October 2 the annual Chopin competitionwhich Warsaw will live for the next three weeks. 84 pianists from 20 different countries He fights for the main prize and recognition of music critics from around the world. The participants will be assessed by a 17 -person jury, headed by the legendary American pianist and winner of the Chopin Competition of 1970 – Garrick Ohlsson. Other winners of the competition, pedagogues and experts in life and creativity will sit at his side Fryderyk Chopin.
“The sensation in Poland is raised that for the first time we have a non -Polish jury chairman. But Garrick Ohlsson is no doubt. This is the winner of the first prize of the competition in 1970, which has been propagating the work of Fryderyk Chopin around the world for five decades, regularly returning to Poland with concerts ” – emphasizes the spokesman NIFC Dr. Aleksander Laskowski.
The Chopin Competition is an event that not only Warsaw lives, but the whole world
The Chopin Competition is an event that attracts the attention not only of lovers of classical music, but around the world. “The media really like to compare the Chopin Competition to sport. It is true that the competition was inspired by the Olympic movementwhich was reborn at the end of the 19th century. There is certainly a sports element in it, which is associated with the competition for the first prize and gold medal, “says the spokesman of NIFC.
Laskowski emphasizes, however, that this is not a strictly sports competition. The Chopin competition is mainly about searching for young talents and giving a chance to pianists who will prove to be the most convincing. “Someone who will be on the one hand another guardian of the wonderful Chopin tradition, and on the other – he will develop this tradition and bring this tradition to the next generations of listeners around the world” – said Laskowski.
Inauguration of the 19th International Piano Competition Fryderyk Chopin will take place on Thursday at 20:00. Then the winners from previous years will appear with The National Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Andrzej Boreyka. He will play, among others Bruce Liuwho triumphed in 2021, a JUlianna Awdiejew (win in 2010) and Garrick Ohlsson (victory in 1970) will present themselves in a duet for two pianos.
What are the individual stages of the Chopin Competition?
On Friday, October 3, auditions for the first stage of the competition will begin. Participants will appear in alphabetical order, starting with the drawn letter T. The first pianist who will try his hand will be Zye Tao from China. The musician will perform in the morning session with three Poles: Jan Widlarz, Andrzej Wierciński and Krzysztof Wierciński.
The competitions of the competition will take place publicly and were divided into three stages (in two sessions – the morning begins at 10:00, and evening at 17:00). The first part will last until October 7, and the participants are intended to perform selected etudes, nocturnes, waltzes, ballads or other longer forms.
40 pianists can qualify for the second stage – this part of the competition will last from 9 to 12 October. Participants will then perform 40-50 minutes recitals. In the second stage, which only 20 participants will go, pianists will play about an hour recitals. The penultimate part of the competition will last from October 14 to 16.
From 18 to 20 October, the grand finale of the Chopin Competition will take place, to which the best 10 people will qualify. Their task will then be made Polonez-Fantasia op. 61 and the selected piano concert of Fryderyk Chopin in the company Orchestra of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw.
Six of the highest rated participants will end the competition with main prizes and the winner’s titles. The winner will receive 60,000 euro and gold medalanother person – 40 thousand euro and a silver medal, and the third participant – 35,000 euro and bronze medal. Pianists who will be awarded next places can count on 30,000 in turn. euro, 25,000 euro and 20 thousand euro. Other finalists will be granted equivalent awards in the amount of 8,000. euro.
As many as 13 Poles will present themselves in the Chopin Competition
This year’s Chopin competition is attended by 84 pianists born in 1995-2009. As many as 28 participants came from China and this is the country most often represented in the competition. Poland and Japan issued 13 candidates, Canada and the United States of five, and South Korea can count on four representatives. Three musicians came from countries such as Chinese Taipei, Great Britain and Italy, and after two will represent France and perform under a neutral flag. One artist will appear from Germany, Portugal, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Georgia, Spain and Vietnam.
Poles who present their skills in the competition are: Piotr Alexewicz, Michał Basista, Mateusz Dubiel, Adam Kałduński, Antoni Kłeczek (also the United States)Mateusz Krzyżowski, Viet Trung Nguyen (also Vietnam)Piotr Pawlak, Yehuda Prokopowicz, Zuzanna Sejbuk, Jan Widlarz, Andrzej Wierciński and Krzysztof Wierciński.