The 16th "Chopin and his Europe" International Music Festival will run from 15 August to 1 September 2020. An important element of this year's edition programme will be the presentation of Ludwig van Beethoven's works on the composer's 250th birth anniversary.
Beethoven's pieces will be performed, among others, by Belcea Quartet (4 evenings will feature this famous ensemble's rendition of all the quartets of the great classic from Bonn) and the Orchestra of the 18th Century with Kristian Bezuidenhout as soloist and conductor (they will present five piano concertos).
The main programme of the Festival will traditionally feature the "gems of Polish music" with Chopin's works at the forefront. Fabio Biondi and his band Europa Galante will present Stanisław Moniuszko's opera The Countess. Sinfonia Varsovia and pianists Clare Hammond and Philippe Giusiano under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk will perform the Piano Concerto in A flat major, Op. 2 by Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński, Fantasy for piano and orchestra by Andrzej Panufnik, and Concertino for piano and orchestra by Roman Palester. 1st Violin Concerto and 4th Symphonie Concertante, Op. 60 by Karol Szymanowski will be presented at the National Philharmonic. Three pieces in old style by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki will be performed by the Scottish Ensemble. The final concert will begin with the performance of Witold Lutosławski's Funeral Music.
The Festival will host a galaxy of pianists associated with the Chopin Competition, including five of its winners – Yulianna Avdeeva, Philippe Giusian, Kevin Kenner, Garrick Ohlsson and Dang Thai Son – as well as numerous winners and participants of the Competition who will play not only on contemporary pianos , but also on historical instruments.
Tickets on sale from 17 March!
Full programme available at: https://festiwal.nifc.pl/pl