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On 25–26 April 2013, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute held the Third All-Poland Competition of Knowledge about Fryderyk Chopin, under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Marshal of Mazovia Voivodeship. In accordance with the competition rules, there were two age groups: up to 12 and 13–17. In the first group, there were 15 competitors, whilst the senior group attracted over 30 youngsters.

The competition consists of two stages. The first stage is a written test. Based on the results of that test, a jury comprising the outstanding Chopin experts Professor Mieczysław Tomaszewski, Professor Irena Poniatowska, Professor Zofia Chechlińska, Head of the Research and Publishing Department, Ewa Sławińska-Dahlig, and Editor Marcin Wąsowski put forward ten finalists. The final was made up of seven sections, as well as a deciding round between the best participants, who answered questions relating to Fryderyk Chopin’s biography and recognised fragments of music. The final, held in the Fryderyk Chopin Museum’s Concert Hall, was open to the public. The standard was very high, and the competitors were ambitious and highly motivated.

In the 12 and under category, the winner was Wiktor Wilczyński, with Adam Juszczyński second and Julia Ciołek third. In the 13–17 age group, Karol Bernaciak won first prize, astonishing the Jury with his perfect score, with Marta Kaczmarczyk (second), Mateusz Tomica and Julita Fil (third equal) completing the podium. Also taking part in that age-group final was the winner of the Competition of Knowledge about Fryderyk Chopin held in Poturzyn, Aleksandra Kwiecień.

Professor Tomaszewski, who summed up the final, emphasised the enormous benefits to be gained from contact with Fryderyk Chopin’s music and congratulated the participants on preparing so well.

The money, disc and book prizes were funded by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, Pianocraft sets for the winners were offered by Yamaha, and the Marshal of Mazovia Voivodeship presented each of the finalists with an album about Mazovia. Stanisław Drzewiecki gave a piano recital on each day of competition.

We now invite you to take part in the fourth edition of the competition, in 2014! All information can be obtained from the Research and Publishing Department of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

Our congratulations to the prize-winners!