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International Chopin Competition on Historical Instruments returns to Warsaw in October 2023, attracting the attention of talented pianists from around the world. The second edition of the competition, to be held at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, promises to be an extraordinary musical event.
Aimed at professional pianists born between 1988 and 2005, the competition has attracted a wide range of talent from different nationalities. The preliminaries jury, comprising esteemed musicians such as Lech Dudzik, Tobias Koch, Janusz Olejniczak, Ewa Pobłocka and Wojciech Świtała, selected 35 participants from 14 countries out of 84 candidates who applied.
Japan, Poland and Italy will have the largest representation in the competition, sending 10, six and four participants respectively. In addition, two people from China, South Korea, the United States and Russia, and one person each from Australia, Austria, France, Spain, Canada, Germany and Hungary have also been shortlisted.
The 2nd International Chopin Competition on Historical Instruments will take place from 5-15 October 2023. As with the first edition, the competition will consist of three stages. The first two stages will consist of solo recitals in which, in addition to works by Chopin, the pianist will have to perform works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and polonaises by Polish composers from the first half of the 19th century.
The third stage will be the final of the competition, in which the six finalists will perform works by Chopin of their choice, accompanied by the {oh!} Orchestra of Martyna Pastuszka. This will be a unique opportunity to hear these amazing compositions recreated on historical instruments.
The evaluation of the participating pianists has been entrusted to an international jury consisting of Paolo Giacometti, Yves Henry, Tobias Koch, Vaclav Luks, Janusz Olejniczak, Olga Paschenko, Ewa Pobłocka, Andreas Staier and Wojciech Światała. Their knowledge and experience will ensure a fair evaluation and the selection of the competition winners.
The competition will allow pianists to use the Chopin Institute’s collection of historic pianos, such as Erard from 1838, 1849 and 1855, Pleyel from 1848 and 1854 and Broadwood from 1843. In addition, copies of period instruments and instruments provided by friendly European collections will also be available. This will give participants the opportunity to recreate the sounds and styles of Chopin’s era, further enriching their interpretations and bringing out the unique qualities of these works.