– a statuette featuring a bust of Fryderyk Chopin, sculpted by Jacek Podlasiński,
and the butterfly Lasiophila frederici, discovered in the high regions of the Andes in Peru.
This extraordinary species was dedicated to Fryderyk Chopin by Professor Tomasz Pyrcz
and a team of scientists from Jagiellonian University as a tribute to the enduring power of His Talent.
Photo: Maciej Przybyszewski
THE POWER OF TALENT
Three Questions for Andrzej Kosowski
– Deputy Director of the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute for Museum Affairs and Education
Ewa Kotus: The Tourist Owl Award presented to the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute by the International Tourfilm Academy for promoting Chopin Tourism through film officially inaugurated our celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.
presents the Tourist Owl Award to Andrzej Kosowski, Deputy Director of the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute for Museum Affairs and Education, during the Gala Ceremony of the 20th FilmAT Festival.
Photo: Maciej Przybyszewski
Let us recall that the Competition was founded by Professor Jerzy Żurawlew in 1927. He defined its requirements with great precision, placing strong emphasis on preserving the proper stylistic approach to the performance of Chopin’s music. He maintained that, in order to do justice to Chopin’s works, one must first and foremost refer to the composer’s own manner of playing, which was itself a sui generis masterpiece – unique and unparalleled. Without linking these works to the type of performance that Chopin himself represented, they do not speak with their full voice.
Generation after generation of pianists from around the world compete for victory in the Competition,
while Professor Jerzy Żurawlew’s carefully defined principles and requirements continue to be respected
and upheld to this day.
Frame from the film „A Chopin Competition: a short history”
of Fryderyk Chopin’s birth. The National Fryderyk Chopin Institute takes over the stewardship
of the Competition, while young pianists seek inspiration in the newly opened Fryderyk Chopin Museum.
Frame from the film „A Chopin Competition: a short history”
It is an enormous challenge for young pianists, and yet, during the 19th edition of the Competition, as many as 641 young pianists from all over the world applied to take part. All of them were young, as a participant cannot be older than 30 years of age…
We often complain that the Internet and social media are reducing us, to put it mildly, to a rather average level. And yet an event such as the Chopin Competition proves the opposite. It shows that there are still young people around the world who are ready to devote years of hard work, discipline, and passion to achieving the highest level of artistic excellence. Would you not agree?
Andrzej Kosowski:
The Chopin Piano Competition is a unique sociological phenomenon. For three weeks, the world seems to come to a standstill in order to listen to the music of one composer, written for one instrument, almost two hundred years ago.
Even if we were to build the largest philharmonic hall in the world, it would still be too small to accommodate all the music lovers eager to attend the Competition’s live auditions. That is why the media are our great ally, regardless of whether someone listens to Chopin’s music on the radio or through an app.
Not everyone can travel to Europe, Poland, or Warsaw. For them, live broadcasts and the possibility of listening later to every performance are truly priceless. The media also give us the opportunity to look behind the scenes – to hear conversations with participants, jurors, critics, and music lovers. We can see this Olympic flame of music.
One of the most important outcomes of the tremendous success of the 17th Chopin Competition, as well as the victory of South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho, was the establishment of a long-term cooperation between the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute and Deutsche Grammophon. The most beautiful interpretations of Fryderyk Chopin’s masterpieces are now entrusted to artists of the highest calibre and preserved for future generations with the care and respect that his musical legacy deserves.
Frame from the film „A Chopin Competition: a short history”
E.K.
During the Competition, the world seems to come to a standstill, as people everywhere follow the auditions. They discuss and debate which participant’s interpretation is the finest.
At this point, we must strongly emphasize the importance of the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute, which has been the organizer of the Competition since 2010 and carries out an enormous amount of work. The Institute has taken great care of Chopin Competition enthusiasts from all over the world. Every detail has been carefully developed to make participation in this extraordinary event possible.
The official Chopin Institute channel broadcast the Competition sessions, auditions, finals, and many other events. Polish Radio (Radio Two) provided radio broadcasts of all stages of the Competition, concerts, and special reports. TVP Kultura and TVP Kultura 2 presented all stages of the Competition live and created the Competition Studio, where highly interesting discussions with leading experts took place. On the official Competition website, as well as through the mobile application and Smart TV version, live streams of the auditions were available. The Chopin Institute’s Facebook profile remained active throughout the entire event.
Of course, the moment when the Chairman of the Jury announced the Competition results sparked a huge discussion among experts, music lovers, and admirers of Fryderyk Chopin’s music, because everyone had their own favourite. But that is a good thing, isn’t it? It means that the Competition is truly alive.
A.K. If everyone had the same taste, we would all dress in black and listen to one and the same interpretation of the Preludes. But that is not what art is about. Diversity, contrasts, and individuality are the very elements that define art. Everyone should have their own favourite piece, their own candidate for victory, and perhaps even a little reserve of indignation when faced with a ‘wrong’ choice. Let us remember that the pianists are judged by a professional jury, which must listen to all participants in every stage of the Competition. It is on this basis that the jury creates the final overall assessment.
Music is also experienced differently in a traditional concert hall, with an audience present and with all the emotions of a live performance. The results of the Competition have always provoked strong and sometimes extreme reactions. It was the case last year, and it will certainly be the case again four years from now.
Frame from the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute’s report of 21 October 2025
– Final Announcement of the Results (official announcement of the Competition results).
E.K. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Chopin Competition, the 21st FilmAT Festival – the International Festival of Tourism Films, Television Documentaries and Corporate Films – has created a special group of categories entitled “Fryderyk Chopin and His Legacy”. Its aim is to emphasize the importance of films dedicated to Fryderyk Chopin and to showcase Chopin-related institutions around the world, whose activities are truly remarkable.
It is important to strongly underline that these are often very local initiatives, carried out with extraordinary passion and devotion. The categories within this group also include films about universities, museums, libraries, experts in musical instruments, piano makers, and the world’s leading piano manufacturers.
Symbolic themes are equally important – for example, the beautiful tribute from the world of science to the power of Fryderyk Chopin’s music, expressed through naming a newly discovered butterfly species Lasiophila frederici in his honour.
We hope that, with the support of the most important institutions, we will be able to present a film map of Chopin-related places around the world. Of course, during the Gala Ceremony, this presentation should culminate in a professional concert performed by one of the winners of the 19th Chopin Competition.
Which pianist would you, Mr Director, like to invite?
A.K. The one who interprets Chopin’s music like the flight of a butterfly…
E.K. Thank you very much for this inspiring conversation and for sharing your knowledge and reflections with our readers.