Young Poles have scooped up the top three prizes in the All About Chopin competition.

Bartosz Ludkiewicz, a student of the Warsaw Music Academy, is the winner the All About  Chopin competition held in Katowice over the weekend.

Katarzyna Hussar, a student of applied linguistics came second and Michal Kuleta, a secondary school student, was placed third.

In addition to cash awards (almost 10, 000 euros for the winner), they have all been invited to Warsaw to attend the finals of the International Chopin Piano Competition.

The questions in the competition covered Chopin’s biography and compositional legacy, Chopin festivals and competitions, works of literature and films inspired by Chopin and his music, as well as the historical and cultural context of Chopin’s oeuvre. 

Sixty people, including music lovers from Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and the United States, submitted their applications but only twenty three of them, none from abroad,  came to Katowice to take part in the competition. 

This came as something of a disappointment for the organizers who hoped it would be an event of international scope.

The jury comprised leading Polish Chopin scholars, including Mieczysław Tomaszewski, Irena Poniatowska and Zofia Chechlińska. The competition ended with a gala concert by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with the American pianist Kevin Kenner as soloist. (mk)