Competitions

ACPC Marcella Kochańska Sembrich National Vocal Competition

We are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the ACPC Marcella Kochańska Sembrich National Vocal Competition 2026. The competition is being conducted online. Please see below for eligibility and requirements. The winner will perform a recital at the ACPC Convention in Philadelphia, PA, on August 15^th, 2026.

This year, we are celebrating Mieczysław Karłowicz on the 150th anniversary of his birth (1876-1909). To mark this anniversary, participants of this year’s competition are asked to include the song “Mów do mnie jeszcze” by Karłowicz in their audition recording.

The ACPC Marcella Sembrich Award was established in 1971 to support the career development of a young singer of Polish descent. It was originally funded with a gift presented by admirers of Mme Sembrich, to be used for an award to a talented vocalist, male or female. For a number of years, the Marcela Sembrich Vocal Award was presented to a singer from the area in which the annual ACPC convention was being held. This has changed with time and now the award recipients are selected from among candidates throughout the United States by the ACPC Music Committee. Marcella Kochańska Sembrich (1858-1935} was a Polish coloratura soprano with a long career at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, after which she taught at Curtis Institute and Juilliard School of Music.

In view of the increased number of talented and accomplished participants and the importance of recognition in early steps of establishing a career of a young singer, this year we are adding a second and third prize to be awarded to the most promising artists in our competition.

You can make a difference. If you are a music lover and wish to play a part in promoting a career of a young Polish American singer, please consider sponsoring or contributing to a prize in the ACPC Marcella Kochańska Sembrich National Vocal Competition. Visit Donate page to make your tax-deductible gift or contact us at: acpcsembrich@gmail.com . Thank you in advance for your generosity

Marcella Kochańska Sembrich 2025 Recital, with First Place Winner mezzo-soprano Jules Furgal.