19th Int'l Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition inaugurated in Warsaw
This year’s International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition marks the beginning of the celebrations for the contest's centennial, which is set to be commemorated in 2027, Polish Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska has said.
"For nearly 100 years the competition has not only shaped the history of global piano music but has also been Poland's trademark in culture,' Cienkowska told reporters in Warsaw on Tuesday.
"We are inaugurating one of the most important cultural events in the world," the minister said. "It is here, in Warsaw, that the careers of pianists are born, who later become ambassadors of Chopin and our country across all continents."
According to Cienkowska, interest in the competition continues to grow among both participants and audiences with each edition. The audition sessions of the previous edition in 2021 were watched on the Fryderyk Chopin Institute's YouTube channel by over 4.5 million viewers, while the concert featuring the winners attracted 1.8 million viewers on Polish Television, she added.
Cienkowska said that the 2021 edition of the competition had attracted over 500 participants, while this year, a record-breaking 642 pianists from around the world have registered for the qualifiers. "This represents an unprecedented scale for any other classical music event."
"Of course, this year's edition has a special status. It marks the opening of the competition's centenary celebrations, which will take place in 2027," she said, adding that their programme envisaged a series of events and projects over the next five years, concluding, culminating in 2030.
Eighty-four pianists will take part in the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, to be held in Warsaw in October 2025. It has been organised by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, with Polish Press Agency (PAP) as its media patron.
The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw is considered one of the most prestigious piano competitions globally, known for launching international careers of pianists since its first edition in 1927. It is one of the few major competitions worldwide that focuses solely on the repertoire of a single composer, requiring a deep understanding and personal interpretation of Chopin's music. (PAP)
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