The staging won Mariusz Treliński, Artistic Director of the Polish National Opera, Teatr Wielki, Warsaw, the 2020 O!lśnienia Ambassador for Culture Award presented by Onet.pl, a popular Polish news web portal, and the City of Kraków. The Ambassador for Culture is a special award and was first given last year to Grażyna Kulczyk.
The O!Lśnienia (Dazzlements) are a way of recognising Polish achievement in film, literature, visual arts, popular music, classical music and jazz, theatre, and TV series. The winners are selected by online voting. The list of nominees is drawn up by the culture desk of Onet.pl headed by Katarzyna Janowska based on critics' recommendations.
‘By moving the action of Halka into a hotel in the 1970s, Mr Treliński brought the opera back to life. He uncovered its contemporary imagery and meanings. Thanks to his staging Moniuszko’s Halka has a chance to enter the international opera circuit along with Szymanowski’s King Roger. Every time we sit down for a pre-premiere interview, Mr Treliński tells me with complete conviction that the upcoming production is going to be the most important in his career. This fever and this energy is palpable in his stagings, and overpowers audiences around the world. It is hard to imagine a better ambassador for Polish culture,’ said Ms Janowska.
Pictured Mariusz Treliński. Photo by Magda Hueckel
