This year, among the winners was a student of the junior high school. Władysław Syrokomla in Vilnius, Ewa Rawłuszewicz, who, as we read in the justification for the award, “has already won the sympathy of the Vilnius community with her talent and unique voice, is well known to the Polish minority living in Lithuania. The achievements of the student »Syrokomlówka« together with the Polish Song and Dance Ensemble »Wilenka« promote the culture and traditions of Poles living in Lithuania on an international level.
Read more: March 11 in Vilnius: award for a student of “Syrokomlówka”, solemn raising of flags
Anna Pieszko: What does it mean for you to receive the Little St. Christopher?
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Ewa Rawłuszewicz: It is recognition for my hard work and motivation to follow my chosen musical path.
You are 17 years old and you are already gaining international recognition. This is evidenced by the numerous awards on your account. This is the Grand Prix of the 6th Vilnius International Music Competition for Youth “Premio Scarlatti”, Grand Prix of the “Astana Vision Contest” in Kazakhstan, 1st place in the competitions “Online Wave” (Spain), “Scarlatti Award” (Italy) and Open International Auditions (Italy), gold medal in “Riga Symphony” (Latvia), 1st place in The American Protégé International Vocal Competition (United States). This is an impressive achievement. Can you get used to these rewards?
No, each time there is a new feeling and satisfaction. Every competition is different, in every competition there are different obstacles that I have to overcome.
When you listen to you, you have the impression that your voice flows very easily and does not have to overcome any obstacles …
It’s not as easy as it seems. Admittedly, I remember the lyrics quickly, but the vocal technique needs to be refined and it takes hours of work to polish everything.
What competition will you take part in next?
I applied for the International Sacred Solo Vocal Competition “Ars et Gloria” in Katowice. I perform there not only sacred music, but also opera arias. Now I have passed to the second stage of the competition, which will take place at the beginning of April.
| Fot. syrokomla.lt
Who first noticed your talent?
My passion for music was first noticed by my parents since childhood. They wanted to make sure that I really had it. My vocalist Raimonda Tallat-Kelpšaitė-Cinauskienė confirmed it. I was 10 then. Mrs. Raimonda teaches me vocals at the Karol Szymanowski Music School. Balys Dvarionas from the beginning of my fascination with music and singing.
You are very busy. How does your day look like? How much time do you devote to music?
My every day is really very intense. Especially when I’m preparing for a competition, I have to practice a lot, I spend many extra hours on it. Every day I go to school, then I come back and continue practicing songs and doing my homework. It’s more intense when I have to go to music school. Music really takes up most of my time. I have 2-3 singing lessons a week, but apart from that I also work on it at home.
Do you like to hum something in between?
I sing everywhere, it’s so natural that I walk, for example, in the corridor and hum something.
| photo. Marian Paluszkiewicz
What do you like to sing then?
It depends. I usually hum when I have to learn a new song, then I manage to remember both the melody and the lyrics faster. But it doesn’t have to be an opera, sometimes I like to sing popular music.
What kind of music you listen to?
Apart from opera, I like jazz and popular classical music. I like the singer Lara Fabian who performs popular classical music, she sings in classical technique but her music is not heavy opera music. I really like the older generation of Polish performers, such as Anna German, Zbigniew Wodecki, Edyta Górniak.
Your interests revolve mainly, I presume, around music?
Yes, mostly around music. Apart from singing, I also like to play the piano. Another hobby is traveling. I like traveling and at the same time visiting theaters and watching opera performances, which are also a kind of education for me. At the same time, I discover the variety of music genres, and I also get acquainted with the customs prevailing in the opera. Recently, for the first time, I was at the Grand Theater-National Opera in Warsaw, where Verdi’s “Aida” made a really great impression on me. We watched it in the Moniuszko Hall, which also made a great impression on me. I also had the opportunity to watch the opera “Carmen” in Prague, as well as “La Traviata” at the Opera and Ballet Theater in Vilnius. I also had the opportunity to listen to the recital of the famous opera singer Aleksandra Kurzak at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
What are you dreaming about today?
Now I’m actually thinking about how to improve my singing technique. I still have studies ahead of me, I will watch how my voice develops. My dream is to sing on big stages around the world, at the Metropolitan Opera or La Scala.
It is said that a loudly spoken dream is the first step towards its fulfillment. I keep my fingers crossed and wish you good luck!
Read more: Celebrations of the International Day of the Translation in Vilnius
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