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Chopin Lives!

This year, Poland is celebrating 200 years of its treasured national composer, Frédéric Chopin.

In China, they always have to go one bigger than anywhere else. According to the statistics, there are 30 million Chinese people who can play the piano. This is equivalent to around 90 percent of the Polish population (39 million inhabitants) who would have to play the piano to match this figure. The “Warsaw Destination Alliance” even knows that 18 million of these Chinese pianists are specialist in the music of Frederic Chopin.

This year, Poland is celebrating 200 years of its treasured national composer, Frédéric Chopin. As well as all the concerts, festivals and exhibitions to mark the occasion, one event, called “Chopin Lives!” is bound to cause a sensation. The organisers have come up with an idea which is bound will raise eyebrows among Chopin purists, but they too will enjoy it if they can get their heads around the fact that the main reason that we have music is for fun. Picture the scene: 99 Chinese children and a talented young Polish pianist sitting at 100 black concert grand pianos – in the open air(!) – simultaneously playing short pieces by the great composer. The event is to be held in Piłsudski Square in Warsaw and will be sponsored by the Inter­Continental Warsaw.

The grand pianos are being specially made in China by Cailsia and flown to Poland one month before the event – and this time the advertising is for a good cause. These pianos were once made in the Polish city of Kalisz before the Chinese took over the brand. However, production ceased four years ago and has only been resumed for the big concert. All of the pianos are being auctioned online before the concert. A plaque with the owner’s name is then put on the piano. The organisers hope that after the event, the new owners will be generous enough to donate the pianos to Polish music schools.

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