International Competition For Young Pianists „Chopin at Wawel” – based upon the National Competition For Young Pianists „Chopin at Wawel” – is the first international, monographic, piano competition held in Krakow. This year's edition will be held on 10-14 July 2019.
The originator and founder of the Competition, dr hab. Gajusz Kęska, repeatedly emphasized the need to promote the city as a center of performing the Fryderyk Chopin’s music, also by stating that in the past Krakow was the cradle of the Polish piano school. Here, in Krakow, the eminent pianists and pedagogues had lived and had led master classes: Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Regina Smendzianka, Adam Harasiewicz, Tadeusz Żmudziński and Jan Hoffman among others. They were all world-renowned interpreters of Chopin's music and laureates of the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw.
First edition of the Competition in June 2015 has met with a great interest among the Krakow audience.Contestants came from all across the Poland and the jury highlighted the very high level of their performances. 2nd National Competition For Young Pianists „Chopin at Wawel”, which is a continuation of initiated in the previous year "the return of Chopin's music at Wawel", has gained wide acclaim not only in the country but also abroad. This fact convinced organizers to extend the Competition range and give it the international rank.
Next edition of the Competition, organized by “Porta Musicae” Artistic Association with the support od the Academy of Music in Krakow and Fryderyk Chopin Secondary Music School in Krakow, will be held on 10-14 July 2019 in the auditorium "Florianka" – the concert hall of the Music Academy in Krakow, shared for Auditions thanks to the courtesy of the Academy authorities, with support of Pro Musica Humana Association. Participants will perform in four age groups, as it was during the first edition.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.
Detailed programme and rules of the competition are available at: http://chopinpodwawelem.com