4th International Music Festival "Chopin and his Europe"

15 - 31 August 2008

'The programme of the 4th International Music Festival Chopin and his Europe stretching from Mozart to our times is so constructed, as to let us experience the musical heritage of Romanticism, which is presented in selected close-ups'. (Bohdan Pociej, an excerpt from programme book).

The most important close-up is on the music of the patron of the Festival but the subtitle 'from Pogorelič to Tchaikovsky' alludes to the name of the eminent and sadly forgotten Polish pianist and composer Andrzej Czajkowski (Andre Tchaikowsky), who died at the age of 47. His 2nd piano concerto, composed in 1975, will be premiered by Maciej Grzybowski. This work was first performed by Radu Lupu in London many years ago.

Among the participants are Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk
and Howard Shelley, The Warsaw Philharmonic under Antoni Wit and again - on the original instruments - The Orchestra of the 18th Century under the baton
of Frans Brüggen, as well as The Zehetmair Quartet (Jakub Jakowicz on the second violin).

As in the previous years we will hear great international masters of the piano -
Ivo Pogorelich, who inaugurates the Festival, and also Grigory Sokolov,
Dang Thai Son, Olli Mustonen, Kevin Kenner, Howard Shelley, Dina Yoffe, Michie Koyama, Piers Lane and Alexei Lubimov. Also younger pianists will take part in the Festival: Yevgeny Sudbin, Yulianna Avdeeva, Sergio Tiempo
Kristian Bezuidenhout, Marcus Groh, Alexander Melnikov,
Katia Skanavi, Philippe Giusiano, François-Frédéric Guy, Wendy Chen
and Gilles Vonsattel. Among the Polish participants one should mention
Janusz Olejniczak (three concerts), Maciej Grzybowski, Piotr Różański
and Jan Lisiecki, a 13-year old Polish-Canadian. We will also hear the violinist Isabelle Faust, the flutist Martin Sandhoff as well as the singer
Andreas Schmidt (bass-baritone), famous for his participation in the great
Don Giovanni recording conducted by Sir Roger Norrington.

An increasing number of pianists decide to perform on period instruments.
This year, for example, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Nikolai Demidenko, Dina Yoffe,
Janusz Olejniczak, Kevin Kenner, Alexander Melnikov and Alexei Lubimov. Mr. Lubimov will play on a Jacob Weimes instrument from 1809, which was used in Miloš Forman's Amadeus.

Traditionally Polish orchestras will take part in the Festival - Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk and Howard Shelley and The Warsaw Philharmonic under Antoni Wit. We will also hear - on the original instruments - The Orchestra of the 18th Century under the baton of Frans Brüggen, as well as the acclaimed Zehetmair Quartet (with Jakub Jakowicz on the second violin), which comes to Poland for the first time.