Artur Rubinstein - photo courtesy of Ewa Rubinstein, Arthur Rubinstein International Music Foundation
The festival opens on February 21 with an inaugural concert by the American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1970. Accompanied by the Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, Ohlsson performs various works by Chopin: Polonaise in F minor, Op. 71, No. 3; Mazurkas, Op. 41; Allegro de Concert in A, Op. 46; Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1; Ballade in G minor, Op. 23, No. 1, Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 21, Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise in E-flat, Op. 22.
Highlights of subsequent concert evenings include performances of Chopin, Beethoven, Scriabin, Liszt, Mozart, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky and Schubert by Marcin Koziak, Eugen Indjic and the Prima Vista String Quartet Kwartet, Anna Fedorova, Mun Ji-Yeong, Sergei Tarasov, Roman Rabinovich and the Silesian String Quartet, Alexander Korsantia and The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk. Daniel Barenboim performs Schubert's Sonatas at the finale concert on Sunday, February 27.
On Saturday, February 26, the festival introduces five promising young pianists: C. Huangci (USA/China), A. Fedorova (Italy), J-Yeong Mun (South Korea), D. Zhdanov (Ukraine), Sz. Konczal (Poland) at the city's Protestant Church in ulica Piotrkowska 283. The festival is accompanied by a number of accompanying events, including meetings with Eva and Alina Rubinstein, the composer's daughters, exhibitions of historic photographs of Artur Rubinstein and his family, as well as photo coverage of past editions of the Rubinstein Piano Competition and the Chopin Piano Competition, a premiere screening of the French film Arthur Rubinstein (52'), directed by Marie-Claire Margossian, followed by a discussion of the film and piano workshops for young musicians at local academies.
All concerts and events take place at either the Philharmonic Hall in_mk_filharmonia_lodz or the City Museum between February 21 - 27, 2011. For a full programme of events, see: www.arturrubinstein.pl
Source: Arthur Rubinstein International Music Foundation, polmic.pl