7th Competition 2007

7th International Paderewski Piano Competition

Bydgoszcz, November 4th-18th, 2007

The 7th International Paderewski Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz took place on November 4th – 18th, 2007. The Competition is organized under the Honorary Patronage of The President Of The Republic Of Poland, Lech Kaczyński. The Competition has been financed by The Ministry of Culture & National Heritage, Bydgoszcz City Hall, The Marshal’s Office of the Kujavian and Pomeranian Province in Toruń and the private donors: Pomorski Operator Systemu Dystrybucyjnego, Oddział Dystrybucji Gazu w Bydgoszczy, Zeto Bydgoszcz S.A., Yamaha, Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji Sp. z o. o. w Bydgoszczy, Bud Przemysłówka Bydgoszcz Sp. z o.o., KPEC Bydgoszcz, Polon-Alfa, Sp. z o.o., ZPR, Orbis Casino, Budownictwo Komunikacyjne i Przemysłowe Gotowski, PBDiM Sp. zo.o Kobylarnia, Per Aarslef, Projprzem S.A. and others.The competition was held under the media patronage of TVP Kultura, TVP3 Bydgoszcz, Polish Radio PIK and Polish Radio Program II.

The main organizer is The Paderewski Music Association in Bydgoszcz with co-participation of The F. Nowowiejski Music Academy and Paderewski Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz. Henryk Martenka became the Director of the Competition.

The Inagural concert took place on 4 November 2007 at 7 p.m. in the concert hall of the Pomeranian Philharmonic. The laureate of VI International Paderewski Piano Competition, Mariya Kim, accompanied by I. J. Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jerzy Maksymiuk, sat at the piano.

A novelty of this year’s edition were elimination auditions, which took place in April and May 2007 in 7 cities: Paris, Hannover, Shenzhen, Yokohama, New York, St. Petersburg and Warsaw. A total of 153 people from 26 countries applied. The best 56 pianists were qualified to perform in Bydgoszcz. 25 pianists were admitted to the second stage, and the six best performers took part in the final. The contest was won – unquestionably – by 18-year-old Russian Nikita Mndoyants. The jury unanimously confirmed the high level of the Competition. For this reason, two fifth prizes were awarded, while the sixth and last one was abandoned. The 13-person Jury was headed by Professor Piotr Paleczny, the artistic director of the Competition.

During those days many distinguished guests from Poland and Germany, the United States, Switzerland, France, Holland, and Japan came to Bydgoszcz. Yamaha company brought a grand piano from Paris and gave it to the talented young pianists for the duration of the competition.

Gustav Alink from the Netherlands, the director of the Alink Argerich Foundation, which has been a member of the Paderewski Piano Competition since 2004 and has five stars, also visited Bydgoszcz. Gustav Alink was impressed by the high organizational level of the event.

The Competition auditions were broadcast on the Internet and could be followed on the website www.konkurspaderewskiego.pl.

The Laureates Concert was repeated at the National Philharmonic Hall on 21 November 2007.

The First Lady Maria Kaczyńska took part in the Concert. Members of the Musical Society from Bydgoszcz also participated in it. This is the third Competition in Poland, after the Chopin Competition and the Wieniawski Competition, whose winners are presented to Warsaw audiences shortly after the Competition’s conclusion.

VII International Paderewski Piano Competition has become part of the musical map of Bydgoszcz and Poland as one of the most important artistic events of 2007, contributing not only to saving from oblivion the compositions of Ignacy Jan Paderewski and fame of this great composer, but also to the promotion of Bydgoszcz – in Poland and worldwide – as a city favorable to music and friendly to young, talented artists.

LAUREATES:

I prize – 20 000 Euro – Nikita Mndoyants, Russia

II prize 12 000 Euro – Yulianna Avdeeva, Russia

III prize – 8 000 Euro – Marianna Prjevalskaya, Spain

IV prize – 5 000 Euro – Lilit Grigoryan, Republic of Armenia

V prize (ex aequo) – 4 000 Euro – Melody Quah, Malaysia

V prize (ex aequo) – 4 000 Euro – Pavel Raykerus, Russia

VI prize was not awarded

Special prize – Łukasz Trepczyński, Polska

1 000 Euro – Prize for the best Polish participant classified to the Semi-final or Final

ADDITIONAL AWARDS:

Regina Smendzianka Foundation – PIANO for the best Polish participant

The Barbara Bielecka Musica Mundi Foundation – recital in Gdańsk for the best Polish finalist or person studying in Poland

The Polish Institute in Bukarest – recital for the laureate

The Polish Institute in Moscow – recital for the best Polish laureate

ADDITIONAL AWARDS:

The Paderewski Center – Kąśna Dolna – recital in Paderewski Manor in Kąśna Dolna – Joanna Różewska

The Polish Institute in Bratislava- recital for the laureate – Piotr Banasik

The Polish Institute in Budapest – recital for the best Polish laureate – Radosław Sobczak

The Polish Institute in Prague – recital for the laureate – Joanna Żabierek

The Polish Institute in Sofia – recital for the laureate playing Polish repertoire – Paweł Wakarecy

The Polish Institute in Stockholm – recital for the laureate – Paweł Wakarecy

Instytut Polski w Sztokholmie – recital dla laureata – Paweł Wakarecy

Competition Partners

Competition Sponsors

Co-Financing of the Competition

The competition is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Fund for the Promotion of Culture – a state special purpose fund, as part of the „Music” program implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance, and by the City of Bydgoszcz.
Partner of the International Paderewski Piano Competition  – Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.