Waldemar Dąbrowski
After the ceremonial birthday concerts in winter and spring and the month-long "Chopin and His Europe" festival in summer, we are about to inaugurate what is likely to be the most important event in the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin's birth: the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition
It has been a year full of effort and at the same time a year of great joy. Our wish and goal was, in the first place, to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest among all Poles. We also wished to present, by means of
Chopin's name, the position and importance of Poland in the world today: a modern state that can efficiently call on its tradition, a true European cultural centre. The worldwide interest in the ongoing events of this year gives us leave to consider that we have reached our goal.
Another effort that proved fruitful was to bring Chopin into prominence in the eyes of present-day Poles and, particularly, to make his significance apparent to the younger generation. Thanks to many educational programmes, festivals, exhibitions and innumerable artistic undertakings, our young people had - and still have - the opportunity to acquaint themselves with Chopin's genius, to better understand the music and the phenomenon that every Pole refers to with pride. Carrying on the biggest marketing campaign in our history, we were able not only to create an image for Poland that almost matches the symbol of perfection set by Chopin's work, but also to unite his compatriots around this symbol. Once again in Poland there springs a source of good energy - the music of Chopin - and the whole world can drink from it.
Apart from these spiritual riches, the Chopin Year can also boast achievements of a material nature: the modern Museum at the Ostrogski Castle (inaugurated on 1 March 2010) and the new Chopin Centre at Tamka Street, the restored manor and the modern concert hall in Żelazowa Wola and the Church in Brochów - where Fryderyk was baptised - and finally the space dedicated to Chopin created around the sites of his everyday activities during his Warsaw days.
On the verge of an exceptional competition that will crown the Chopin Year, I wish you many wonderful moments. The international feast of Fryderyk Chopin's music that takes place in our city will undoubtedly bring on many extraordinary experiences.
Author: Waldemar Dąbrowski
Acting Manager of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute
This article comes from the first edition of the "Chopin Express" gazette, published for the
16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, in coooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and "Gramophone" magazine.
Other articles of interest from the first edition of "Chopin Express":
"Polish Piano Tradition""Mitsuko Uchida - A Grand Comeback"