Rafal Blechacz, 2005 Chopin Competition Winner, Releases New Recording of Chopin Concertos

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2010, Chopin’s bicentennial, will feature the next edition of the Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Poland. Surely one of the great recordings to coincide with the celebrations and competition will be Rafał Blechacz’s interpretations of both Chopin piano concertos on Deutsche Grammophon. Since winning the 2005 competition (the last to take place) his career and international reputation have both steadily grown: he now performs around the world in both concert and recital and continues to focus on his beloved Chopin.

The idea for this recording took shape immediately following Blechacz’s unprecedented triumph at the 2005 Chopin Competition where he won the main prize as well as special prizes in all four individual categories. On that occasion he played the E minor concerto. Since then, he has introduced himself to the world, many times playing either the E minor or the F minor concerto, and has consistently earned the highest critical praise. Along with his extraordinary talent, Blechacz possesses an exceptional intelligence that allows him to understand in depth the music he performs and a degree of perception that allows him infallibly to grasp the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of the compositions he interprets.

The pianist is joined by Jerzy Semkow and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for these two performances.

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