Prestigious Chopin piano competition in Warsaw

POLAND, located in the heart of Europe, is a vibrant and forward looking nation with a glorious 1,000 years of history and rich heritage of cultural sites and traditions that have evolved over the centuries. This makes it a favourite destination for a rising number of international tourists who are attracted by its varied charms, which include magnificent architectural monuments, masterpieces of art, festivals as well as picturesque landscapes.

In 2019, there were 88.5 million foreign visitors, including 21.2 million tourists - a strong 7.8 per cent growth in tourist arrivals over the previous year.

Poland's cultural strength and rich natural diversity are reflected in its 16 Unesco listed heritage sites. Top of the list are the almost entirely reconstructed historic central district in Warsaw, the national capital, and the ancient city of Krakow with its old town's layout unchanged for centuries. Another leading attraction in the Unesco list is Wieliczka and the Bochnia Royal Salt Mines, one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Then there is Malbork - the largest medieval castle in Europe, the seat of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

The star attraction for Poland this year is the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition to be held from Oct 2 to 23 in Warsaw, regarded by piano lovers as the piano capital of the world. An important event for classical music lovers all over the world, it is held once every five years in Poland and is a highly competitive event for young pianists.

The contest is one of a few devoted entirely to the works of a single composer. The performances are judged by a renowned international jury and many of its winners go on to forge international careers.

At the last International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, Singapore-born pianist Kate Liu beat 160 other musicians from around the world to clinch third place and the Polish Radio Award for the best performance of the mazurka.

Born in Warsaw, Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) is considered as one of the most brilliant composers in history and one of the most renowned pianists of his time. Known as the 'poet of the piano', he left an indelible mark on musical history. Chopin composed his first work, a Polonaise in B-flat minor, when he was just seven, and the following year gave his first public performance in Warsaw.

Although he spent most of his life abroad after emigrating, Chopin never stopped being Polish. This is reflected in his music as he drew inspiration from Polish folk music, especially in his mazurkas and polonaises, and alluded to the political situation back home, as in the Revolutionary Etude. He created over 200 compositions - the most popular ones are Prelude in D-flat major, Polonaise in A major, and Etude in C major.

A museum dedicated to Chopin, set up in Warsaw in 1954, has an incredible range of memorabilia linked to the composer's life and work. A visit to the museum is a must for anyone visiting Warsaw. And Chopin tours - which end with a recital of his music, are available for those who would like to know more about the parts of the old city where the composer spent the first half of his life.

Even as Chopin's music is again being celebrated this year through the international piano competition in Poland, a new chapter is going to be written on the growing cultural cooperation between Poland and Singapore by honouring another Polish maestro here.

In memory of the great Polish composer, the late Krzysztof Penderecki, a prominent figure in 20th Century music, a Trumpet Tree will be officially unveiled in Singapore later this month.

It was planned for him to conduct the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in May 2020 but he died in March.

The Trumpet Tree - fondly known as Singapore's cherry blossom - will be planted at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore as part of a cultural project called Penderecki's Garden. It is a virtual space inspired by the composer's life, music and gardening passion. Accessible online via pendereckisgarden.pl, the digital musical space was created by Poland's national cultural institution, The Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Meanwhile, the popular annual Poland Shiok festival organised by the Embassy of Poland here to bring the many facets of Poland from its food, culture and the arts to creativity, technology and business opportunities to Singaporeans, is in its fifth edition.

The PolandSHIOK festival website offers various ways to discover Poland's many tourist attractions.