On May 18, the Organizing Committee of the Chopin Piano Competition held a press conference in the form of video Q&A to explain to the world the relevant information about the postponement of the Chopin Competition to 2021.
Why is it necessary to change the match date?
The change in Chopin's match dates was necessary because of the spread of COVID-19 and the restrictions subsequently imposed. After an extensive investigation of the situation and consultations with the Ministry of Health and the Chief Health Inspector, the Contest took a decision on the change.
The two decisive factors behind the change of date are: if the Chopin competition is held in October 2020, it is likely to be held without a live audience, and the difficult situation of many pianists who are accepted into the preliminary round, they do not have proper conditions for practice, for example, high-quality instruments are restricted, and lack of direct contact with their instructors.
The game was precisely postponed by a year. Here are the key factors for choosing a new date:
• Normalization of the situation around the world in 2021.
• Availability of judging members.
• Availability of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Hall.
• Practical considerations related to tickets.
Tickets for the tournament are sold in full within three hours. According to the generally expressed expectations of ticket buyers, all tickets are valid. Postponing the race for a year is just the right thing to help manage this change, thus providing maximum comfort and security for the organizers of the race.
Similar decisions were made at other major music competitions, such as the Queen Elizabeth Piano Competition in Brussels, which was postponed from May 2020 to May 2021.
This is the third time in history that the Chopin Competition has not been held as desired
Due to the Second World War, the Fourth Chopin Competition was not held in 1942, but as late as 1949. Due to the delay in the finalization of the building of the Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, the Fifth Chopin Competition was postponed from 1954 to 1955.
Highlights of the tournament:
• The jury composition of the 18th Chopin Competition remains unchanged.
• The location also remains the same. The competition will be held at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall.
• The list of pianists accepted for the preliminary round remains unchanged: the results for 2020 are still valid.
• There are no additional qualifications or entries for the 18th Chopin Competition.
• The preliminary round will take place on April 8-19, 2021, as previously announced: more than 160 pianists from all over the world will perform live in the chamber hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.
• The 19th Chopin Competition will be held in 2025.
Tournament tickets are still valid. Refunds are available as required. Refunds before the end of 2020 will be reimbursed at full price.
The latest schedule of the contest
April 2021 8-19 Preliminaries
October 2, 2021 Opening concert
October 3-7, 2021 Phase 1
October 9-12, 2021 Phase II
October 14-16, 2021 Phase III
October 17, 2021 Concert to commemorate the 172nd anniversary of Chopin's death
October 18-20, 2021 Final
Winners' Concerts from 21 to 23 October 2021
Contest judges
According to reports, the judging committee of the competition will include the best experts related to Chopin, former competition winners, music teachers and researchers of the life of Frederick Chopin, who are:
Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń
(Chairman of the Jury)
Dmitry Alekshev Dmitri Alexeev
Martha Argerich
Sa Chen
Dang Thai Son
Akiko Ebi
Nelson Freire
Philippe Cicciano Philippe Giusiano
Nelson Goerner
Adam Harasiewicz
Krzysztof Jabłoński
Kevin Kenner Kevin Kenner
Janusz Olejniczak
Piotr Paleczny
Ava Bobłockka Ewa Pobłocka
John Link John Rink
Wojciech Świtała
Tina Joffe Dina Yoffe