For the 20th time, the International Piano Forum "Bieszczady Without Borders" will take place in Sanok, in the Podkarpacie region. At the beginning of February, Sanok will become the Winter Capital of Piano Music. Transports of YAMAHA instruments, which will be played by Masters, students, and young piano enthusiasts, have already set out for the Bieszczady Mountains. As every year, the Forum will feature nearly 20 top-class instruments worth over 5 million PLN.
Organizers expect around 500 guests, not only from Poland but also from around the world. Some concerts and special events will be broadcast live on the Foundation's Facebook fan page and YouTube. Links to individual events can be easily accessed on our website https://interpiano.pl, enabling audiences from the other side of the world to follow performances of their friends and family.
The festival begins on Saturday, February 1st, with the opening of a photography exhibition: 20 Years of the Piano Forum "Bieszczady Without Borders". Photos from all editions of the festival will be displayed at the INTERPIANO "Gallery with a Taste of Coffee" on Sanok's promenade. The event will be enriched by a piano recital by Jekaterina DRZEWIECKA.
In the evening, at 7:30 PM, the opening concert of the 14th Master School of Piano Pedagogy will take place. On stage at the State Music School, renowned pianist and pedagogue Andrzej TATARSKI will perform 4 piano miniatures by Olivier Messiaen titled "Catalogue of Birds." In the second part, a duet of Beata BILIŃSKA and Filip WOJCIECHOWSKI will present works by Mozart, Chopin, and Liszt arranged for four hands.
The 20th International Piano Forum officially begins on Sunday, February 2nd. The organizers invite everyone to the Inaugural Gala at the Sanok Cultural Center, where outstanding musicians from Turkey will perform. At 7:30 PM, Can Çakmur, winner of the International Piano Competition in Hamamatsu in 2018, will perform. This pianist has played in concert halls worldwide, from London to Tokyo, and his native Turkey. At 8:30 PM, he will be joined by violinist Veriko Tchumburidze, winner of the first prize at the 15th Henryk Wieniawski Competition in Poznań and the first Turkish-Georgian musician admitted to the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition.
On Monday, February 3rd, there will be a concert titled "Chopin Classical and Jazz." In the classical section at 7:30 PM, Beata BILIŃSKA, professor at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, will perform. The second part will feature the Filip Wojciechowski Jazz Trio, including Paweł Pańta (double bass) and Piotr Biskupski (percussion), performing unique arrangements of Fryderyk Chopin's compositions.
On Tuesday, February 4th, an Extraordinary Premieres Concert titled "Tatiana Szebanowa In Memoriam" will take place. Pianists will perform alongside the Lviv Chamber Orchestra "Academia" conducted by Igor Pylatyuk. Tomasz Ritter will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15, accompanied by the orchestra. Dr. Marek Dyżewski will host the event.
On Wednesday, February 5th, at the concert "FORUM for the City" will Natalia Świerczyńska accompanied by Staszek Plewniak, will perform winter classics by Frank Sinatra. The delightful swing arrangements of American holiday standards will transport the audience to the snowy streets of 1940s New York. The concert begins at 7:30 PM.
On Thursday, February 6th, at the same time, Kevin Chen from Canada will give a Master Recital presenting works by Chopin and Liszt. The event will be hosted by Róża Światczyńska, a music journalist associated with Program 2 of the Polish Radio Polish Radio Chopin.
The 20th Piano Forum concludes on the evening of Friday, February 7th, with a final gala featuring the Lviv Chamber Orchestra "Academia," conducted by Igor PYLATYUK.
As part of this year’s Forum edition, participants will take part in:
- demonstration and individual lessons with Forum Masters
- course "Basics of Conducting for Pianists" with Maestro Bogdan Olędzki
- course "Basics of Harpsichord Playing for Pianists" with Dr. Dorota Zimna
- course "Basics of Organ Playing for Pianists" with Prof. Janusz Ostrowski
- course "Instrumental Chamber Music" with Prof. Andrzej Tatarski, Prof. Artur Mykytka, and Prof. Igor Pylatyuk
- course "Vocal Chamber Music for Pianists" with Prof. Urszula Kryger and Prof. Artur Jaroń
- course "Basics of Improvisation for Pianists" with Prof. Konstanty Wileński and Filip Wojciechowski
- dance seminar – "500 Years of Dance History" with Prof. Romana Agnel
This year, with concerts in such towns of Podkarpacie region as Strzyżów, Nisko, Lubaczów, Jarosław, Stalowa Wola, and Łańcut as well in more distant venues, including Warsaw and Kielce, are also on the concert map.
The project is funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.
Detailed programme: https://interpiano.pl
