CHOPIN 2010: wiadomości biura

"CHOPIN YEAR 2010. IMPRESSIONS, TESTIMONIES, PEOPLE"

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:58:00 +0100

The main goal of the publication is to give the floor to people who with their work and personal commitment contributed not only to the success of the Jubilee Year, but first of all to broaden our knowledge about Chopin and our sensitivity to his music. The volume has been published in two language versions: in Polish and in English.

The album starts with introduction by two architects of the Chopin Year: Bogdan Zdrojewski, Minister of Culture and National Heritage and Waldemar Dąbrowski, Chairman of the Chopin 2010 Celebrations Office. The first text characterises to a certain degree the content of the whole volume is the essay, it has been written by professor Irena Poniatowska; title: "Chopin in Various Cultures of the World" (pl. "Chopin w różnych kulturach świata".)

The main part of the album consist of interviews with Polish and foreign artists, scientists, composers, managers of culture, organizers of music festivals, diplomats, conducted mainly by well known journalists such as Dorota Szwarcman, Marcin Majchrowski, Beata Stylińska and Anna Skulska, and by employees of the Chopin 2010 Celebrations Office.

Interviews are completed with excerpts of texts commissioned especially for the needs of the album and the Chopin2010.pl website. Among the authors summarizing the jubilee celebrations there are: Jacek Marczyński, Antoni Beksiak and Jan Topolski. The book offers short comments by outstanding people of the world of music (e.g. Dang Thai Son, Leszek Możdżer) and other domains of life (e.g. Jurek Owsiak, Norman Davis), together with laureates of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

The publication focuses also a list of the most important Polish Chopin investments realized in recent years from the public funds. It consists of a list of monuments, busts and memory plaques unveiled in 2010, together with their photographs and location on the map of the world.

Moreover, the album has three CDs with materials summarizing the Chopin Year in various fields of culture. The first consists of:

Documentary film titled "Chopin2010" directed by Rafał Wróblewski, summarizing the most important events and moments of the Jubilee Year.
Information about CD series published by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw.
Catalogue of Chopin books published during 2009-2010.
Information about educational tools.
List of films and multimedia materials dedicated to the composer.
Review of exhibitions opened to celebrate the Chopin Year.

The second CD contains the Calendar with over 4000 events in Poland and abroad registered by the very organizers on the website Chopin2010.pl.

The third CD contains excerpts of articles from the Polish and foreign press dedicated to Chopin and jubilee events, and a full edition of "Chopin Express", the formal newspaper of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

GALA FAREWELL TO THE CHOPIN YEAR

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:59:00 +0100

The events taking place in the framework of "3 Days with Chopin" were organised by the Chopin2010 Celebrations Office, Teatr Wielki – Opera Narodowa in Warsaw and the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. The undertaking covered among others press conference summarising the Chopin Year, spectacles, concerts, film shows, games and animations for children, presentation of Chopin benches and collection of posters and books which had been published to celebrate the anniversary. In this particular time spacious interior of the National opera building, from the Foyer downstairs to the Redutowe Rooms were changed thanks to outstanding scene design by Izabela Chełkowska.

Redutowe Rooms

On Sunday morning the Redutowe Rooms in the Opera building were full of children which came with their parents for the specially prepared for them spectacles. The Białostocki Pupeteers Theatre two times presented its spectacle prepared especially for children, titled "Chopin Impression" directed by Lesław Piecki. Children also watched the staging of the poem by Michał Rusinek titled "Little Chopin" (pl. "Mały Chopin") performed by Antek Barłowski from the Konsekwentny Theatre.

In the late afternoon, musicians performer on stage. Maria Pomianowska together with the Polish Band performed the concert titled: "Chopin on 5 Continents", during which unique arrangements of Chopin music were performed with the use of various instruments from around the world. Another important event was the Polish premiere of the music text by Salome Broussky titled "Monsieur Pichon" with the participation of Andrzej Seweryn and the Motion Trio band. At the end of the Sunday meetings with the music the Marcin Grochowina jazz trio performed a concert titled: "Chopin Visions".

On Monday, at 12.00 in the Redutowe Rooms, the Press Conference summarizing the Chopin Year celebrations in Poland and abroad took place. Bogdan Zdrojewski, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Waldemar Dąbrowski answered journalists’ questions. In the evening concerts took place, among others the Polish premiere of the work by famous composer Hugues Dufourt "L'Essence intime des choses" with the participation of Nadine Denize (mezzo-soprano) and Maciej Pikulski (piano). The Voice Factory band presented vocal arrangements of Fryderyk Chopin compositions. Jazz appeared once again at the end of the evening. The Włodzimierz Nahorny Sekstet presented the project recorded on the CD "Chopin Genius Loci" made of jazz arrangements of the Chopin themes. At the same time, in the Moniuszko Room, a performance of the Mazowsze Folk Ensemble titled "Polish Suite" took place.

The decoration of the Redutowe Rooms in their nature and colours fitted the remaining parts of the stage design. Guests were welcomed by the exhibition of posters reminding of the number of Chopin events organized to celebrate the Chopin year and a large-scale map of the world with marked the places where in 2010 Chopin events took place.

POT Room

The visitors who wandered between the Redutowe Rooms and the Main Foyer passed through a round room reminding everybody about "Chopin. The Course", the sea journey of young adults on the flag ship "Fryderyk Chopin" on the seas and ports of Northern Europe. The Polish Tourist Organization (pl. Polska Organizacja Turystyczna, POT) hosted the exhibition and organized the sea journey.

Main Foyer

The piano from Chopin's times was placed in the very centre of the exhibition. On the music stands for scores a rich collection of 130 Chopin publications was presented, from scientific monographs, score editions of Fryderyk’s compositions and other editions up to popular books such as tourist guides, albums, novels and stories for children. In the background, on both sides of the Chopin stand with books souvenirs and sweets, on the walls two presentations were shown reminding the events organized to celebrate the composer in Poland and abroad.

Moreover, in the Main Foyer on the opposite to the Redutowe Rooms side a corner for children was prepared. On Sunday morning it was filled with the chatter of kindergarten children having fun with animators. They had access to educational games made by Chopin2010.pl Editorial Team (dzieci.chopin2010.pl/en). The most popular task was "Orchestra Puzzle", "Spot the Difference" and colouring pages prepared by the Chopin2010.pl Editorial Team. In addition, children could have their faces painted by professional make-up artists. Another attraction was knowledge competition with prizes. They concerned Fryderyk Chopin’s life and were conducted by the Konsekwentny Theatre.

Just by the corner for children, there was a makeshift cinema room "Ballada" where the most important documentaries dedicated to Fryderyk Chopin and the celebration of the Chopin year were shown. In total, nine films were presented:

"Fryderyk 2010" (director: Jerzy Szkamruk i Ryszard Sławiński; produced by: TV Project)
"The Course" (documentary from the sea journey of the flag ship „Fryderyk Chopin”; realised by: Monika Mroziewicz, Grzegorz Rybak, Grzegorz Wrona; produced by: Polish Tourist Organization (pl. Polska Organizacja Turystyczna)
"Mazowsze Chopina", director: Zbigniew Szumera; produced by: Fundacja Teraz Mazowsze)
"Efekt Chopina" (director: Krzysztof Dzięciołowski; produced by: Vision House)
"Pod banderą Chopina" (documentary from the sea journey of the PNRSO; author: Violetta Rotter-Kozera, produced by: Krystyna Nowojska)
"Serce Chopina" (director: Piotr Szlasza; produced by: NHK, Satel Film, Brize Film)
"Ostatnia Tajemnica Chopina" (direktor: Ireneusz Dobrowolski; produced by: Film Group REKONTRPLAN)
"Sztuka Chopina" (director: Gerald Caillat; produced by: Ideal Audience, ARTE France, Plesnar Films)
"Chopin 2010" (pra-premiere of the film presenting the most important moments of the Chopin Year; director: Rafał Wróblewski; produced by: Jacek Sylwin Management, Chopin 2010 Celebrations Office, Adam Mickiewicz Institute)

More information about the final concert "3 Days with Chopin" in the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Film "CHOPIN 2010.PL" - PREMIERE

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 20:47:00 +0100

The show features Marita Alban Juarez ("Chopin Reloaded") and Aleksander Laskowski summarising together the most important jubilee events. Their discussion is accompanied by Chopin’s music performed by the most outstanding piano artists and fragments of film recordings registered during the whole year. The script is created by Paweł Bem and Jacek Sylwin. Rafał Wróblewski is the film director.

The projection is preceded by interactive publication for mobile platforms, that is the "Tale About the Chopin Year for iPAD."

The premiere is organized by the Chopin 2010 Celebrations Office an the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw.

Admission is free.

ŻELAZOWA HAS A NEW MONUMENT

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:17:00 +0100

The wooden sculpture made by the Polish artist Józek Nowak was placed in the Etude building – one of the pavilions of the museum in Żelazowa Wola. Numerous guests were welcomed by Kazimierz Monkiewicz - director of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw.

Waldemar Dąbrowski, who was the initiator of the idea to place the monument in Żelazowa Wola, thanked Halina and Mirosław Pieńkowscy for offering the sculpture and for their great engagement in promoting the work by Fryderyk Chopin abroad. He reminded among others about the patronage by Mr. And Mrs. Pieńkowscy over the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists from the Baltic Countries in Estonia and about founding the Chopin monument in Singapore and in Munich. Moreover, he drew the attention to harmonious fitting of the wooden sculpture in the building’s space, which was constructed in the framework of revitalisation of the Composer’s memory places.

Both Mirosław Pieńkowski and Józef Nowak, author of the sculpture, were visibly satisfied with the fact that the sculpture was placed in Żelazowa Wola, in the very source of Frydreyk Chopin’s genius.

Mariola Wojtkiewicz, author of the recently published monograph "Żelzaowa Wola, History of the Chopin House" (pl. "Żelazowa Wola. Dzieje domu Chopina") reminded the history of the monuments present in the park surrounding the mansion. The formal part of the ceremony was concluded with Chopin Recital by Marek Bracha, participant of this year’s 16th Chopin Competition.

About the monument

The wooden Chopin sculpture is two and a half meter high and represents the standing composer. The artist made it from one trunk of poplar with the use of axe and chainsaw only. On the basis of the monument there are three plaques with inscriptions. The first says: FRYDERYK CHOPIN. The second: Dar Haliny i Mirosława Pieńkowskich w 200. rocznicę urodzin Fryderyka Chopina (en. A Gift from Halina and Mirosław Pieńkowscy on the 200th anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin’s birth) with words below: Żelazowa Wola, 20 lutego 2011 roku. (en. Żelazowa Wola, February 20, 2011). The third bears the words: Rzeźba drewniana, autorstwa Józka Nowaka / Odlew w brązie odsłonięty w Monachium w 2010 roku. (en. Wooden Sculpture by Józek Nowak / Bronze Cast Unveiled in Munich in 2010). The bronze copy mentioned in the last inscription was unveiled on October 18, last year in the central Poet’s Park at Odeonsplatz in Munich.

"CHOPIN YEAR EVENTS" IN DECEMBER

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:43:00 +0100

The final conclusion of the Chopin Year celebrations is getting closer every day. Less than one month is left and this time will be full of Chopin music events – interesting, unique and exceptional. The most important events in Poland and abroad are listed in the recently issued folder „Chopin Year Events. December”. It is available in two language versions: Polish and English.

The folder of the Chopin 2010 Celebrations Office is published on the basis of the Calendar where organizers submitted their Chopin events during the year. The paper – version guide is distributed free of charge to all diplomatic institutions, offices, culture institutions, Press Office Chopin 2010, Kordegarda – Chopin Information Centre and Tourist Information Centers.

Below you will find electronic version of the folder. The archive with folders from the previous months is available in the tab Materials to download. Enjoy the lecture!

MEETING OF THE "CHOPIN FAMILY" IN TOKYO

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:48:00 +0100

At 5.00 pm., before the opening of the ceremony, a press conference takes place with Waldemar Dąbrowski - Chairman of the CHOPIN 2010 Celebrations Committee and director of the Polish National Fryderyk Chopin Institute, and with the Director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tokyo, Martha Argerich, Dang Thai Son and Stanisław Leszczyński.

In the evening, during the gala ceremony in the Imperial Hotel Tokyo outstanding persons in Japan’s cultural life will receive distinctions for their merits for spreading Fryderyk Chopin’s works. The Japanese Minister of Culture, Seiichi Kondo, will participate in the ceremony.

List of people honoured with Chopin Passport:

actor Kanze Tetsunojo,
pianist Makoto Ozone,
pianist Aimi Kobayashi,
conductor Michiyoshi Inoue,
pianist Yukio Yokoyama.

List of people honoured with Chopin reliefs handed in by Mr Mirosław Zasada, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic Poland:

The National Piano Teachers Association of Japan,
Faculty of Music at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo,
Piano Music CHOPIN Magazine,
Isshiki Makoto,

List of people honoured with Gloria Artis Medals:

Hiroko Nakamura – gold
Yoshihiro Naito– silver
Japan Chopin Society – silver

During the evening reception Yulianna Avdeeva, the winner of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw will perform a short recital. The pianist will deliver two more concerts in Japan – on December 4 and 8.

Martha Argerich’s performs preliminary opening concert on December 1 in the Sumida Triphony Hall.

"Chopin Year Events" in NOVEMBER

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:29:00 +0100

Chopin Year Celebrations come to an end in two months and many institutions organize important events for this significant in the Polish culture date. It is worth to learn more in the November Chopin guide comprising a list of the most important events for the coming month. The folder contains both events in Poland and abroad. It is available in two language versions: Polish and English.

The publication of the Chopin2010 Celebrations Office is based on the Calendar where organizers of the Chopin events submit information. The guide in paper version is sent free of charge to all diplomatic establishments, offices, culture institutions, Press Office Chopin 2010, Kordegarda – Chopin Year Information Centre, and Tourist information Centres.

Please, find below the electronic version of the guide. The archival editions of the guide are available in the tab Materials to download.

Chopin’s passport for Akumal Ramachander

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:04:00 +0200

Polish Security Printing Works S.A. and the Chopin Year 2010 Celebrations Committee prepared personalised Chopin’s passports especially in relation to the jubilee year. The passports are granted to outstanding artists and people committed to the jubilee celebrations. "With this unique gift we grant the person symbolic citizenship of art", said at the ceremony Waldemar Dąbrowski, the chair of the Chopin Year 2010 Celebrations Committee, director of the Teatr Wielki – Opera Narodowa. "This passport is a special ticket to all the places where Chopin is loved, it means the whole world".

Akumal Ramachander is a Hindu writer and a propagator of Polish culture, organizer of among others the Festival of Poland dedicated to the Polish culture taking place in Bangalore in south India. The Chopin’s passport was handed in by Mrs Małgorzata Błoch-Wiśniewska, director of the Chopin Year 2010 Celebrations Office.

The Chopin Year Events in October

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:49:00 +0200

You will find there over 90 pages of information about October's top events celebrating the composer's birth bicentenary. Find out what concerts, exhibitions or lectures are taking place in your area!

The Chopin Year Events is released at the beginning of each month in Polish and English and is based on our online Calendar of Events featuring Chopin events submitted to us by organisers.

Hardcopies of the bulletin are sent over free of charge to diplomatic posts, government agencies, cultural institutions, the Chopin 2010 Press Office, Kordegarda Chopin 2010 and Tourist Information Centres.

If you would like your events be featured in our Calendar, please sign up for Your Account at chopin2010.pl and submit the events. To be published in the bulletin, an event has to be submitted by the second day of the previous month.

Click below to download the current issue.You may download the bulletin’s archive issues in electronic copy from our Press Room section. Enjoy the read!