Music fest celebrates Chopin, Polish independence

The concert by the Kraków-based Beethoven Academy Orchestra conducted by Jean-Luc Tingaud included Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F-minor, with Poland’s Szymon Nehring as the soloist, and contemporary composer Krzysztof Penderecki’s Polonaise for Orchestra.

This last work had been specially commissioned from Penderecki by festival organisers for this year’s centenary of Poland regaining independence.

The motto of the festival – "Independent: From Chopin to Paderewski" – refers to the anniversary of national independence, with works by Polish composers accounting for roughly half of the event’s programme. The list includes names such as Karłowicz, Noskowski, Dobrzyński, Panufnik, and Górecki.

Featured performers include famous pianists such as Warsaw Chopin Competition winners Seong-Jin Cho, Dang Thai Son, Yulianna Avdeeva, and Garrick Ohlsson, as well as Nelson Freire, Benjamin Grosvenor, Howard Shelley, Peter Donohoe, Nelson Goerner, and Charles Richard-Hamelin.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from London, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Europa Galante under Fabio Bondi, the Sinfonia Varsovia, and the Warsaw Philharmonic are among the featured orchestras.

The festival runs until August 31.

Launched in 2005, the Chopin and His Europe festival is being held for the 14th time. (mk/gs)