2022-05-11

Although there is an Ignacy Jan Paderewski association in Tokyo, and Japanese pianists appreciate the works of Stanisław Moniuszko or Tekla Bądarzewska, Polish music is still known there mainly through Frédéric Chopin. Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, together with its Japanese partners, is taking steps to popularise our native culture in the Land of the Rising Sun by inviting young Japanese pianists to take part in a piano competition for children and young people entitled "Music from Chopin's land".
 

The 'Music from Chopin's land' competition is an event aimed at pianists under the age of 18. It is divided into 6 age categories, allowing a wide range of performers to take part in it. It is an opportunity for all those who are interested in Polish music to get to know it better, to master the performance of mazurkas and polonaises, but also to experience Polish music from an early age. Auditions for the competition are scheduled for September 2022 in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka and Nagoya. The finalists and winners in all categories will be announced one month later, in October 2022.
 

A cross-section of the best piano pedagogy

"The piano competition 'Music from Chopin's land' is an excellent opportunity to learn not only about the work of Frédéric Chopin, but also to learn that he did not create while remaining in an artistic vacuum; that he had great predecessors, but also outstanding continuators." says the director - editor-in-chief of Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne dr Daniel Cichy. "That is why the competition programme, put together by excellent pianists and pedagogues led by prof. Ewa Pobłocka, consists not only of music by Chopin, but also by other Polish composers. It has been specially selected for its artistic value and didactic qualities".
 

In addition to works by Chopin and Paderewski, the competition repertoire included compositions by Maurycy Moszkowski, Karol Kurpiński, but also Witold Lutosławski, Janina Garścia and Krystyna Gowik. The competition jury is chaired by prof. Ewa Pobłocka, laureate of the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition and later member of its jury. Thanks to the educational campaign, pianists at various stages of learning to play can get to know Polish music in practice and increase their repertoire awareness, which - as the organisers assume - will also translate into the performance of this music in Japan. 
 

May concerts in major Japanese cities

The ambassador of the competition is Marie Kiyone, an award-winning Japanese pianist, winner of the Frédéric Chopin National Piano Competition in Warsaw (2010) and the "MozARTe" International Piano Competition in Aachen, winner of the "Premio Accademia Giovani" and "Premio Accademia 2015" International Piano Competitions in Rome. During May concerts in four major Japanese cities, Kiyone will present works by Polish composers. Later this month, residents of Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka and Nagoya will be able to listen to her interpretation of the competition pieces by: Marek Stachowski, Maria Szymanowska, Tadeusz Szeligowski, but also Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Frédéric Chopin. During the meeting there will be time for an introduction to the competition, during which teachers together with students will be able to learn the most important details about participating in the piano competition under the banner of "Music from Chopin's land". All concerts will be held at local music stores owned by Kawai, a partner of the event. This is where the auditions will take place in September 2022. 

The piano competition "Music from Chopin’s land" is co-organised by To-on Kikaku Co. Ltd. - importer of sheet music and organiser of cultural events in Japan.

The venture is supported by: The Polish Institute in Tokyo, Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd. and the Piano Teachers Association of Japan (PTNA), a Japanese non-profit organization of professional piano teachers registered with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.
 

The piano competition for children and young people "Music from Chopin's land" was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the programme "Inspiring culture".