A total of 78 pianists will be taking part in the 17th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition, which will begin on 1 October in Warsaw. Their efforts will be judged by a 17-person international jury led by Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, including the following winners of previous Chopin Competitions: Adam Harasiewicz (1955), Martha Argerich (1965), Garrick Ohlsson (1970), Yundi Li (2000), as well as: Dmitri Alexeev, Akiko Ebi, Philippe Entremont, Nelson Goerner, Andrzej Jasiński, Janusz Olejniczak, Piotr Paleczny, Ewa Pobłocka, John Rink, Wojciech Świtała, Dang Thai Son and Dina Yoffe.
The competition auditions will be preceded by two inauguration concerts. On 1 October, Martha Argerich and Nelson Goerner will perform with the Warsaw Philharmonic under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk; and on 2 October, Garrick Ohlsson with the Warsaw Philharmonic Men’s Choir and Orchestra under the baton of Wojciech Rajski. The competition auditions will begin on 3 October at 10:00 AM.
Details on: www.chopincompetition2015.com/?lang=en
Details on: www.chopincompetition2015.com/?lang=en
Organized since 1927 in Warsaw, the Chopin Competition numbers among the oldest music tournaments, and at the same time, is the only monographic competition of such standing in the world. In a four-round rivalry, the pianist will perform only compositions by Fryderyk Chopin (each of the finalists will play, all told, nearly 3 hours of music). The 10 pianists admitted to the final round will perform one of Chopin’s two piano concerti, accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk. The winner will receive the Gold Medal and a prize in the amount of EUR 30 000, as well as numerous concert propositions. Beyond this, thanks to a collaboration between The Fryderyk Chopin Institute and the Deutsche Grammophon label, on 6 November, a Chopin album representing a competition chronicle of the Competition winner will be released. The pianists will also be fighting for prizes for the best performance of mazurkas, a polonaise, a concerto and a sonata, as well as numerous special prizes. We will find out the jury’s verdict during the night of 20/21 October; and on 21 October at Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, the Prizewinners’ Concert will take place; it will then be repeated on 22 and 23 October.
Interest in the 17th Competition is enormous. Already last year, after the announcement that applications were being accepted,
The Fryderyk Chopin Institute received over 450 applications from all over the world. Based on analysis of the recordings and applications sent in, the Admission Committee selected 160 pianists, who took part in public Elimination Rounds in April of this year in Warsaw. From this group, the jury admitted 77 pianists to the main competition. In accordance with par. III/2 of the Competition Rules, 7 pianists have ensured themselves participation in the October competition, bypassing the Elimination Rounds: Dinara Klinton (Ukraine), winner of 2nd Prize at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Competition in Bydgoszcz in 2013; Nozomi Nakagiri (Japan), winner of 2nd Prize at the Hamamatsu Competition in 2012; the winners of the 2015 American Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Miami: Rachel Naomi Kudo (USA) – 2nd place, and Eric Lu (USA) – 1st place; as well as the winners of the Fryderyk Chopin National Piano Competition in 2015: Andrzej Wierciński (1st prize), Łukasz Krupiński (2nd prize ex aequo) and Krzysztof Książek (2nd prize ex aequo). Among those taking part in the October competition, the most numerous groups are from Poland (15 people) and China (14 people); beyond this, no less than 12 pianists from Japan; 9 from South Korea; 6 from Russia; 4 from the United States; 3 each from Italy, Canada and Great Britain; 2 from the Czech Republic; and 1 representative each from Belarus, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Latvia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan will be appearing.
All costs associated with participants’ travel to Warsaw and accommodation during the October auditions are being covered by The Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Each of the pianists will have at their disposal an electronic instrument in their hotel room, as well as the opportunity to use a piano on the premises of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.
The 21st century and new technologies are opening up new possibilities for organizers of this type of endeavors. For the 17th Chopin Competition, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute has prepared a new Internet platform available for personal computers, mobile devices and Smart TV which will permit viewers all over the world to follow the young pianists’ efforts. Everywhere where there is Internet access, it will be possible to watch broadcasts of the competition auditions, as well as return to them at the moment of one’s choice. In the breaks between auditions, it will be possible to listen to commentaries and to interviews with the jurors, as well as become better acquainted with the participants, and even take a peek behind the scenes of the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, where competition life will be pulsating. Those interested in history will find numerous archival materials, photos and recordings from previous editions of the competition in the application. We will be able to hear Chopin’s music in the young pianists’ rendition with superb sound quality. The Chopin Competition will be available in Full HD on the competition webpage: www.chopincompetition2015.com; on the competition YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/chopin2015; and via applications for Android, iOS and Samsung Smart TV. Already now, the competition webpage contains over 150 hours of audiovisual materials.
All costs associated with participants’ travel to Warsaw and accommodation during the October auditions are being covered by The Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Each of the pianists will have at their disposal an electronic instrument in their hotel room, as well as the opportunity to use a piano on the premises of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.
The 21st century and new technologies are opening up new possibilities for organizers of this type of endeavors. For the 17th Chopin Competition, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute has prepared a new Internet platform available for personal computers, mobile devices and Smart TV which will permit viewers all over the world to follow the young pianists’ efforts. Everywhere where there is Internet access, it will be possible to watch broadcasts of the competition auditions, as well as return to them at the moment of one’s choice. In the breaks between auditions, it will be possible to listen to commentaries and to interviews with the jurors, as well as become better acquainted with the participants, and even take a peek behind the scenes of the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, where competition life will be pulsating. Those interested in history will find numerous archival materials, photos and recordings from previous editions of the competition in the application. We will be able to hear Chopin’s music in the young pianists’ rendition with superb sound quality. The Chopin Competition will be available in Full HD on the competition webpage: www.chopincompetition2015.com; on the competition YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/chopin2015; and via applications for Android, iOS and Samsung Smart TV. Already now, the competition webpage contains over 150 hours of audiovisual materials.
The Competition audio broadcast will be made available in an innovative sound transmission technology of super-audio quality (i.e. 24 bps/96 kHz) on the competition webpage: www.chopincompetition2015.com.
By the beginning of September this year, the mobile application had been downloaded no less than 17 000 times, the www.chopincompetition2015.com page had no less than 150 000 unique users and over 2 000 000 viewings; and the YouTube channel had noted 1 250 000 viewings of broadcasts and posted films.
The organizer of the 17th Competition is The Fryderyk Chopin Institute.
By the beginning of September this year, the mobile application had been downloaded no less than 17 000 times, the www.chopincompetition2015.com page had no less than 150 000 unique users and over 2 000 000 viewings; and the YouTube channel had noted 1 250 000 viewings of broadcasts and posted films.
The organizer of the 17th Competition is The Fryderyk Chopin Institute.
The Competition is under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.
Source: www.chopincompetition2015.com/?lang=en
Source: www.chopincompetition2015.com/?lang=en