01/09/2026
The Festival Alphabet – or 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝗠 – 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰
🔴 Polish music has been at the heart of the ‘Chopin and his Europe’ Festival since its very first edition. Chopin, of course; yet special attention is also dedicated to the works of other Polish composers – those popular in Poland and abroad, and those less well-known, and sometimes even forgotten. For it is this music – that composed before Fryderyk was born, that created by his contemporaries, and that by those for whom Chopin was an inspiration – that creates an important, interesting, sometimes non-obvious – and all the more fascinating – context for Chopin’s own work. And we are particularly committed to promoting and presenting it in the most outstanding interpretations possible.
🔴 It has therefore become a tradition, that ensembles performing at the Festival include works by Polish composers in their programmes – even if, as circumstances dictate, this is ‘only’ to a limited extent. For in this context (!), that ‘only’ actually becomes ‘as much as’. And so, this year we have heard and will yet hear: Penderecki performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Bacewicz performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Szymanowski performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Dobrzyński performed by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice.
🔴 There is, however, much more Polish music on offer: Bomsori Kim performs works by Karłowicz with the National Philharmonic Orchestra, Tomasz Ritter performs Feliks Janiewicz with {oh!} Orchestra, and Chouchane Siranossian and Martín García García perform works by Karol Mikuli – a pupil of Chopin.
As for Chopin himself – featured in seven of the festival’s 16 concerts – let everyone seek him out (and choose!) as they please.
📷 Tomasz Ritter, {oh!} Orkiestra, Martyna Pastuszka, 22nd Chopin and His Europe Festival
Photo by W. Grzędziński / NIFC
____
🔴 🎶 The 22nd Chopin and His Europe Festival is held in Warsaw from 23 August to 6 September 2026.
Programme: https://festiwal.nifc.pl/pl/2026/kalendarium
_____
Co-financed by Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego
Patron: ORLEN, ORLEN Art & Science
Strategic Partner: PKO Bank Polski
Main Partner: Totalizator Sportowy
Co-organiser: Dwójka - Program 2 Polskiego Radia
Partners: Lexus, Lotnisko Chopina, Fundacja PZU, Yamaha Pianos, Regent Warsaw Hotel, Filharmonia Narodowa w Warszawie
Official carrier of NIFC: LOT Polish Airlines
Media Patrons: Polskie Radio, Polskie Radio Chopin, Rzeczpospolita, Smart OOH - AMS SA
