Piano master Rubinstein once said: "Listeners around the world have different music preferences and have different preferences for composers. Only Chopin is universally accepted." The charm of Chopin's music lasts forever, and Chopin's music is held every five years. International piano competitions often attract global attention. Many young pianists have emerged from this competition and are knocking on the door of the international music scene. What kind of performance is closer to the core of Chopin's music? How to unlock Chopin’s musical code?
From October 27th to 31st, the first Chopin International Piano Art Week was held in Shanghai. Three judges of the 19th Chopin International Piano Competition in 2025: Katarina Chidron Popova, Kevin Kenner, and Wojciech Sveta will appear, bringing concerts, master classes, and forums wait.
Tang Jin, artistic director of Chopin Piano Art Week and professor of Shangyin High School, said: “Face-to-face with the judges of the Chopin Competition not only satisfies piano teachers and students’ in-depth exploration of academic aspects, but also allows music fans to enter the concert hall. , experience the pure and authentic Chopin piano performance by the masters. I hope that the eternal Chopin music can enter the hearts of more people who love music from the academic spire.”
On the evening of October 27, the opening concert of the first Chopin Piano Art Week was held. , two Shaw competition judges Wojciech Sveta and Kevin Kenner jointly presented a concert, and all 1,200 seats in the Shanghai Symphony Hall were sold out.
Sveta and Kenna are from Poland and the United States respectively. In 1990, they participated in the same competition and won the best performance award and the highest award for polonaise respectively (the first place was vacant). The concert repertoire includes Chopin's works in various genres, including mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes, nocturnes, scherzos, barcarolles, etc., as well as some relatively unknown pieces. Infected by the warm atmosphere of the scene, the two pianists performed two additional songs respectively.
"Sveta's music in the first half is very Polish and earthy, while in the second half Kenner showed unparalleled timbre layering." Music critic Li Changying said, "The two The playing styles of Chopin experts are completely different, but they are all so convincing. This is the charm of Chopin's music, which gives pianists unlimited room for imagination and plasticity."
Popova introduced that there are 17 judges in the Chopin Competition, each of whom is a judge. They all have their own personalities and preferences, and it is difficult to unify them, so the styles of each winning contestant are different.
"The preferences and standards of the judges of the Xiao Competition have changed, because the lineup of judges has been changing with the times. In the era when I participated in the Xiao Competition, it was more academic, and now it pays more attention to the personal imagination, understanding and interpretation of the contestants. Express your own opinions based on respecting Chopin's music, but you can't go too far," Popova said. She participated in the Xiao Competition in 1975 and won the highest honor award. She also served as the chairman of the Xiao Competition Jury for two consecutive terms.
Kenner participated in the Chopin competition for the first time at the age of 17 and is still exploring the mysteries of Chopin’s music to this day. "I have spent a lifetime solving the puzzle. I can't say I have found the key. This is a lifelong journey." In his opinion, Chopin's judges are very tolerant. Even if the musical concepts are different, when a contestant Music is very powerful, and you can conquer the judges with your own voice and expression.
For Svetaka, Chopin is an unreplicable musical genius. Chopin is a process of inheritance. Generations of players use their understanding and interpretation to promote the continuation of Chopin's music. "Xiao Sai is not looking for a 100-point correct answer. The first prize winner of each session is the person closest to the correct answer in the past five years. There is never a correct answer, only the closest person."
In addition to concerts, the three Chopin competition judges also participated in many master classes and academic forums during the Chopin International Piano Art Week. On October 28, Popova held an open master class at the Shanghai Children's Palace to guide several international competition award-winning students from Shangyin High School and outstanding students from the Shanghai Children's Palace.
On October 29, three Chopin competition judges will visit Shangyin High School to hold a Chopin academic forum, where they will conduct academic discussions with experts, scholars, and professors on topics such as the performance, interpretation, style, version, and Chopin competition preparation of Chopin's music. . In the master class that day, the three of them will also provide one-on-one, step-by-step guidance to six students from Shangyin High School who are preparing to participate in the Xiaoxian competition next year.
Many piano children in China are practicing Chopin's works, and there are also many " seed players " preparing for the Chopin Competition. In Popova's view, Chinese children have solid basic skills and very good skills. Some can play difficult music by the age of eleven or twelve, but they must be wary of "going too fast." "Performing such a piece too early is dangerous because there is a lack of rich experience and mature thinking to support it. If it is not digested in place, participating in too many master classes is not helpful. It still needs more precipitation. Students need to settle, and parents also need to Precipitation.”
Competitions are important to music students, but Popova believes that the results of the competition should not be taken too seriously. “The competition is not just a result, but a process, a path to help them understand and express music.
Piano master Rubinstein once said: "Listeners around the world have different music preferences and have different preferences for composers. Only Chopin is universally accepted." The charm of Chopin's music lasts forever, and Chopin's music is held every five years. International piano competitions often attract global attention. Many young pianists have emerged from this competition and are knocking on the door of the international music scene. What kind of performance is closer to the core of Chopin's music? How to unlock Chopin’s musical code?
From October 27th to 31st, the first Chopin International Piano Art Week was held in Shanghai. Three judges of the 19th Chopin International Piano Competition in 2025: Katarina Chidron Popova, Kevin Kenner, and Wojciech Sveta will appear, bringing concerts, master classes, and forums wait.
Tang Jin, artistic director of Chopin Piano Art Week and professor of Shangyin High School, said: “Face-to-face with the judges of the Chopin Competition not only satisfies piano teachers and students’ in-depth exploration of academic aspects, but also allows music fans to enter the concert hall. , experience the pure and authentic Chopin piano performance by the masters. I hope that the eternal Chopin music can enter the hearts of more people who love music from the academic spire.”
On the evening of October 27, the opening concert of the first Chopin Piano Art Week was held. , two Shaw competition judges Wojciech Sveta and Kevin Kenner jointly presented a concert, and all 1,200 seats in the Shanghai Symphony Hall were sold out.
Sveta and Kenna are from Poland and the United States respectively. In 1990, they participated in the same competition and won the best performance award and the highest award for polonaise respectively (the first place was vacant). The concert repertoire includes Chopin's works in various genres, including mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes, nocturnes, scherzos, barcarolles, etc., as well as some relatively unknown pieces. Infected by the warm atmosphere of the scene, the two pianists performed two additional songs respectively.
"Sveta's music in the first half is very Polish and earthy, while in the second half Kenner showed unparalleled timbre layering." Music critic Li Changying said, "The two The playing styles of Chopin experts are completely different, but they are all so convincing. This is the charm of Chopin's music, which gives pianists unlimited room for imagination and plasticity."
Popova introduced that there are 17 judges in the Chopin Competition, each of whom is a judge. They all have their own personalities and preferences, and it is difficult to unify them, so the styles of each winning contestant are different.
"The preferences and standards of the judges of the Xiao Competition have changed, because the lineup of judges has been changing with the times. In the era when I participated in the Xiao Competition, it was more academic, and now it pays more attention to the personal imagination, understanding and interpretation of the contestants. Express your own opinions based on respecting Chopin's music, but you can't go too far," Popova said. She participated in the Xiao Competition in 1975 and won the highest honor award. She also served as the chairman of the Xiao Competition Jury for two consecutive terms.
Kenner participated in the Chopin competition for the first time at the age of 17 and is still exploring the mysteries of Chopin’s music to this day. "I have spent a lifetime solving the puzzle. I can't say I have found the key. This is a lifelong journey." In his opinion, Chopin's judges are very tolerant. Even if the musical concepts are different, when a contestant Music is very powerful, and you can conquer the judges with your own voice and expression.
For Svetaka, Chopin is an unreplicable musical genius. Chopin is a process of inheritance. Generations of players use their understanding and interpretation to promote the continuation of Chopin's music. "Xiao Sai is not looking for a 100-point correct answer. The first prize winner of each session is the person closest to the correct answer in the past five years. There is never a correct answer, only the closest person."
In addition to concerts, the three Chopin competition judges also participated in many master classes and academic forums during the Chopin International Piano Art Week. On October 28, Popova held an open master class at the Shanghai Children's Palace to guide several international competition award-winning students from Shangyin High School and outstanding students from the Shanghai Children's Palace.
On October 29, three Chopin competition judges will visit Shangyin High School to hold a Chopin academic forum, where they will conduct academic discussions with experts, scholars, and professors on topics such as the performance, interpretation, style, version, and Chopin competition preparation of Chopin's music. . In the master class that day, the three of them will also provide one-on-one, step-by-step guidance to six students from Shangyin High School who are preparing to participate in the Xiaoxian competition next year.
Many piano children in China are practicing Chopin's works, and there are also many " seed players " preparing for the Chopin Competition. In Popova's view, Chinese children have solid basic skills and very good skills. Some can play difficult music by the age of eleven or twelve, but they must be wary of "going too fast." "Performing such a piece too early is dangerous because there is a lack of rich experience and mature thinking to support it. If it is not digested in place, participating in too many master classes is not helpful. It still needs more precipitation. Students need to settle, and parents also need to Precipitation.”
Competitions are important to music students, but Popova believes that the results of the competition should not be taken too seriously. “The competition is not just a result, but a process, a path to help them understand and express music.”
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