Monday, October 4, 2021

18th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition has started


The best pianists from all over the world have descended on Warsaw to battle for the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition.

Inauguration of the 18th International Competition Fryderyk Chopin began on Saturday evening at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw with a concert of winners from previous years: Dang Thai Sona, Seong-Jin Cho, Kevin Kenner, Philippe Giusiano, and Julianna Awdiejewa.

This is the largest cultural event in Poland, and certainly also the largest cultural event in the world at the moment - said Minister of Culture, National Heritage.

 The stakes are high, as winners go on to sign contracts with international record companies, release top-selling albums, and get signed up for global concert tours.

87 pianists were qualified to participate in the 18th International Piano Competition, including 16 people representing Poland. Almost 160 musicians participated in the auditions, which took place on July 12-23 in the Chamber Hall of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. The pianists qualified for the main competition by the Selection Jury included: 22 Chinese, 14 Japanese, 16 Poles, 7 citizens of South Korea, 6 Italians, as well as representatives of Armenia, Taiwan, Canada, Cuba, Latvia, Thailand, USA, Great Britain, and Vietnam.

The competition is one of the most prestigious global music events, and takes place in what the organizers call the ‘Piano capital of the world.’