This year’s event at Piano Congress will consist of 40 meetings: lectures, seminars, concerts and a movie display. The events have been divided into 6 theme blocks. This is going to be an intensive 3-day-long time.
The main theme of Piano Congress is: “The Grand Piano — Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. This part consists of three main theme blocks and three extra theme blocks. All lectures and seminars will be conducted between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. The primary language is English (translated to Polish) and all speeches given in Polish will be translated into English.
The Grand Piano Yesterday
The series of “The Grand Piano Yesterday” will focus on historical instruments. The partner of the association is the National Frederic Chopin Institute which will organize an inauguration concert at Warsaw Royal Castle (with the use of historical instruments) along with the visit of leading theoreticians and renovators specializing in Chopin’s time grand pianos. We are happy to welcome Benjamin Vogel, Gert Hecher, Paul McNulty, Olivier Fadini and Andrzej Wlodarczyk. These specialists will conduct 7 lectures and seminars on historical pianos. Additionally, Paul McNulty will run a workshop on “The Intonation of Historical Pianos” at the National Frederic Chopin Institute.
The Grand Piano Today
The second theme block at Piano Congress is “The Grand Piano Today” focusing on modern instruments. This is a space for the biggest piano manufacturers to display their instruments (Petrof, Bechstein, Straingraeber). The exhibition will also include the displays of component suppliers, theoreticians and practicians of keyboard instrument tuning. A lecture on piano design will be conducted by Tadeáš Doskočil from Petrof. Udo Steingraeber will tell us about the historical traits of sounds in modern pianos and Paula Kiechle & Elia Ram from Bechstein will amaze you with their lecture on intonation and regulation of concert grand pianos. Seven lectures and seminars on modern grand pianos will be conducted in total.
The Grand Piano Tomorrow
The future of grand piano focuses more on a renovation procedures rather than introduction of new technologies. How to fix and renovate an instrument while giving it a new life without killing its original soul? This is Kalisz speciality, the place which has been intertwined with music industry for the past 300 years. The city is proud of its Piano Manufactory — Arnold Fibiger (later Calisia). For 60 years, the city has been running the only polish school training piano constructors and tuners — Technical School of Piano Construction. The city of Kalisz is a place for nearly 40 piano renovation workshops. The largest one of them renovate approximately 1000 instruments annually. The lectures and seminars on “The Grand Piano Tomorrow” will be conducted by members of Polish Piano Tuners Association while sharing their decade-long experience in mechanism’s regulations in renovating, the use of covering surfaces and keyboard refurbishments. We will answer the question of how tuning pins influence the stability of the tune. Zbigniew Mielżyński will tell us about his specialization in piano alterations. This theme block consists of 5 lectures and seminars.
Around The Grand Piano
The main subjects do not follow the main themes of the congress fully. Michael van Loon will present his systems for people with disabilities which allow them to use a piano effortlessly. Jan Grosbach will show us how to operate a harpsichord. Janus’s Starczyk will tell us about Polish piano industry and Anna Grochowiecka from Klaviano will answer a question if it is worth to promote a piano salon online.
The Open House Day
On September 2nd, before the official inauguration of Piano Congress we will hold an open house day for everyone interested in music. On this day the entry to the exhibition will be free of any charge and educational seminars will be conducted along with a concert of young pianists. 12 young pianists from whole Poland will present their skills during the concerts (students of music schools and academies). Four educational seminars will be held as well: “Workshop on the construction of Lego block modern piano”, “The evolution of piano repertoire along with the instrument’s development”, “How to take care of a piano or a grand piano?” and “The workshop on correct grand piano tuning process”. Music-Artistic Association Sfogato is the partner of the open house day. The open house day will be held between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
Additional Events
After days full of lectures and seminars we have planned exclusive concerts and a movie display. On September 2nd at Warsaw Royal Castle an official inauguration of Piano Congress will take place. A historical grand piano concert is to be organized by National Frederic Chopin Institute. On the second day of the congress a special movies display is scheduled. The documentary of “The Soul Enclosed In a Piano” presents the story of Fibiger family, the piano manufactory and the city of Kalisz. The final day of Piano Congress will include a string grand piano Viola Organista concert. The instrument has been inspired by an original project of Leonardo da Vinci.
Piano and Grand Piano Exhibition
The congress will be accompanied by a three-day-long exhibition of pianos and grand pianos in a 1800-square-meter large surface. 25 instrument manufacturers, constructors, renovators and retailers will present their works. The exhibition will include world-known producers of: Petrof, C. Bechstein, Steingraeber & Söhne, Kawai, Yamaha, Bösendorfer. It is a unique situation for the students of music schools, teachers and everyone interested in pianos to see that many exhibitors in one place in Poland.
Europiano Congress and Convention of IAPBT
Piano Congress in Poland is the European Europiano Congress and the World Convention IAPBT. These two organizations organize such events in Europe (every 3 years) and in the world (every 2 years). Once in a decade such meetings are held in Europe. Polish Piano Tuners Association is the organizer, along with Europiano and IAPBT, of piano Congress which will be held in Warsaw on September 2–4 of 2022.
The start on September 2nd at 9:00 AM at Double Tree by Hilton, Skalnicowa 21 st.