The Chopin Competition starts

The 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition begins tomorrow. Warsaw is a co-organizer and has funded the 6th prize for the finalist. This is one of the most important cultural events in the world, with accompanying events taking place in the capital.

­- Welcome to Warsaw, the city of Chopin! – Aldona Machnowska-Góra, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, welcomed the participants of the Chopin Competition. –We are very grateful to the Fryderyk Chopin Institute that, as the capital city of Warsaw, we can co-organize the Chopin Competition and, thanks to it, transform some of the city's spaces and influence intergenerational bonds. Therefore, I invite you to the concerts in cultural centers and to use the Warsaw metro, where Chopin will also be heard," she added.

100 years of history

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, founded in 1927, is one of the oldest musical events of its kind in the world. This year's edition also marks the beginning of the competition's centenary celebrations. Over the past century, its formula has been continually refined: the number of stages, the program, the judging system, the prizes, and the media through which the competition recitals can be followed have all changed. However, from the beginning, the music of Fryderyk Chopin has been a constant and integral part of the competition.

The road to the competition

The qualifying rounds, held in Warsaw from April 23 to May 4, 2025, featured 162 pianists from 28 countries. The qualifying jury selected 66 participants to compete in the 19th Chopin Competition. Nineteen performers, winners of selected Chopin competitions, also advanced to the first stage of the competition without qualifying.

The entire competition will be broadcast live on the official website chopincompetition.pl, in the mobile app, and on the Chopin Institute's YouTube and Facebook channels, and for the first time on TikTok. All stages of the competition will also be available to listen to on Polish Radio and watch on Polish Television's TVP Kultura channel.

Chopin on the big screen

On September 29th, the Grand Theatre – National Opera hosted the official premiere of the film "Chopin, Chopin," which tells the story of lesser-known events in the life of the pianist and composer. Michał Kwieciński directed the film, and Eryk Kulm played the title role. The film will be released in cinemas on October 10th. It will also be screened during Warsaw Film Festival. The production was supported by the Masovian and Warsaw Film Funds.

Concerts in cultural centers
Warsaw's cultural centers are also joining in the Chopin celebrations. Recitals by participants of the Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition will take place at locations including:

  • at the Saska Kępa Culture Prom – October 11, 12, 18 and 19 (6:00 p.m.),
  • at the Ursynów Cultural Center "Alternatywy" – October 15 and 16 (7:00 p.m.),
  • at the Kadr Cultural Center – October 8 (7 p.m.) and October 18 (5 p.m. and 7 p.m.).

Immersive exhibition
The audience can also immerse themselves in a 30-minute immersive show based on the composer's music and letters – the "Romantic Chopin" exhibition in Art Box Experience. The exhibition features modern technologies: interactive musical sculpture, virtual reality, and a multimedia tree featuring figures who shaped Chopin's life and work.

More information about the Chopin Competition and accompanying events can be found at: nifc.pl/pl.

Source: Press Release of the Capital City of Warsaw