4th Competition 1998

4th International I. J. Paderewski

Piano Competition

Bydgoszcz, 3 – 14 November 1998


The persistent efforts of the authorities of the Music Society with the Minister of Culture and Art were crowned with the decision to transform the competition into a cyclic musical event called: "The I. J. Paderewski International Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz". It has been decided that starting from the current edition the competition will be held every 3 years and the struggles of young pianists from all over the world will be judged by an international jury.


Organizers of the competition: I. J. Paderewski Musical Society - the main organizer, I. J. Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic, F. Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. Editor Henryk Martenka became the competition director.


Honorary patronage over the 4th Competition was taken by Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of the Republic of Poland.

The Competition was held from 3rd to 14th November 1998.


The Competition Regulations provided for the participation of pianists up to the age of 27. 59 pianists from the following countries entered the competition: England (1), Armenia (1), Belarus (1), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2), Estonia (2), Finland (1), Israel (1) Japan (8), Yugoslavia (1), Kyrgyzstan (1), Korea (3), Poland (26), Russia (5), United States (1), Ukraine (5).


The inaugural concert took place on November 6, 1998 at the Pomeranian Philharmonic Hall, on the 138th anniversary of the Patron's birth. The Symphony Orchestra of the Pomeranian Philharmonic under Jerzy Maksymiuk and soloist Wojciech Kocyan performed Paderewski's Piano Concerto in A minor. J. Paderewski. In the second part of the concert the audience listened to Symphony "Polonia" in B minor by I. J. Paderewski.

Competition sponsors
Competition partners
The Competition is financed by
The Competition is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Republic of Poland from the Fund of the Promotion of Culture, obtained from subsidies established in games covered by the state monopoly, in accordance with Article 80 (1) of the Act of 19 November 2009 on gambling games, as part of the “Music” program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance and the City of Bydgoszcz.
Partner of the International Paderewski Piano Competition is Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.