Chopin Competition qualifying stage kicks off
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
13.04.2015 15:52
18-year-old Aleksandra Dąbek of Poland has opened the qualifying stage of the 17th Chopin International Competition at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw.
Aleksandra Dąbek of Poland has opened the qualifying stage of the 17th Chopin International Competition. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
She is one of 160 entrants to have been selected by a panel of judges from amongst 450 pianists who had sent in their audio and DVD recordings.
There are 26 pianists from China, 25 from Japan, 24 from South Korea and 21 from Poland.
Each of them presents a 30-minute recital, a selection of Chopin’s etudes, nocturnes, mazurkas, ballades and scherzos.
Their performances are judged by an international jury chaired by Poland’s Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, including prominent pianists from Poland, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Japan.
A final list of 80 pianists who will compete for awards in the main competition, starting 1 October, will be announced on 25 April.
Seven pianists – prize-winners of other major competitions – do not have to take part in the qualifying stage. Among them are three Poles – winners of the 2015 National Chopin Competition - Andrzej Wierciński, Rafał Krupiński and Krzysztof Książek. (mk/nh)