And now, the Paderewski Piano Competition
The Chopin Competition is coming to a close, but the 8th International Paderewski Piano Competition kicks off in two weeks in Bydgoszcz, on 6 November, 2010 – the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ignacy Jan Paderewski
It is, alongside the Chopin Competition, the second Polish piano competition that enjoys the patronage of the Geneva-based World Federation of International Music Competitions. This competition is also a member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation. Ever since its sixth edition, it has been gaining in prestige; this event brings in pianists from all over the world. The selections take place within the framework of regional competitions, organised in a few cities around the globe. This year, they took place in New York, Los Angeles, London, Hanover, Warsaw, Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo and Shenzhen in China. This method of selection applied by the most renowned competitions in the world, such as the Van Cliburn Competition - on the one hand it promotes the Paderewski Competition all around the world and secondly, it facilitates the pianists' participation in the selections.
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The Competition spans four stages and the repertoire takes in a broad span of piano literature. Two first stages are consequently 30-minute and 50-minute solo recitals. For the semi-finals, participants must perform a piano recital, another 50-minute solo recital and a piano quintet. This year the Silesian Quartet (Kwartet Śląski) will accompany the performers. For the finals, competitors must perform one of 20 suggested piano concertos. Besides the requirement of performing the works of Paderewski in the second stage of the Competition, participants are free to choose their own repertoire. The only rule is that the selection must represent at least three contrasting styles, such as Baroque, Classicism and Romanticism.
The main organiser of the Competition is the I. J. Paderewski Musical Society in Bydgoszcz. The co-organiser is the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz and the Pomeranian Philharmonic, also in Bydgoszcz. The Competition director is Henryk Martenka and I have the honour of serving as the Artistic Director. The Competition takes place in the finest concert halls in Poland, with the accompaniment of a superb orchestra. The prizes are at the level of those awarded at the Chopin Competition, with a first prize of 30,000 euros.
The Paderewski Competition is just the type of grand international piano event that Poland has been missing. We're revolving around the subject of Chopin and we're discussing him incessantly (Chopin Competition laureates are treated like heroes and an elevated form of pianist). And yet in Poland and the world there are hundreds of brilliant pianists who deserve recognition, who do not quite fit into the confines of the Chopin Competition's repertoire. Our Competition is a real opportunity for them. We cordially invite you to Bydgoszcz, as well to watch the live broadcast from all the Competition editions online at www.konkurspaderewskiego.pl.
Author: Piotr Paleczny, October 2010.
The article comes from the Chopin Express gazette published for the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition by Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Gramophone.
Other articles of interest in Chopin Express No. 23:
"We're building our global image" - says Paweł Potoroczyn
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