PARIS, 13 October, 2000 – Autographs of Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin, authorized copies of his works and other original items held by the Fryderyk Chopin Society in Warsaw, Poland, have recently been included in UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Register to highlight Fryderyk Chopin’s lasting and universal value.
The Chopin Museum of the Fryderyk Chopin Society (known until 1950 as the Fryderyk Chopin Institute) collects Chopin’s autographs since 1935. UNESCO, whose “Memory of the World” Register lists documentary heritage of world significance, declared the year 1999 Fryderyk Chopin International Year to celebrate the composer’s 150th anniversary.
UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Programme protects and promotes the world’s documentary heritage through preservation and access and encourages all activities aiming at spreading the documentary heritage.
Countries are encouraged to nominate their documentary heritage collections held by libraries, archives and other similar institutions. The Memory of the World Register lists at present 46 collections and is expected to grow rapidly over the next years.
The 14th International Chopin Piano Competition. October 4th – October 22nd, 2000, Warsaw, Poland
38 pianists have been selected by the Jury on October 14, 2000, to participate in the 2nd stage of the 14th International Chopin Piano Competition, currently taking place in Warsaw, Poland. Those are: 7 musicians from China, 6 Japanese pianists, 4 Poles and 4 Russians. The Poles are: Piotr MACHNIK, Natalia SAWOSCIANIK, Radoslaw SOBCZAK and Daniel WNUKOWSKI.
The level of the piano competition is very high. 94 pianists took part in the 1st stage, whose programme, consisted of a nocturne, 2 etudes and a ballade. This allowed the jurors to test precisely every aspect of each entrant’s technical and stylistic possibilities. “It seems that the competitors display extremely high level of artistic abilities,” said of the jurors.
The winners of the 14th International Chopin Piano Competition will be announced by the Jury on October 19, 2000.
