The Embassy of Poland hosted a select gathering of guests to an evening of musical nirvana on 25 October with a rebroadcast of the final of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition that was held in Warsaw, Poland.
In his speech delivered on the occasion, Ambassador of Poland H.E. Pawel Lechowicz, welcomed the guests and provided them with a brief insight on the legendary Polish classical music composer and piano virtuosso, Fryderyk Chopin, and on the annual international competition named in his honor.
Introducing Fryderyk Chopin, also known as the ‘Poet of the Piano’, the ambassador said he was one of the world’s most famous pianists of the Romantic era, and that apart from its universal and purely musical values, the message of Chopin’s music also held deep patriotic contours.
“Chopin was not only a musical genius but also a staunch Polish patriot, who longed so much for his lost homeland that his dying wish was that his heart be buried in his beloved Poland. He lived during times which left deep traces in his consciousness. He was born in the Napoleonic era, which was a time of hope for the Poles. He grew up in pre-Uprising Warsaw. After the November Uprising, he settled down in Paris, however in his mind he remained faithful to Poland.
“As a composer and performer, Chopin possessed an extraordinary facility for improvising harmonious pieces and exceptional melodic inventiveness that allowed his music to cross cultural boundaries, unite people all over the world and provide inspiration for successive generations of musicians.
“The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, launched in 1927, is one of the oldest music competitions in the world. Though it has evolved over the years and improved its form and forged its own rich tradition, what has remained constant since the beginning is interest in the competition among critics, the media, pianists, ‘culture vultures’ and the public at large.”
When auditions to the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition began on 2 October, Warsaw became the piano capital of the world. Twelve of the best pianists, out of 87 international participants, qualified to the Finals. The jury composed of 17 international personalities of the piano world awarded the first prize to Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu of Canada. Poland’s Jakub Kuszlik was the winner of a special prize for best performance of mazurkas, said the Polish envoy.
The ambassador concluded by inviting his guests to listen to the performances by laureates at this year’s International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.
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