz authorities – selected 10 artists from 6 countries for the final auditions: Gustavo Cabrera (Netherlands), Louis Thélot (France), Hugo Van Rechem (France), Josh Henderson (USA), Noah Forest-Hassler (Spain), Max Eisinger (Germany), Magdalena Ślósarz (Poland), Wojciech Maciejowski (Poland), Mikołaj Kostka (Poland) and Wojciech Barteczek (Poland).

“The competition’s patron, Zbigniew Seifert, was an extraordinary figure, so we think of the competition named after him as an event that changes the way jazz is perceived,” says Aneta Norek, curator of the Seifert Competition. “It’s not only a competition, but above all the joy of making music together. We are sure that these emotions will also be shared by the audience, so we invite you to three days of auditions – from June 18 to 20 in Cracow’s Cricoteka, which during this time will turn into a real music club, open to all lovers of improvised music,” she adds.

The artists competing in the competition will be accompanied by the trio of Dominik Wania – one of the most important pianists on the Polish jazz scene, this year’s winner of the Fryderyk Award in the Artist of the Year category. The international jury, which will evaluate the competition performances, will include: Trilok Gurtu, Miroslav Vitouš and Markus Stockhausen.

The public will be able to follow the auditions on site, at Cricoteka, in online broadcasts, as well as take an active part in the competition excitement – everyone can choose their winner by taking part in the audience vote. The voting form will be available on Seifert Competition starting June 18.

7. Seifert Competition
   Kraków, Cricoteka (2-4 Nadwiślańska St.), multimedia room
   June 18-20, 2026, daily from hrs. 19.30

Tickets:
Tickets for Seifert Competition 2026

Transmissions:
YouTube Seifert Competition

Also visit the festival’s social media channels:
Facebook Seifert Competition | Instagram Seifert Competition

Program:

June 18, 7:30 p.m. – semifinalist I: 5 semifinalists and Dominik Wania Trio composed of: Dominik Wania – piano, Michal Kapczuk – double bass, Dawid Fortuna – drums
Transmission: YouTube

June 19, 7:30 p.m. – semifinalist II: 5 semifinalists and Dominik Wania Trio composed of: Dominik Wania – piano, Michal Kapczuk – double bass, Dawid Fortuna – drums
Transmission: YouTube

June 20, 7:30 pm – final: 5 finalists and Dominik Wania Trio composed of: Dominik Wania – piano, Michal Kapczuk – double bass, Dawid Fortuna – drums
Transmission: YouTube