Jan Szyrocki Memorial Choir of West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

Jan Szyrocki Memorial Choir of West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin was founded in November 1952 by the then student of the Szczecin University of Technology, later professor – Jan Szyrocki, who continuously held the position of Artistic Director and Conductor of the choir until 2003. Under his leadership, the ensemble became one of the best and most interesting academic choirs in the world. It has given thousands of concerts duiring hundreds of international tours, made many phonographic recordings, participated in the most prestigious festivals and in premiered vocal-instrumental and a cappella works.

Since October 2006, the conductor and artistic director of the choir is Szymon Wyrzykowski, a student of Prof. Jan Szyrocki.

In addition to the rich a cappella program, the ensemble performs numerous oratorio and cantata works from different eras, with particular emphasis on works from the 20th and 21st centuries. Many contemporary composers dedicated their works to the choir, which became their first performer.

The ensemble won many awards and received distinctions to its credit (including the Bronze Lute of the Legnica Cantat competition). For its cultural activities, the choir has received a number of the highest distinctions, awards and medals from state and regional authorities.

Recent awards won by the CHAPS ensemble:

• 1st place at the choral festival in Trnava, 2007, Slovakia,
• Grand Prix at the 4th International Festival "Rybnica Choir Autumn", 2008, Poland,
• Grand Prix at the Choir Festival in Szamotuły, 2008, Poland,
• 1st place at the 41st Legnica Cantat Choir Competition, 2010, Poland,
• Special Prize of Francisco Vallejos at the International Song and Habanera Competition in Torrevieja (pronounced Torrewiecha), 2010, Spain,
• Grand Prix at the 7th National Carols and Pastorals Competition, Chełmno, 2012, Poland
• Grand Prix at the International Choir Competition in Rumia, 2012, Poland
• Golden Diploma at the Feliks Nowowiejski International Choir Music Festival in Barczewo, 2015, Poland,
• 1st place in the Pop and Sacred Music categories at the Canco Mediterrania International Choir Competition in Lloret de Mar, 2015, Spain,
• Golden Band (Category – Mixed Choirs) and a special award for the best performance of a piece by a Polish composer (Stabat Mater – Marek Jasiński) at the 3rd International Szczecin Passion Music Festival (18-20.03.2016), Szczecin, 2016, Poland,
• Golden Diploma in the mixed choir category and an award for the best performance of a piece from the film music genre at the International Contemporary Music Competition “Music Everywhere”, Gdańsk, 2016, Poland,
• Golden Diploma (female ensemble) at the International Choral Festival “Rainbow”, St. Petersburg, Russia (2019),
• 1st place in the mixed choir category at the International Ohrid Choir Festival (23-26.08.2019), Ohrid, Macedonia (2019),
• 1st place in the Open category at the 4th World Virtual Choir Festival in Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia (2021),
• Golden Band in the Academic Choirs category and the award for the best interpretation of sacred music Banska Bytrica, Slovakia (2021),
• 1st place in the Virtual Choir category 2022 Word Choir Festival, Hong Kong (2022),
• Golden Diploma at the 11th International Choir Festival and Competition "Cancó Mediterrania" in Lloret de Mar, Spain (2022).