International Chopin Piano Competition

Every five years, Warsaw stages one of the most prestigious musical events in the world: the International Chopin Piano Competition. The festival reflects Poland’s passion for Chopin, who was born some 30 miles outside Warsaw and spent almost twenty years in the Polish capital.

First held in 1927, the inaugural competition was so successful that the event quickly grew, attracting musicians of the highest standards, and today, tickets are eagerly sought after. What was designed to sustain and promote the reputation of Chopin and his style of piano playing has also fostered the careers of young pianists; the winner of the 2015 competition, Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho, has since gone on to debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker.

ACE is delighted to be making a return visit to the competition in 2021, postponed from 2020. Much of our time will be spent attending competition rounds, which take place in Warsaw’s National Philharmonic, a major cultural institution founded at the beginning of the 20th century. Our tour will take in four afternoon ‘Round 2’ sessions, followed by one morning session of ‘Round 3’, allowing us to experience both the breadth of the competition’s talent and a thrilling sense of build-up as the rounds progress.

Interspersed with these, we will make the most of our time in Warsaw with visits to major sites linked to the composer’s life and the cultural heritage of Poland’s capital city. A young Chopin attended the Church of the Nuns of the Visitation, while his heart is interred in Holy Cross Church, an impressive Baroque building whose turbulent history is closely intertwined with that of Poland. The Ostrogski Palace, home to the Fryderyk Chopin Society, will welcome us for a visit, and our tour will also offer opportunities to visit Chopin’s delightful but unpretentious birthplace museum at Zelazowa Wola.

We will stay at the Hotel Mercure Warsaw Grand, a high quality establishment in the heart of the city, close to the National Philharmonic where our concerts will take place.

This tour will be led by John Bryden, MA, ARCM, ARCO, an international concert pianist, organist and music lecturer who has given concerts from California to Kathmandu via Wigmore Hall. John is a member of the Dartington Piano Duo and for many years coached at the Dartington International Summer School, where he performed in master-classes given by Jacqueline du Pré.

"After playing the C sharp minor Scherzo in Guido Agosti's Summer Masterclass in Siena, I was told by two fellow students from Poland, ‘You play Chopin like a Pole’ – the highest commendation! I look forward to returning to Warsaw in October to hear the finest young pianists from across the world receive the same accolade.”

— Tour Director John Bryden