The Semi-Annual Magazine of the Chopin Foundation of the USA

The Se mi- An n u al M agazin e of th e Ch opin Fou n dati o n o f the USA
CHOPIN FOUNDATION OF
THE UNITED STATES, INC.
Officers & Directors
Krzysztof Penderecki Honorary Chairman
Blanka A. Rosenstiel - Founder & President
Olga Melin - Vice President
Dr. William J. Hipp - Treasurer
Rebecca Baez - Secretary
Dr. Adam Aleksander - Artistic Advisor
Jadwiga Viga Gewert - Executive Director
Directors
Agustin Anievas, , Roberta O. Chaplin, Douglas C. Evans,
Rosa-Rita Gonzalez, Renate Ryan, Lorraine Sonnabend
Regional Councils
Mack McCray – San Francisco Chopin Council
Allan Park – Northwest Chopin Council
Scholarship Committee
Dr. Adam Aleksander, Agustin Anievas, Dr. Hanna Cyba
Advisory Board
Bonnie Barrett – Yamaha Artist Services
Dr. Shelton Berg – University of Miami Frost School of Music
Ron Losby – Steinway & Sons
International Artistic Advisory Council
Agustin Anievas, Martha Argerich, Emanuel Ax, Jeffrey N. Babcock,
John Bayless, Luiz Fernando Benedini, John Corigliano, Ivan Davis,
Christopher T. Dunworth, Charles Dutoit, Nelson Freire,
Bruno Leonardo Gelber, Gary Graffman, Horacio Gutierrez,
Marta Istomin, Byron Janis, James Judd, Cyprien Katsaris,
Zoltan Koscis, Jacob Lateiner, Garrick Ohlsson, Paloma O’Shea,
Daniel Pollack, Maurizio Pollini, Abbey Simon,
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Michael Tilson Thomas, Charles Wadsworth,
Susan Wadsworth, Krystian Zimerman
Editorial
Polonaise is published semi-annually by the
Chopin Foundation of the USA
1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, FL 33141
Editorial Office: 305-868-0624 • 305-865-5150 (Fax)
E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.chopin.org
Publisher: Lady Blanka A. Rosenstiel
Executive Editor: Jadwiga Viga Gewert
Contributors: Rena Kizilisik, Lynne Schaefer,
Mack McCray, Allan Park
Design by: Jacober + Associates, Miami Beach
S PR IN G 2 013
VOLUM E XXIII/ N U M BE R 1
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Message from the Founder and President .................................................................................... 2
Chopin Foundation Donors and Contributors ............................................................................... 3
Message from the Executive Director ........................................................................................... 4
Highlights from our Recent Concerts ........................................................................................... 5
San Francisco Chopin Council........................................................................................................ 6
Northwest Chopin Council ............................................................................................................. 7
2013-14 “Chopin for All” FREE Concert Series.............................................................................. 9
2013-14 Membership Concerts...................................................................................................... 9
“CHOPIN & LISZT: AFFINITIES IN WORK & RELATIONSHIP” Irena Poniatowska...................... 10
Scholarship Program for Young American Pianists..................................................................... 14
MTNA “Chopin Prizes”.................................................................................................................. 15
Musical News and Notes for Young Pianists and Piano Teachers............................................... 16
Support Young American Pianists................................................................................................ 17
Copyright © 2013 Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Words are wonderful enough; but music is even more wonderful. It speaks not to
our thoughts as words do; it speaks straight to our hearts and spirits, to the very
core and root of our souls.“ - Charles Kingsley (1819 – 1875)
Message From The
FOUNDER
Blanka A. Rosenstiel, Founder & President
I have always believed in the magic of music. During the 35 years of the Chopin
Foundation, I have seen over and over again how music thrills and soothes,
entices and moves, and touches every one of us at our very core. Music has the
power to unlock our hearts and emotions, and I know that the passionate music
lovers I have had the privilege to meet over the years share my ardent belief that
music is one of the most vital pleasures of our lives.
There is no better evidence of how much classical music is still in demand
than at our “Chopin for All” FREE Concert Series which is in its seventeenth
successful season. If you don’t arrive at our concerts at the Broward County Main
Library early enough, you may be seated in the lobby in front of the monitor and
speakers, since all the seats are taken the moment the doors open. At Granada
Presbyterian Church every concert attracts about 500 avid guests! Music lovers
from all walks of life are united by Chopin’s music. Many of them have attended
year after year since the series began in 1996, and bring their friends and family,
who then bring their friends and on and on it goes. Our hearts and spirits are
never tired of music - we need it - and I promise you we will continue bringing
exciting and gifted musicians to delight all of your music “senses!”
In this issue you will find our schedule for the new season of concerts in which
we will introduce a number of young artists who have never performed here
– outstanding young Americans, an exchange artist from Kosovo, and the
upcoming winner of the 2013 International Paderewski Competition.
2 // P OLON AIS E S PRIN G 2 0 1 3
I am very pleased to announce the dates of our Ninth National Chopin Piano
Competition of the USA, held in Miami, February 21 through March 1, 2015.
As always, our rules are based on the requirements of the International
Chopin Competition in Warsaw. We look forward to the excitement of both the national and international competitions - but before that a new batch of
scholarship recipients will be selected by June 15th of this year. It is our hope
that some of these talented young musicians will be ready to enter the 2015
Chopin Competition.
Also this year, I am thrilled that once again there are two new winners of the
Chopin Prizes at the Music Teachers National Association Piano Competition,
in Junior and Senior categories. The first prize winner in the Young Pianists
category will perform for us in South Florida next season. I am so grateful for
all the piano teachers across the country who collaborate with us in searching
for young talent. Together we can do more!
I want to thank all music lovers, members, and avid supporters for helping
us to carry on our mission. With your ongoing generosity and love of music,
the Chopin Foundation will be able to grow and expand its musical reach for
years to come, and to continue creating magic!
Affectionately and musically yours,
Blanka A. Rosenstiel
D O N O R S & CO NTR IB UTORS
We extend our deepest thanks to those whose vision and support have
helped us in our mission: that of developing the next generation of great musicians.
May we continue to add to this esteemed roster others who would join us in our mission.
FOUNDER
Lady Blanka A. Rosenstiel
GRAND BENEFACTORS
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council,
The Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Florman Family
Foundation, Mark Blank Chairman; Brenda Bruce Fountain; Louis Leibowitz Charitable
Foundation, Marvin & Isa Leibowitz; The Rosenstiel Foundation; Southern Wine & Spirits of
America, Harvey & Roberta Chaplin, Chairman & CEO; Yamaha Artist Services
BENEFACTORS
American Institute of Polish Culture, Agustin & Carol Anievas, Audrey Love Charitable
Foundation, Manuel & Rebecca Baez, George Berberian, The Beveridge Family Foundation,
Broward County Main Library and Friends of the Fort Lauderdale Libraries,
The City of Coral Gables, Chopin Imports, Corduroy Charitable Trust/Mark D. Howland,
Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Funding Arts Network, Greater Miami Convention &
Visitors Bureau, William & Frankie Hipp, Sheldon L. and Pearl R. Leibowitz Foundation,
David & Olga Melin, Sonny Nguyen, Piano Music Center, Renate Ryan,
Stephen & Lorraine Sonnabend, Tian Ying, Juana Zayas
PATRONS
Ruby Bacardi, Isa Baez, Enrique & Lina Blondet, Frances & Janusz Burzynski, Doan Bao Tran,
Philip Caswell, III, Buddy & Diane Cohen, Sandra Davis, Carlos & Carmen Dominguez,
Allan & Susan Dunn, Mayor Norman Edelcup, Douglas Evans, Pamela Garrison,
Lenore Gaynor, Clifford & Norma Hall, Herbert & Madeline Hillsberg, Jadwiga Henderson,
Christopher Humberston & Luisa Ruffin, Dr. Idalia Lastra, Jesus & Silvia Lastra,
Joseph Lavinio & Richard Jannotti, Richard & Theresa Lubman, Laureano & Ana Martinez,
Terry & Louise Moore, Northwest Chopin Council, Ralph & Elizabeth Piotrovsky,
Daisy Richardson, Carlos Rivas, Carol Romer & Bill Nigh, Richard & Anne Rosenfeld,
Alicja Schoonover, Dolores Seidon, Lisa Werner & Peter Seite, Fred Seltzer, Clara Sredni,
Duane & Liliana Treeman, Jacqueline Tuozzolo, Tatiana & Gerrit Verberg, Von Holtzbrinck
Publishing/Patricia Hall, Ligia Wiegand, Robert & Julie Williamson, Bevy Yuz
FRIENDS
Franklin & Dorothy Abel, Sonia Alcazar, Michael Alexander, Hilda Andrews, Richard Ascher,
Claudine Assous, Evelyn Axler, Tadeusz Babij, Philip Balbi, Milton & Adelle Bandklayder,
Allan Behm, Eric Berger, Ophelia Bertran, Emily Boraby, Loretta Bready, Dr. Thor Bruce,
Honorable S. Peter Capua, Alfred Casaretti, Paolo Carega, Erich Cauller, Carole Cohen,
Raymond & Cornelia Copell, Carmen Cuenca, Robert Fithian, Mildred Cohn, Robert Connor,
Edith Cubas, Rosemary Curasi, Margareta De Gea Grezell, Hermine Dessort,
James & Joan Dezell, Elena Duyos, Norman & Diana Elson, Rita Essner, Elisabeth Evans,
Mary Fader, Grecia Falcon, Paula Finkle, Susan Fleming, Florence “Flossie” Fowlkes,
Candido Font, Merle Frank, Roberto & Marie Friedman, Donna Genet, Margarita Garcia,
Dalia Glottman, Rosa-Rita Gonzalez, Ken & Gladys Gold, Carmen Gonzalez, Keith Gray,
Bernice Harris, Carol Hill-Williams, Helene Houge, Petrina Hurlbert, Emilia Ibanez,
Gail Ironson, Claire Jacobson & Marvin Roth, Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Jacobstein,
Jerome & Anita Kaplan, Rita Kritcher, Dr. Iris Lash, Judy Lawton, David Lazovitz,
Mr. & Mrs. Norman Leathers, Marilyn Levine, Barbara Levy, Norman & Nancy Liebman,
Lucy London, Zenobia Logusz, Darren Lyle, Erna Mayer, Abel Merrill,
Roger & Elizabeth Mervis, Teresita Mestre, Mary Morales, Li Chiung Moyant, Jeffrey Mullens,
Avis Lee Neiman, Marta Olchyk, Nelsie Parada, Cyril & Marie Parkanyi, Bertin & Maria Perez,
Suzette Pope, Alan Phillips, Miriam Rodriguez, Floyd Rosen, Arnold & Edith Rosenberg,
Eugene & Jacqueline Ross, Charles Rubenstein, Sheldon & Bernice Rubin, Anne Russinof,
Carol Sadowski, Leonard Sanginario, Helen Saulson, Rose & Alan Sazant,
Reiner & Barbara Schwebel, Margaret Seroppian, Daniel Setton, E.M. Setton,
Denyamin & Laura Shurik, Leslie Silverman, Marilyn Silverstein, Norman & Audrey Skopp,
Linda Smoak, Peter Steinberg, Barbara Stephens, Karen Strouse,
Amanda Suarez, Elizabeth Sullivan, Grace Sullivan, Hilda Sussman, Henryk Switala,
Irene Szulman, Dean Taylor, Dwight Taylor, Richard & Evelyn Vaz, Jon Verbalis, Vivian Waddell,
Lee Walter, Jean Warner, John Williams, Lee Wouters, Joanna Zaremba
PARTNERS IN THE ARTS
Classical South Florida 89.7FM, WLRN 91.3FM, The Miami Herald,
Sunday Afternoons of Music/Doreen Marx, CGCC Community Arts Program/Mark Hart,
Friends of Chamber Music of Miami/Julian Kreeger,
The Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science,
The Village of Key Biscayne
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 3
Message From The
EX ECU T I VE DI R EC TO R
Jadwiga Viga Gewert
Our 2012-2013 season of concerts have again been the talk of the town.
The Southern Wine & Spirits of America’s “Chopin for All” FREE Concert Series
opened in October with our Top Teenage Talent – the 2012 Chopin Scholarship
recipients, Connie Chen and Gabrielle Chou, in two superb concerts staged at
our usual locations: Broward County Main Library’s concert hall and Granada
Presbyterian Church in Coral Gables. The December 2012 concert featured
phenomenal young cellist, Jonah Kim, who charmed the audience in a duo
performance with the more understated Andrew Tyson, the winner of the 2011
YCA Competition. In January 2013, we presented a rising star of American
piano, Steven Lin, a Third Prize Winner of the 2012 Hilton Head International
Piano Competitions. In February, the 2012 Chopin Prize Winner of the Music
Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) Piano Performance Competition, YiYang Chen from Taiwan, performed a program from Chopin to … Yi-Yang Chen!
The March 2013 concert featured Igor Lovchinsky, a finalist of our 2005 National
Chopin Competition, performing a lively solo as well as a duo with the violinist
Young Pianists Concert, Fort Lauderdale
4 // P OLON AIS E S PRIN G 2 0 1 3
Christina McGann. The April 2013 concert will presented preselected Miami-Dade
and Broward piano students, aged 7 to 17 years old, in an all-Chopin program.
The series concludes in May 2013, with the young Polish pianist Piotr Kosinski,
winner of the 2010 International Paderewski Piano Competition in Los Angeles,
who comes to us as an exchange artist.
Our Salon Membership Concerts presented three Masters of the Piano –
Adam Aleksander in November, Ning An in January, and Mei-Ting in March at the
elegant La Gorce Country Club on Miami Beach.
The most important concert of the season will feature Rafal Blechacz, the 2005
International Chopin Piano Competition Winner, who will perform in Miami on May
7, 2013, as part of our collaboration with the Friends of Chamber Music of Miami.
No music lover should miss this concert!
We hope to see you at our exciting events next season, starting November 2013!
Young Pianists Concert, Miami
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR CURRENT SEASON
OC TO B ER JA N UA RY continued
Connie and Gabrielle with Brenda Bruce
Fountain, Lady Blanka & Renate Ryan
Gabrielle Chou &
Connie Chen
Gabrielle also
plays violin
N OVEMBER
George Berberian,
Olga Melin & Ning An
Ning An with Barbara Pagowska,
Agnieszka Gray & Lady Blanka
Ning An at La Gorce Country Club
FE BR UA RY
Adam Aleksander flanked
by Grazyna & Dr. Zbigniew
Wojciechowski from Texas
Hanna Cyba &
Adam Aleksander
Chopin Members
DEC EMBER Yi-Yang Chen at the piano
Yi-Yang Chen with Diego Arevalo
& his parents
Yi-Yang Chen with the Lee family,
Jessica, Chien, Dickson & Sylvia
MARCH
Jonah Kim & Andrew Tyson
Jonah & Andrew with
Lady Blanka & the artists’ hostess,
Miriam Guazzini
Andrew & Jonah with Cynthia
Shulman, Main Library Manager,
& Viga Gewert
Christina McGann & Igor Lovchinsky
McGann & Lovchinsky with Leibowitz Family
McGann & Lovchinsky
JA NUA RY
Mei-Ting Sun with Iga Henderson,
Rena Kizilisik & Mark Greenberg
Kinga Augustyn
Steven Lin
introduces
his program
Steven with
young audience
Dr. Howard Sanford, Brigitta &
Mano Solinski & Margery Sanford
with Steven Lin
Rick Mailinowski from Piano Music
Center, Bonnie Barret from YASI,NY,
Lady Blanka & MTS
Rosa Rita Gonzalez &
Hilda Andrews with MTS
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 5
CHOPIN FOUNDATION
COUNCIL OF
SAN FRANCISCO
Mack McCray, President
It’s been an eventful year. We were thrilled to be contacted by Allan Park, president
of the Northwest Chopin Chapter -- it’s not so lonely out here on the West Coast now!
I visited the Council in Seattle as one of the judges for their Chopin competition, and
was delighted with the level of enthusiasm on the board and talent among the students.
Chopin Council of San Francisco and Chopin Council of Northwest are planning to do
some projects together, which means we will be able to lure notable pianists out here to
the West Coast for a tour of concert dates at a more attractive fee.
The 2012 Winners performed
the Holiday Concert
Pictured here with members of
SF Council’s Board of Directors
San Francisco had its largest Young Pianists Chopin Piano Competition to date, so large
that we had to use two sets of judges and two different performance halls in the San
Francisco Conservatory! The winners performed in a concert the following night, and
performed again at our holiday concert and reception in December at the beautiful Queen
Anne Hotel.
Lo-An Lin, the recent First Prize Winner at the San Antonio International Piano
Competition, performed a beautiful recital for our traditional Chopin Birthday Celebration
on February 24th.
We are planning to have Claire Huangci, Winner of our 2010 National Chopin Piano
Competition, perform next year’s Birthday Concert both in San Francisco and Seattle.
For more information please visit our website at www.chopinsf.org.
Chopin BirthdayConcert
Artist Lo-An Lin with Mack McCray
6 // P OLON AIS E S PRIN G 2 0 1 3
CHOPIN FOUNDATION
COUNCIL OF
NORTHWEST
Allan Park, President
Our Chopin Council completed its 2013 Festival on February 2nd. Over 140 talented
pianists from the Northwest region competed in four age categories. Our adjudicators
were Mack McCray, Ning An and Yoshi Nagai. Winners of the Festival returned the following
day to perform at Seattle’s most well known mansion - The Polish Foundation Home.
The day was filled with beautiful music and interesting vignettes from our honorary
emcee, Dr. Steven Lagerberg. Alison Bell, our former President, presented the awards
with my assistance. The mansion was filled to capacity 15 minutes prior to starting.
We had a wonderfully organized registration volunteer staff, door monitors and assistants
to help run the program smoothly. Our principle program director, Judy Baker, made sure
that the judges, volunteer staff and board members were fully equipped with everything
for a successful day of adjudicating.
While Chopin NW did not award a Concerto winner this year, we were able to proudly
offer a live Concerto performance with a 5 piece chamber orchestra to our 13 year old
GRAND PRIZE WINNER, Shannon Cassady. She performed the 1st movement of the
Chopin’s E Minor Concerto.The following week, 14 students who received Honorable
Mentions performed at Sherman Clay in downtown Seattle on the legendary Horowitz
Concert Grand.
We will be returning to The University of Washington School of Music again in 2014
with new adjudicators selected from different regions of U.S. Complete YouTube
performances of both the winners and honorable mentions of Chopin NW 2013
can be found at our site, www.chopinnw.org.
The winners for 2013 Chopin Foundation
of United States, Northwest Chapter are:
• 2013 Winners for Division A:
Edward Zhang, Jeewon Jung, Daniella Tsang
Honorable Mentions: Sandy Huang, Gloria Shen, Katherine Yue, Katherine Li and Dora Ziyan Chen
• 2013 Winners for Division B:
Millicent McFall, Nathan Lee, Steve Silverberg
Honorable Mentions: Emily Pan, Jonathon Lin, Alex Muyang Zhang, Justin Zhu Cai, Andrew Ma, Adrienna Tran-Pearson,
Preston W Lee, Annie Yang, Adrian Fan, Janet P. Phang
• 2013 Winners for Division C:
Alexander Lu, Daniel Park Oslin, Jay Tanaka Grinols
Honorable Mentions: William Zhang, William Huang, Jason Dan, Bryan Zhao
• 2013 Winners for Division D:
Sun Chang, Alexander Zhu, Nicholaus Poelwijk
Honorable Mentions: David Siebert, Megan Lee, Heaven Wei-Line, Dillon K Ching, Katharine Zorich, Audrey Chen, Noelle Elyse Farr, David Shin, Irene Sue Hwang, Anna Pham, Amber Tang
• 2013 Winners for Division E:
Shannon Cassady
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 7
O UR S PO NSORS
The Chopin Foundation’s programs are sponsored in part by the
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural
Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of
Commissioners; the City of Coral Gables; numerous generous
individuals; and the following:
C HO PI N FOUN DATION OF THE U NIT E D STAT E S P R E SE NT S
SOUTHE RN WINE & SP IR IT S OF A M E R IC A’S
2 01 3 -2014 SEASON O F CO N C E R TS
“CHO P I N FOR ALL” FREE CO N C E R T S E R I E S
All concerts are presented in two locations:
SATURDAYS at 3PM at Broward County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave, Ft. Lauderdale
SUNDAYS at 3 PM at Granada Presbyterian Church, 950 University Drive, Coral Gables
Admission FREE; No Tickets Required
November 2, 2013, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
November 3, 2013, 3 PM, Coral Gables
March 15, 2014, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
March 16, 2014, 3 PM, Coral Gables
Menan Berveniku, young emerging pianist
from Kosovo
2013 Int’l Paderewski Piano Competition winner;
name TBA
December 7, 2013, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
December 8, 2013, 3 PM, Coral Gables
Drew Petersen, Full Chopin Scholarship recipient
& baritone Erik Petersen – Chopin & Schubert
April 12, 2014, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
April 13, 2014, 3 PM, Coral Gables Young Pianists Concerts – young local piano
students in an All-Chopin program
January 18, 2014, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
January 19, 2014, 3 PM, Coral Gables
May 17, 2014, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
May 18, 2014, 3 PM, Coral Gables Conlan Miller, 2013 winner of the Music
Teachers National Association’s Piano
Performance Competition
Micah McLaurin, an award winning 17-year
old American pianist
February 8, 2014, 3 PM, Ft. Lauderdale
February 9, 2014, 3 PM, Coral Gables
Lindsay Garritson, an award winning young
American pianist, violinist and vocalist
For more information please
call the Chopin Foundation
at 305.868.0624
or visit www.chopin.org
SALON STYLE
MEMBERSHIP CONCERTS
HOLD THE DATES!
November 17, 2013 January 11, 2014
Artist TBA
Artist TBA
March 30, 2014
Artist TBA
Membership not required to attend our elegant,
salon-style, Sunday afternoon concerts followed
by a mirthful wine reception and then a sumptuous
dinner at beautiful La Gorce Country Club on
Miami Beach.
It’s a delicious return to a bygone era of gracious
civility when people dressed for dinner, feeling
glamorous and posh in a private recital, luxuriating
in magnificent music made by masters of the
piano, then breaking bread and enjoying sparkling
conversation with ladies and gentlemen of the
smart set just like you. If you are in South Florida
in season, we would love for you to join us!
Concert with wine reception
FREE TO MEMBERS; dinner additional.
Non-members: $45-$100. Get all the details at www.chopin.
org or get old-school and call us at 305/868-0624.
The Chopin Foundation is dedicated to promoting young American risingstar classical musicians through scholarships and performance opportunities.
Become a Member, from $200, and help us implement our mission of nurturing
the future masters musicians and promoting classical music in the USA.
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 9
AFFINITIES IN WORK & RELATIONSHIP
By Prof. Irena Poniatowska
This article is an extended and revised version of my article Chopin Liszt: Affinities in their Works and Relationship (Chopin in the World, 1994).
Chopin and Liszt were the greatest performers
and composers of all 19th-century pianists, so much
so that they could in fact be described as “composer
pianists” or “pianist composers.” In the 19th century
they were perceived as a kind of artistic twins; Wilhelm
von Lenz (writing in his 1872 book on Liszt, Chopin,
Tausig and Henselt) and Lina Ramann (writing in her
three-volume monograph on Liszt, 1880-1894) dubbed
Chopin and Liszt “the Dioscuri”, i.e. Castor and Pollux,
twin sons of Zeus and Leda.
The relationship between Chopin and Liszt is
usually discussed in the context of their work and their
friendship. In artistic terms, there are obvious mutual
connections, influences and inspirations which suggest
strong artistic links between the two men. Their social
relationship and friendship, on the other hand, has
been clouded by a degree of controversy, especially
in the wake of the recent explorations of their mutual
disagreements. Chopin scholars tend to look for ways
of laying the blame squarely on Liszt. The Liszt party
argue that the two composers remained moderately
friendly, and draw attention to Liszt’s repeated efforts
to shore up his friendship
with Chopin, which prompted S. Gut to describe
their relationship as une amitié à sens unique
(a one-way friendship). i
10 // P OLON AIS E S PRI N G 2 0 1 3
As artist and composer, Chopin was always an
impenetrable individuality and – excepting his young
years – he tended to resist external influence. Liszt
was his opposite: he absorbed new ideas, doctrines
and artistic trends eagerly, and fell easily under other
people’s influence. To simplify slightly, Chopin was
introverted, and Liszt was an extravert. Following
his fascination with, and thorough exploration of, the
brillant style, Chopin withdrew into individualism
whereas Liszt kept looking for new sources of
inspiration to finally embark on a search for
religious ecstasy. Both were firmly focused on piano
composition. Chopin remained loyal to his instrument
throughout his life; Liszt focused his efforts on the
piano until 1848, the year he gave up his virtuoso
career and began to express himself in other music
genres, and even then he continued to regard the piano
as a special kind of microcosm.
As Paul Badura-Skoda points out, it was from Liszt
that Chopin learned to take a complete orchestral
approach to the piano sound. By way of example
Badura-Skoda points to the chorale section of the
Nocturne in C minor, several etudes, polonaises and
sonata passages. Liszt, on the other hand, picked up
from Chopin an understanding of form and structure,
a discovery which brought more restraint and
architectural logic to his flights of fancy.ii Such mutual
influences are evident in the piano textures of their
works, particularly in their etudes. To Liszt, Chopin
was a pioneer in terms of new harmonic devices, new
forms of ornamentation and new types of figuration
such as his tempo rubato or his nuanced sound effects
– the influence of which can be discerned in Liszt’s
Trois Apparitions (particularly in the last one), in his
etude La leggierezza from the cycle Trois Etudes de
Concert (1848), in the first version of his Berceuse, in
his Consolation No 3. Liszt’s Six Chants Polonais, which
he based on Chopin’s songs, are transcriptions with
varying levels of fidelity. The Spring is the most faithful
piece in the collection, and The Ring, too, stays with
its original model in a relatively disciplined way. The
Drinking Song uses flashy glissandos combined with an
interpolation from the song The Ring. My Enchantress
is an expanded nocturne; A Maiden’s Wish is a set of
variations; The Bridegroom’s Return, the last song in
the collection, showcases Liszt’s virtuoso dynamism.
The Funerailles (October 1849) could be seen as Liszt’s
special tribute to Chopin. As Stanisław Gut points out,
the work was inspired by Chopin’s death rather than
by the Hungarian uprising,iii as some scholars have
insisted. In it, Liszt uses figuration patterns taken from
the middle section of Chopin’s Polonaise in A flat major,
Op. 53. With the exception of the nostalgic En rêve and
the 1885 Nocturne (reminiscent of Chopin’s Preludes),
the influence of Chopin on Liszt’s music fades and
vanishes after 1855.
To an extent, we could talk about Liszt’s influence
on Chopin in the Etudes, Op. 10, which are dedicated to
Liszt (notably in Nos. 9 and 12) and in the Etudes, Op. 25
(in the last two pieces). Liszt took a long time to come
up with his first virtuoso etudes in the 1850s. However,
in his Transcendental Etudes as well as in his Concert
Etudes Liszt produced a synthesis in which Chopin’s
achievements blend with those of Paganini and other
composers of the time.
Chopin and Liszt thought of the etude in very
different ways. Whereas Chopin tended on concentrate
on a single technical problem per etude, giving each
piece a uniform texture combined with compact and
balanced proportions, Liszt preferred to bring together
a number of techniques and textures within a single
etude. In this he followed a principle described by J.
Milstein as “a maximum of notes in the minimum of
time.”4 Liszt’s pieces make use of the full range of his
instrument, and he likes to build up a big volume of
sound over a series of gradational variations to achieve
a richly textured culmination in the finale. In contrast to
Chopin’s economical means of expression, Liszt’s style
is opulent, orchestral and theatrical. Only individual
etudes, e.g. Waldesrauschen or Chasse-neige, attain
uniform figuration thanks to their programmatic
nature. Chopin also uses the full
range of the piano, extending the figuration patterns
to the decima, with passages spanning up to two
octaves, to achieve new and surprisingly inventive
figuration patterns.
The problem of personal relations between the
two artists is often discussed in the literature. After a
period of mutual adulation, in which they were genuine
and inseparable friends, appearing together in concert
in 1833 and 1834, Chopin’s affection for Liszt cooled,
inviting scholarly speculation on the likely causes.
Chopin and Liszt first met late in 1831. Liszt
attended Chopin’s first Paris concert at the Salle Pleyel
in 1832. Different explanations have been considered
for Chopin’s change of heart, such as the 1835 meeting
of Marie Pleyel and Liszt in Chopin’s rooms, which took
place in Chopin’s absence, or the gossip spread by
Marie d’Agoult which infuriated George Sand, a conflict
which may have led their partners to join the fray out
of a sense of loyalty. In 1835 Chopin ignored Liszt’s
invitation to visit Switzerland, addressed to him and
F. Hiller, but in 1836 two composers met again on 14
May and, judging from Liszt’s letter to Marie d’Agoult,
Chopin was very friendlyiv. George Sand actually
first met Chopin in the salon of Liszt and Madame
d’Agoult, which she shared with them at the Hôtel de
France. Another possible reason for the disagreement
could be Liszt’s infamous review of Chopin’s concert.
Published in the Gazette Musicale (2.05.1841) under
the title of Le Concert Chopin, Liszt’s review focused
on the members of high society in attendance (“all this
aristocracy by birth, by fortune and by wealth”) and
concluded that Chopin was incapable of expressing his
ideas, a comment which J.-J. Eigeldinger memorably
described as “a coup d’état and a funeral of the first
order,”v which must have hurt Chopin considerably.
Chopin vented some of his bitterness in letters to his
father; the letters have been lost but we know his
father’s replies, dated 30 December 1841, 21 March and
16 October 1842. Chopin’s father expresses his regret
about the cooling off in the mutual affections of Liszt
and Chopin, a development which he finds unexpected,
and he gives advice to his son, recommending caution,
tact and kindness. In the last letter he emphasises
how Chopin was wrong to break off the friendship,
Liszt’s boastfulness notwithstanding. He adds: “You
were a friend, and it is a thing of beauty among friends
to outdo each other in tact.”vi In 1843 Liszt wrote to
Chopin to recommend L. Rellstab, in which he assures
the Polish composer of his continued admiration and
friendship,vii a sentiment which G. Belotti judges
hypocritical and purely conventional. In Belotti’s
opinion, Liszt was jealous and envious, leading a double
game. When asked by Schuberth, his publisher, to
speak with Chopin on Schuberth’s behalf, Liszt asked
Marie d’Agoult for the favour, because he had no time
to write himselfviii. According to Belotti, Liszt’s sole
motivation in undertaking to write a life of Chopin was
to sabotage Chopin’s fame and to present himself in
public as a loyal friendix. In fact, Belotti’s opinion seems
to take a page from Jane Stirling’s letters to Ludwika
Jędrzejewiczowa: “You will be very disappointed with
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 11
[Liszt’s] book [on Chopin], which has already come
out.” Stirling’s comment on Liszt’s Life of Chopin was
that “he is spitting on the plate to discourage anyone
from having a taste.” She could not understand why
Liszt left Chopin’s piano philosophy out of his book,
and added that Liszt was a “vain and mean” person.x
We know that Liszt wrote to Ludwika
Jędrzejewiczowa from Pilsen on 14 November 1849,
asking her twelve questions on details of Chopin’s
life, which Jane Stirling answered. Still, Liszt was not
exactly scrupulous in terms of biographical accuracy,
publishing some erroneous details, such as the
claim that Prince Antoni Radziwiłł helped Mikołaj
Chopin finance Chopin’s education. The Chopin family
believed that Liszt’s treatment of Chopin was neither
patronising nor envious, and Jane Stirling seems to
share this view.
As far as Liszt’s book itself is concerned, two
opposing critical positions emerged, one romantic,
the other positivist. The former praised Liszt refined
metaphors and the homage he paid to a friend.
The latter accused him of factual inaccuracies and
pomposity (Julian Fontana could be counted among
Liszt’s critics on that score). This pattern of critical
reception continued when the life was published
in Polish in 1873. In Kronika Rodzinna [The Family
Chronicle], the two artists were compared to “Two
gods, each enshrined on a sun of his own,” and the
book itself was described as “exuding poetry and
love.” On the other hand, J. Kleczyński’s review for
Bluszcz [The Ivy] focused on factual corrections of
Liszt’s errors.xi
Liszt’s book can in no way be considered a proper
biography. Instead, it is a series of studies on Chopin
and his music as a quintessentially romantic and
Polish phenomenon. At the time of writing, Liszt
was oblivious of the artistic quality of Chopin’s cyclic
genres – his concertos, sonatas or Polonaise fantasias
– a position which he later recanted. When writing of a
planned new edition in a letter dated 1 January 1876,
Liszt confessed to Princess Wittgenstein: “In 1849 I
12 // P OLON AIS E S PRI N G 2 0 1 3
did not understand the intimate beauty of Chopin’s
last works: the Polonaise-fantaisie, the Barcarole,
and I was wary of what I saw as their morbid tone.
Now I admire them unreservedly [...] I would argue
they are not only perfect, but also very harmonious,
showing noble inspiration and artistic proportion,
and they are in every way worthy of Chopin’s magical
genius. Nobody compares to him...”xii On 20 June
1833, Liszt wrote sincerely to F. Hiller: “Do you know
Chopin’s marvellous etudes?”xii Chopin appreciated
Liszt’s interpretation of his works but remained
silent or vaguely ironic about Liszt own compositions.
In a letter to J. Fontana dated 11 September 1841,
Chopin wrote: “One day he [Liszt] will be a Member
of Parliament – perhaps even King of Abyssinia or
the Congo – but where it comes to motifs from his
compositions, those are destined to languish in
diaries...”xiv – an uncharitable opinion considering
that by that time Chopin could only know Liszt’s work
composed before 1841. We may suppose that a degree
of rivalry was involved. We know that Chopin was an
extremely touchy and sensitive individual, and Liszt,
though hailed as the “king” of the piano, probably
did not relish the prospect of Chopin’s values
gaining ascendance and possibly overshadowing
his own fame.
Liszt was perfectly aware of Chopin’s greatness,
both as a pianist and composer. It would be going
too far to accuse him of purposely twisting facts
to undercut Chopin’s fame, or to claim that he was
increasingly hostile to his rival even after Chopin’s
death, as Belotti does. A romantic artist that he was,
perhaps Liszt found literature more important than
dull fact in being able to penetrate outward behaviour
and give a glimpse of the psyche. The specific role of
Princess Wittgenstein must also be borne in mind;
under her pen, Liszt’s ideas waxed extremely poetic,
e.g. in the description of the sunrise which symbolises
the return of Chopin’s vital forces after his illness.xv
It goes without saying that Liszt influenced the
reception of Chopin’s music during the second
half of 19th century and beyond. Liszt popularised
Chopin’s term of żal or soulful sorrow as a key to the
character of Chopin’s music, an interpretive concept
which remains current to this today (cf. my bilingual
album Chopin: The Man and his Music, 1810-2010).
We cannot legitimately lay all the blame for failing to
understand Chopin’s work or committing biographical
errors on Liszt’s doorstep, as other contemporaries
and near-contemporaries were equally culpable
on both counts. The absurd critical attacks on
Chopin’s music in England, Germany and France
are an excellent case in point, showing remarkable
incomprehension and lack of insight (I have recently
compiled those attacks in the big volume Chopin and
his Critics. An Anthology up to World War I, edited by
I. Poniatowska, NIFC 2011). Later accounts testify
to Liszt’s extremely warm attitude towards Chopin.
Marie Walewska remembered that in 1868 in Rome
Liszt always used to improvise “using Chopin’s
canvas,” and that he spoke admiringly about the
subtlety of sentiment in Chopin’s music. He treated
Chopin’s music with care and veneration when giving
piano lessons in 1884-86. When speaking of Kessler’s
etudes, Liszt noted: “Chopin and I liked to play them
in the 1830s.”xvi Late in his life, Chopin reported from
Scotland to his family saying that Mrs Sartoris (Fanny
Kemble) is aware of his weakness through common
friends Dessauer and Liszt. Perhaps when the time
for memories came, any rancour had gone?
Historical accident set the stage for a marvellous
relationship when Chopin and Liszt met in Paris like
two geniuses from different planets. In the 1830s, the
city was a pianistic Mecca, where they each showed
the extreme capabilities of the piano – its power and
virtuosity as well as its poetry and subtlety. True men
of the 19th century, they shared a love for art and
romantic passion which placed artists on a par with
the Creator. •
(This article was originally printed in “Chopin in the
World” no 24/2011.)
i
ii S. Gut, Frédéric Chopin et Franz Liszt: Une amitié à sens unique in: Sur les traces
de Chopin, textes réunis par D. Pistone, Paris 1984.
P. Badura-Skoda, Chopin und Liszt, Österreichische Musikzeitschrift XVII (1962)
No 2, p. 62.
About the Author
iii S. Gut, Frédéric Chopin et Franz Liszt, op. cit., p. 65.
iv D. Ollivier (ed.), Correspondance de Liszt et de la comtesse d’Agoult, vol. 1-2,
v
Paris 1933-34, vol. 1, p. 159.
J.-J. Eigeldinger, Liszt rend compte du concert de Chopin (1841): coup de force et enterrement de première classe, in: L’univers musical de Chopin, Fayard
2000 [Polish translation : 2010].
vi B. Sydow (ed.), Korespondencja Fryderyka Chopina, vol. 1-2, Warszawa 1965, vol. 2, p. 346-47. Unfortunately, precise information on F. Liszt’s visit to Chopin family in Warsaw in 1843 is missing (cf. J. Siwkowska, Nokturn czyli rodzina Fryderyka
Chopina i Warszawa w latach 1832-1881 [Nocturne or Frédéric Chopin’s family and
Warsaw in 1832-1881] vols. 1-2, Warszawa 1986-88, vol. 1, p. 257-69).
vii B. Sydow (ed.), Korespondencja Fryderyka Chopina, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 357.
viii G. Belotti, Okoliczności powstania pierwszej monografii o Chopinie, in: Rocznik Chopinowski No 7 (1969), p. 24.
ix Ibid. p. 29.
x
H. Wróblewska-Straus, Listy Jane Wilhelminy Stirling do Ludwiki Jędrzejewiczowej, in: Rocznik Chopinowski No 12 (1980), p. 140.
xi Kronika Rodzinna 1873 No 24, p. 369; J. Kleczyński - review of F. Liszt’s Fryderyk Chopin [in Polish], in: Bluszcz 1874, No 2, p. 14-15.
xii Letter dated 1.01.1876, vid: La Mara (ed.) Franz Liszts Briefe, vol. 1-8, Leipzig
1893-1905, vol. 8, p. 122-23; vide also S. Gut Franz Liszt, Paris 1989, p. 255.
xiii B. Sydow (ed.), Korespondencja Fryderyka Chopina, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 227.
xiv Ibid., vol. 2, p. 34.
xv F. Liszt, Fryderyk Chopin, Warszawa 1874 [1873], trans. F. Faleński.
xvi M. Walewska, Genialny przyjaciel Chopina (Chopin’s Genius Friend) in: Biesiada
Literacka 1903 No 29, p. 54-55; W. Jerger Franz Liszts Klavierunterricht von 1884-
1886 dargestellt an den Tagesanzeichnungen von August Göllerich, Regensburg 1975, p. 46, 143.
Irena Poniatowska, Professor of
Musicology, is a Visiting Professor
at several universities in Poland University of Poznan, Jagiellonian
University in Krakow, the Warsaw
Academy of Music - and abroad.
She has chaired the Programme
Board of the National Fryderyk
Chopin Institute in Warsaw
since 2001.
Prof. Poniatowska has written
several books, including History
and Interpretation of Music. Research on the Music of the 17th, 18th and 19th
Centuries (Cracow 1993) and over 100 articles for leading worldwide music
periodicals. She is also an Editor of several cyclic musicological publications,
and for the interdisciplinary yearly Barok published by Warsaw University
since 1994. During 1962-72 she worked as an Editor for Polish Scientific
Publishers, PWN, and from 1972-91 as PWN’s Director of the 20th-century
composers department.
Among her major editorial achievements are the critical edition of Maria
Szymanowska’s 25 Mazurkas (Hildegard Publishing Co., 1993), the facsimile
edition of Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op. 28 with an introduction in Polish, French
and English (Biblioteka Narodowa, Warsaw 1999), and a source edition of the
Polonaise Brillante Op. 4 for violin and piano by Henryk Wieniawski (Henryk
Wieniawski Music Society, Poznań 2000).
Prof. Poniatowska’s wide interests are not limited to piano music.
She addresses major methodological and theoretical issues, such as
musical history from Baroque to modernity and nationality versus tradition.
xvii B. Sydow (ed.), Korespondencja Fryderyka Chopina, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 268.
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 13
The Chopin Foundation of the United States
Chopin Scholarship Program for Young Pianists Rules, Requirements, Repertoire and How To Apply
The purpose of the Scholarship is to support and encourage young, talented
American pianists through up to four years of preparation for the National Chopin
Piano Competition of the United States, which is held every five years in Miami, FL;
the next competition is in 2015. In addition to receiving substantial cash prizes, the
top winners of this competition are fully sponsored to participate in the Preliminary
Round of the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland.
Up to ten (10) renewable scholarships of $1,000 are awarded each year on a
competitive basis to outstanding young American pianists who demonstrate a
special affinity for the interpretation of Frédéric Chopin’s music. In addition, the
Scholarship Committee may grant half-awards of $500 to qualified applicants.
A half-award may be granted to an applicant only once while in the Program.
Eligibility
Procedure
The Scholarship Program is open to all qualified American pianists (US citizens or
legal residents) not younger than 14 and not older than 17 years of age on April 15
in their first year of application.
Applicants must submit a formal application (download at chopin.org), along with:
(1) Statement of career goals.
Renewal & Repertoire
(3) Two (2) copies of a DVD recording of Chopin’s works as required for Years 1
to 4, as above, recorded in one session. The recording must be of
professional quality, but cannot be edited. The DVDs must be clearly labeled
with the applicant’s name, address and works performed. Please indicate
the edition used for each piece. The recording must be certified for accuracy
by a qualified person such as a teacher or audio technician.
The scholarships are renewable for up to four years as long as the recipient
continues to study piano, maintains satisfactory academic progress, and each
year submits for evaluation a DVD of an unedited performance of Chopin’s works
according to the following required repertoire:
Year 1:
2 Etudes, 2 Nocturnes, and your choice of: a Ballade or Barcarole in
F-sharp Major Op. 60 or Fantasia in F Minor Op. 49
Year 2:
6 consecutive Preludes from Op. 28 played in order, 2 Waltzes,
and 2 Mazurkas
Year 3:
1 Sonata and 1 of the following Polonaises: Andante Spianato and Grand
Polonaise in E-flat Major Op. 22 or Polonaise in F-sharp Minor Op. 44 or
Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major Op. 61
Year 4:
1 of Chopin’s two Concertos – all movements
Any applicant not awarded a scholarship may reapply the following year, submitting
a new DVD of the music of his/her choice from the repertoire required for the year
in which he/she was not accepted. Reapplication is allowed only once while in
the Program.
14 // P OLON AIS E S PRI N G 2 0 1 3
(2) Two (2) references from piano teachers or performers.
(4) Proof of current school enrollment/statement of being homeschooled.
(5) Non-refundable $25.00 application fee (check or money order only).
(6) Optional: Attach additional page(s) to list significant repertoire studied.
Place an asterisk (*) by works performed in public. Attach copies of
programs/reviews, if possible.
DEADLINE:
Application, along with all attachments listed above, must be received by April 15.
Scholarships will be granted June 15.
SEND THIS APPLICATION TO:
The Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc.
Attn: Scholarship Committee
1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, FL 33141
Phone: (305) 868-0624 • Fax: (305) 865-5150
Web: www.chopin.org • Email: [email protected]
Did You Know?
We Award “Chopin Prizes” at
the MTNA Piano Competition!
The Chopin Foundation of the USA awards a “Chopin Prize” for
the best performance of a Chopin work to finalists in Junior and
Senior categories of the Music Teachers National Association’s
Piano Performance Competitions. The winners are selected by the
Competitions’ adjudicators at the MTNA Competitions Finals and
announced at their respective Winners Announcement ceremonies.
Piano competition entrants are not required to perform a work by
Chopin as part of their competition program; however, the Chopin
Prizes are awarded exclusively to those finalists who do.
2013 CHOPIN PRIZE WINNERS
JUNIOR PIANO CATEGORY
John Wang, New Orleans, LA;
Student of Shearon Horton, Austin, TX
SENIOR PIANO CATEGORY
Anna Vertypolokh, Canada/Columbus, GA;
Student of Alexander Kobrin, Columbus, GA
MTNA Junior Piano Competition - $500 cash
MTNA Senior Piano Competition - $1,000 cash (or a $1000 stipend
as a First Year Recipient in the Chopin Foundation’s four-year
Scholarship Program for Young American Pianists)
No Chopin Prize is awarded in the Young Artist Piano Competition;
however, the best USA finalist in this category is invited by the Chopin
Foundation to perform a two-performance recital in South Florida.
Congratulations & keep up your good work!
2013 FIRST PRIZE WINNER
IN THE YOUNG ARTISTS
PIANO CATEGORY
Conlan Miller from Provo, UT;
Student of Irene Peery-Fox, Provo, UT
Conlan will be performing two
concerts in South Florida within the
Chopin for All FREE Concert Series
on January 18 & 19, 2014.
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 15
INTERNATIONAL FRYDERYK CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION
Oct 2 – 22, 2015 in Warsaw, Poland
Musical News & Notes
FOR YOUNG PIANISTS
& PIANO TEACHERS
THE IX INTERNATIONAL PADEREWSKI PIANO COMPETITION
Nov 3 – 17, 2013, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Application deadline: May 15, 2013
This Competition commemorating Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a remarkable Polish
pianist, virtuoso, composer, politician, and statesman, is open to pianists of all
nationalities, born between 1981 and 1997. Application and more information at
www.konkurspaderewskiego.pl/en
International Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest music competitions
in the world – one of great, international prestige. It was founded by Prof. Jerzy
Żurawlew (1887-1980), an extraordinary Polish pianist, teacher and composer.
The first competition took place between January 23 and 30, 1927 in the Warsaw
Philharmonic. From that year on, the competition was organized in the Warsaw
Philharmonic every five years, that is in 1932 and 1937. World War II interrupted
the five-year-cycle and the competition in 1942 could not be organized. The first
competition after the war (the 4th Competition) took place in 1949 in Nowogrodzka
Street in the hall of the Roma Theatre – one of very few surviving buildings in
Warsaw. The 4th Competition became the central point of the celebrations of the
100th anniversary of Chopin’s death. The next competition was held in 1955, after
a 6-year break, due to the rebuilding of the Warsaw Philharmonic. Since 1955
the Competition has been taking place in the Philharmonic every 5 years with no
further interruptions.
More information at www.konkurs.chopin.pl/en.
Did you know?
Polonaise Dance
NATIONAL CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION OF THE USA
Feb 21 – Mar 1, 2015, Miami, FL
The National Chopin Piano Competition of the U.S. is designed to offer performance
opportunities and financial support for young American pianists at career-entry
level and to enable the top Prize Winners to take part in the Preliminary Round
for the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. The expenses
related to the participation in the Preliminary Round auditions in Warsaw, including
airfare and hotel accommodation, will be covered by the Chopin Foundation of the
United States. The Competition is open to pianists holding U.S. citizenship (native
born or naturalized).
Previous First Prize Winners of this Competition are not eligible.
More information at www.chopin.org/competition
16 // P OLON AIS E S PRI N G 2 0 1 3
The dance started at the coronation ceremony
of the King of Poland, Henryk Valois in 1574.
In a slow, stately procession, the richly clad
aristocratic couples bowed deeply to the king
when passing the throne. The ladies and
gentlemen would exchange courtly bows to
each other while moving gracefully across the
grand royal ballroom to the accompaniment
of dignified music. “La Polonaise” dance was
and is the most elegant and majestic of all
Polish national dances. For over four hundred
years, “La Polonaise” ruled supreme at court
functions of almost all European nations. It has been a favorite form of composition
for some of the world’s greatest composers, including Bach, Beethoven, Schuman,
Liszt and Tchaikovsky. To the world, however, “La Polonaise” is associated with
Frédéric Chopin.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Please be generous and join us in our mission
YES, I want to help.
The Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc., is a national non-profit
organization headquartered in Miami, FL, and dedicated, since 1977, to
the support of young American rising-star classical musicians through
scholarships, performance opportunities and international exchange
programs. The Foundation also offers these talented young pianists a chance
to compete in the National Chopin Piano Competition of the USA, held in Miami
every five years. The Chopin Foundation is committed to making classical
music accessible to ALL by presenting a FREE Concert Series in two locations
in South Florida. Our mission is carried out on the West Coast by councils in
San Francisco and Seattle. The Chopin Foundation is a member of the National
Music Council and the International Federation of Chopin Societies.
With your support, young talented American artists will receive the
encouragement they need and the recognition they deserve. Thanks to your
generosity, the music of Frédéric Chopin will be kept alive, enriching our lives
and preparing new generations of classical music lovers.
Enclosed is my tax-deductible donation of:
$
PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT:
APPLY MY DONATION TO:
In-kind contribution
General Programming
Planned Giving
Endowment Fund
Estate Planning Opportunity
Competition Fund
Scholarship Fund
Here’s What Your Contribution Helps Fund:
• National Chopin Piano Competition of the USA, coming next in 2015
• “Chopin for All” FREE Concert Series in South Florida
• Four-year Scholarship Program for Young American Pianists, ages 14-17
• Winners Exchange Program with European counterparts
• Semi-annual Polonaise magazine, sent to all major music schools and
music teachers across the USA; Chopin Societies around the world; our
Scholarship Recipients, Young Pianists and Competition Applicants;
and our Members
Donations to the Chopin Foundation of the United States are tax-deductible
to the extent permitted by law. The Foundation is a non-profit corporation
qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Chopin Foundation of the United States
1440 79th Street Cswy, Suite 117; Miami, FL 33141
P OLONAI S E S P RI NG 2013 // 17
CHOPIN FOUNDATION OF THE UNITED STATES
1440 79TH STREET CAUSEWAY, SUITE 117
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33141