Rehearsal time is over. The world's best and most ambitious young pianists have descended on Warsaw for the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition -- for some, a gateway to classical music glory.
Fans from around the globe snapped up tickets as much as a year ago. The lucky ones will hear an opening night concert on Thursday and follow along as the contest builds to a thrilling climax on October 20.
kAm(:??:?8 E96 r9@A:? x?E6C?2E:@?2= \\ 96=5 6G6CJ 7:G6 J62CD :? E96 `hE9\46?EFCJ 4@>A@D6CVD 9@>6=2?5 \\ 42? C2:D6 E96 4FCE2:? E@ A=2J:?8 2E G6?F6D 24C@DD E96 8=@36 2?5 D:8?:?8 4@?EC24ED H:E9 E96 >@DE C6?@H?65 C64@C5 =236=D]k^Am
kAm!C6G:@FD H:??6CD @7 E96 4@>A6E:E:@?[ H9:49 3682? :? `haf[ :?4=F56 D@>6 @7 E96 8C62E6DE ?2>6D :? 4=2DD:42= >FD:4[ :?4=F5:?8 |2FC:K:@ !@==:?:[ |2CE92 pC86C:49 2?5 zCJDE:2? +:>6C>2?] k^Am
kAmp>6C:42? A:2?:DE v2CC:4< ~9=DD@?[ H9@ 4=:?4965 E96 E@A AC:K6 :? `hf_[ H:== 492:C E96 ;FCJ E2D<65 H:E9 D6=64E:?8 E9:D J62CVD H:??6C 7C@> E96 gc 4@?E6DE2?ED] k^Am
k9am\ (9@ H:== A2CE:4:A2E6n \k^9am
kAm*@F?8 A:2?:DED 2865 7C@> `e E@ b_ 2C6 6=:8:3=6 E@ E2<6 A2CE[ 2?5 E96 (2CD2H @C82?:D6CD C646:G65 2 C64@C5 ?F>36C @7 >@C6 E92? e__ 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C E9:D J62CVD 65:E:@?]k^Am
kAm~?=J 2C@F?5 2 E6?E9 @7 E96> >256 :E E9C@F89 2 4@>A=6I 2?5 >F=E:\DE286 BF2=:7:42E:@? AC@46DD E92E :?4=F565 A=2J:?8 :? 2 AC6=:>:?2CJ C@F?5 :? (2CD2H]k^Am
kAm%@86E96C H:E9 =2FC62E6D @7 @E96C A:2?@ 4@?E6DED[ H9@ H6C6 8C2?E65 5:C64E 2446DD E@ E96 7:CDE C@F?5[ 2 E@E2= @7 gc A:2?:DED 7C@> a_ 4@F?EC:6D H:== DE2CE E@ 4@>A6E6 @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAmr9:?6D6 A:2?:DED H:== 36 E96 >@DE ?F>6C@FD H:E9 ag 4@?E6DE2?ED[ 7@==@H65 3J !@=2?5 2?5 y2A2? H:E9 `b 6249]k^Am
k9am\ pC6 E:4<6ED 2G2:=23=6n \k^9am
kAm%:4<6ED 7@C E96 4@>A6E:E:@? D@=5 @FE H:E9:? b_ >:?FE6D @7 E96:C C6=62D6 @?=:?6 :? ~4E@36C =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAmQ%96 7:?2=D D@=5 @FE :? EH@ >:?FE6D[Q E96 r9@A:? x?DE:EFE6 DA@<6D>2? p=6<D2?56C {2D<@HD<: E@=5 pu!] k^Am
kAmw6 25565 E92E 4=2DD:42= >FD:4 3F77D BF6F65 7@C D6G6C2= 9@FCD 7@C E96 32E49 @7 E:4<6ED @?=J 2G2:=23=6 2E E96 3@I @77:46]k^Am
kAmu@C E9@D6 56DA6C2E6 E@ 86E :?D:56 (2CD2HVD }2E:@?2= !9:=92C>@?:4 92==[ H96C6 E96 4@>A6E:E:@? :D 96=5[ 2 92?57F= @7 E:4<6ED 4@F=5 36 2G2:=23=6 367@C6 6G6CJ 2F5:E:@? :7 E:4<6E 9@=56CD 5@ ?@E D9@H FA]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ DE286 \\ :?4=F5:?8 E96 7:?2=D 96=5 @? ~4E@36C `g\a_[ 27E6C H9:49 E96 H:??6C H:== 36 2??@F?465 \\ H:== 36 =:G6DEC62>65 @? E96 r9@A:? x?DE:EFE6VD D@4:2= >65:2 492??6=D] k^Am
k9am\ #FDD:2? A:2?:DED \ k^9am
kAm%9:D J62CVD 65:E:@? :D E96 7:CDE D:?46 #FDD:2 =2F?4965 :ED 7F==\D42=6 H2C :? &<C2:?6[ 2?5 9@DE !@=2?5 DE2F?49=J DFAA@CED zJ:G :? :ED 677@CED E@ 76?5 @77 E96 :?G2D:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 @C82?:D6CD D2:5 =2DE J62C E92E #FDD:2? A:2?:DED H@F=5 @?=J 36 25>:EE65 F?56C 2 ?6FEC2= 7=28[ Q;FDE 2D 2E9=6E6D 5:5 2E E96 !2C:D ~=J>A:4D[Q {2D<@HD<: E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ 925 E@ D:8? 2 DE2E6>6?E :? H9:49 E96J 42E68@C:42==J 4@?56>?65 E96 G:@=2E:@? @7 :?E6C?2E:@?2= =2H]k^Am
kAm%H@ #FDD:2? A:2?:DED A=2J:?8 F?56C 2 ?6FEC2= 7=28[ !9:=:AA {J?@G 2?5 p?5C6J +6?:?[ 2C6 2>@?8 E96 4@?E6DE2?ED]k^Am
k9am\ (92E :D E96 AC:K6n \k^9am
kAm%96 H:??6C H:== C646:G6 2 AC:K6 @7 e_[___ 6FC@D WSf_[d__X]k^Am
kAmqFE H:??:?8 @C 6G6? C6249:?8 E96 =2DE DE286 @7 E96 4@>A6E:E:@? :D D66? 2D 2 42C66C ;F>A\DE2CE 7@C E96 J@F?8 A:2?:DED]k^Am
kAmQp7E6C E96 r9@A:? r@>A6E:E:@? 4@?4=F56D[ 2 >@?E9D\=@?8 4@?46CE E@FC H:== 368:?[Q E96 @C82?:D6CD D2:5 @? E96:C H63D:E6[ 255:?8 E96 E@FC 4@>AC:D6D QAC6DE:8:@FD 4@?46CE 92==D 24C@DD tFC@A6[ pD:2[ 2?5 E96 p>6C:42D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 =2DE 6G6?E[ 96=5 :? a_a` 27E6C 36:?8 5676CC65 3642FD6 @7 E96 r@G:5 A2?56>:4[ 6?565 H:E9 r2?25:2? A:2?:DE qCF46 ):2@JF {:F D4@C:?8 E96 9:896DE 244@=256]k^Am
kAm>>A^54^C9k^Am