The Polish-Ukrainian Paderewski Foundation has just issued a recording of the December 19, 2016 concert held at the Belweder Presidential Palace in Warsaw. Entitled W hołdzie Paderewskiemu [Tribute to Paderewski], the program featured works by Chopin and Paderewski performed by young pianists from Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania, including Magdalena Kuropatwa, Piotr Lara, Erik Podolski, Agne Staniulite and Bogdan Terlecki. Under the auspices of Akademia Młodych Wirtuozów [Young Virtuosos’ Academy], throughout 2016 these talented young musicians performed in concerts and participated in several different master classes held by internationally-renowned artists in Vilnius, Lithuania; Lviv, Ukraine; Pułtusk and Kąśna Dolna, Poland; as well as Paso Robles, California.
The Belweder program also featured soprano Aneta Łukaszewicz performing selections of songs by Chopin and Paderewski with pianist Marianna Humetska, who was also heard with Lilia Hratyla and Oksana Lytvynenko in the Finale of Chopin’s Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 8. The program closed with Marianna Humetska and pianist Marek Zebrowski performing one the dances from Paderewski’s Tatra Album Op. 12 for piano four-hands. Selected soundtracks from the concert and the beautifully-produced booklet with texts in Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and English that accompanies the CD can be found at: www.wirtuozi.eu.
[Sources: press release, wirtuozi.eu]