© Protected - Selected Classical Music in Poland and the Europe of Chopin - Reviewer's Notebook

If you are fortunate enough to be living in Australia, love the music of Fryderyk Chopin and wish to hear an outstandingly brilliant pianist and musician, make strenuous efforts to attend this remarkable recital   https://www.friendsofchopin.org.au/rafael-luszczewski-in-recital I have heard  Rafal Luszczewski   give many exceptional and well-received recitals in Warsaw, surely the informed critical home of many of today's greatest Chopin interpretations. The prodigious International Chopin Piano Competition will be launched once again later this year in Warsaw Luszczewski  is also to be commended on his many musical activities beyond recitals in a characteristically Polish cosmopolitan musical career embracing teaching, conducting superb Masterclasses and the extraordinary initiative of setting up Chopin piano competitions in South American countries.  A unique individual and charming man who plays unencumbered by the inflated vanity of far too ma...

  Ignacy Jan Paderewski (6 November 1860 – 29 June 1941) starring in the innocent and lyrical film Moonlight Sonata (1936) The 9th International Paderewski Piano Competition, Bydgoszcz, Poland 3-17 November 2013 http://www.michael-moran.com/2013/10/ix-international-paderewski-piano.html The 10th International Paderewski Piano Competition, Bydgoszcz, Poland  6-20 November 2016 https://michael-moran.org/blog/ The 11th International Paderewski Piano Competition Bydgoszcz, Poland 10-24 November 2019 https://michael-moran.org/2019/10/23/the-11th-international-paderewski-piano-competition-10-24-xi-2019/ The 12th International Paderewski Piano Competition Bydgoszcz, Poland   November 6th – 20th, 2022 http://www.michael-moran.com/2022/11/the-12th-international-paderewski-piano.html    

As is always the case with this pianist, I am overcome with superlatives. He is one of the great period piano specialists but also has a commanding keyboard technique and deep musical insight that convinces completely on the modern instrument. This individualistic and highly talented young Russian pianist has studied extensively in Moscow and Frankfurt specializing in the  fortepiano  (as the period instrument is called in England). He has taken part successfully in many piano competitions and festivals throughout the world. He was awarded an Honourable Mention in the  1st International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments. 2–14 September 2018.   I felt he should have been placed far higher.  His full biography is here:  https://www.ablogin.de/biography    Much has changed and many prestigious awards since last I wrote about him. He performed this evening on a  modern instrument. At the time I first heard him, I wrote of hi...

  World-renowned musicians and pianists have been assembled to play at the  80th Anniversary  Duszniki-Zdrój International Chopin Festival  1-9 August 2025 The longest-running international piano festival in the world with great traditions Concerts August 1st 8:00 p.m. – Festival Opening (symphonic concert) I am reliably informed that the National Philharmonic Orchestra will play at Duszniki  Soloists: Mikhail Pletnev  August 2nd 4:00 PM – 2025 Van Cliburn Competition Gold Medal 8:00 PM - Sergei Babayan  August 3rd 4:00 PM - Kevin Chen 8:00 PM - Gabriela Montero  August 4th 4:00 PM - Kyohei Sorita 8:00 p.m. – Krzysztof Jablonski  August 5th 4:00 p.m. – Manami Suzuki 1st prize – 12th Hamamatsu Piano Competition 2024 9:00 PM – Nocturne  August 6th 4:00 PM - Aimi Kobayashi 8:00 PM - Boris Giltburg  August 7th 4:00 PM - Philipp Lynov 8:00 p.m. - Piotr Anders...