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IF I CANNOT FLY, LET ME SING! No.11/20.06
- victorshramko
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
THE SUMMER WITH CHOPIN, AND NOT ONLY...
A week ago I wrote about Chopin's successful visit to Kuwait. I also asked you about summer plans and mentioned that you can also learn music in the summer. Here, in Poland, I also came across a meeting with Chopin.
Every weekend throughout the summer, under the well-known Chopin monument in Warsaw, in the beautiful Royal Park called Łazienki (The Bath), there are twice-daily concerts, at noon and in the afternoon (4:00 pm). The bronze, deep green statue of Chopin, engrossed in listening, sits on the cinnabar red monument under a spreading willow tree. Behind the statue is a wall of green.
His figure dominates over the round pond below and the grand piano at which the pianists sit, a bit nervous because of the Master's presence. The pond is surrounded by flower beds with thousands of roses and benches, always filled with listening guests. Hundreds of other listeners spread out on blankets on nearby lawns or stroll along the surrounding alleys, shaded by beautiful old trees. In recent years, concerts have been broadcast throughout the entire enormous Royal Park.
This year is the 66th Chopin Concerts Season. Music celebrities alternate with young, outstanding talents at the piano. This year on Sunday, June 1st, even talented children took part on the occasion of celebrating Int'l Children's Day. For me, these are memories of the unique atmosphere of these concerts. Over the previous decades, I have played 'Under Chopin' dozens of times. Also for my wife, Anna, when she was a young talented concert pianist. Nowadays, when we are in Warsaw, we always try to visit this special place and ask gratefully, 'How are you, Mr. Frederic?'
The most famous summer concerts are probably also those in Chopin's birthplace, a manor house in the village of Żelazowa Wola (Iron Will), a few dozen kilometers from Warsaw. A pianist plays the grand piano in the living room of a small manor house with all the windows open. The audience sits on benches outside, around the house in a beautiful picturesque park. The park is full of lovely, very original flowers, bushes, and trees from all over the world, sent by fans of Mr. Frederic's music. In the manor house, there is also Chopin's museum. There is also a shop in the park with souvenirs, albums, and records. Next to it, there is a cafe and a restaurant with Polish specialties.
There I have so many memories too. Lastly, at my recital here just a few years ago, there were many friends, also from Kuwait. And after the 5th Chopin Competition in Kuwait, its winners, led by the Kuwaiti pianist Faisal Al Bahairi, attended the concerts at the Chopin monument and played in Żelazowa Wola. Moreover, they participated in Master Courses at the Fr. Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. It was for them a Special Award of the Polish Minister of Culture, who was a guest of NCCA&L at the Chopin Competition in Kuwait.
Now, just in May 2025, at the Gala of the 7th Chopin Competition in Kuwait, Faisal Al Bahairi opened the Gala Concert and Award Ceremony with Chopin's Mazurka as an acknowledged Kuwaiti pianist. So many memories.
By the way: Master Courses at Chopin University in Warsaw are running throughout the whole summer. These include individual lessons with renowned professors – pianists, group lectures, opportunities for public performances, and even playing with an orchestra. There are also additional activities such as trips with sightseeing, films, recording sessions, and so on. Of course, such a package is addressed to highly advanced participants. But just like with the multitude of concerts, apart from Chopin University, various music courses are also organized in different, sometimes very attractive places at different levels and programs.
Such activities as those held in Poland have started to become popular in many countries. In recent years, Kuwait has also joined this idea. I am very interested to know your opinion of our KMA Summer Music Courses held in Kuwait. I know my younger colleagues lecturing these courses in the Kuwaiti summer, and I hope that many of the participants would be very satisfied with the opportunity to attend them.
Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021; 91 years!) was an American composer and lyricist, regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater. He is credited with reinventing the American musical. Sondheim collaborated with Leonard Bernstein in creating the musical of the century - West Side Story.
Once he said: IF I CANNOT FLY, LET ME SING! (or - PLAY!)
Enough words.
Let us play: L. Bernstein - Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story"
Written by
Cezary Owerkowicz
Co-founder of Kuwait Music Academy and
Director of Treasure of Talents Festival in Kuwait
