On this week’s episode (No. 341) of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award winning program Between the Keys, The Classical Network’s Artist-in-Residence Jed DIstler presents performances recorded live during the 18th International Chopin Competition, held this past October in Warsaw.
All of the in-person events were streamed online via the Chopin Institute’s YouTube Channel. Gramophone magazine engaged Distler to write a daily blog covering each day’s proceedings as they unfolded, from the first round concerts to the concerto finals.
“At first I expected to get burned out hearing the same Chopin pieces over and over again,” Distler recalled. “Yet surprisingly, I never felt bored for a moment. This is due to the music, of course, but also to the wide range of talented young pianists competing. Although I mostly agreed with the jury’s final decisions, some tremendous talents didn’t make it to the later rounds, and we’ll hear a few of the on this episode. Throughout the competition I made note of performances that I found especially memorable, and the Chopin Institute graciously provided me with these recordings to share with listeners.”
Featured pianists include Aristo Sham, Aimi Kobayasi, Leonora Armellini, Miyu Shindo, Talon Smith, Georgijs Osokins, Avery Gagliano, Jakub Kuszlik, second prize winner Alexander Gadjiev and Gold Medalist Bruce Liu.
Tune in to for Between the Keys this Tuesday January 4th at 10 PM, with a rebroadcast Wednesday January 5th at noon, exclusively on The Classical Network and WWFM.org.