Each year, the Academie du Disque Lyrique distinguishes the best recordings of vocal music with the Orphee d'Or awards. Łukaszewski was awarded the Hector Berlioz prize for best sacred music recording in a ceremony which took place on 30th June, 2014, in Theatre du Chatelet.
Also among the winners were Jonas Kaufmann, Renée Fleming, Krzysztof Penderecki, Philippe Jaroussky and Joyce DiDonato. Łukaszewski's album was previously awarded with the Choc de Classica from French magazine Classica, and was also nominated for a Fryderyk music award.
Łukaszewski, composer of sacral music, choir conductor and the spirit of the scene, was born in 1968 in Częstochowa.
His compositions, which have been presented on over a hundred festivals, are available on over 70 Polish and international records published by Hyperion, Acte Préalable, Polskie Nagrania Edition, DUX, Musica Sacra Edition as well as Signum Records.
Łukaszewski composed Missa de Maria a Magdala (Missa bremgartensis) in 2010. It was commissioned by Marco Castellini of Bremgarten (hence the second part of the albums’ title).
Sylwester J. Kwiatkowski, the rector of Bremgarten Parish, is the author of the Latin text.
The album containing the composition was previously awarded with Choc de Classica. It was also nominated for the Fryderyk music award.
The composition was performed by Elżbieta Grodzka-Łopuszyńska, Tomasz Sadownik, the choir of the University of Bielsko-Biała, and the Silesian Chamber Orchestra. The performance was conducted by Jan Borowski.
Source: polmic.pl; ed. km; translated by: Kasia Dolato