Chopin 200 Years On -- Beijing Review

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Frederic Franciszek Chopin may never have imagined his work would now be played so often and loudly 200 years after his birth in the faraway nation in the East. Interesting ties between China and the composer who is the pride of Poland will be on show this year

China Celebrates Chopin

March 1 marked the 200th birthday of the famous Polish composer Frederic Franciszek Chopin (1810-49). Music lovers throughout the world will dedicate 2010 to the Romantic poet of the piano.

The special celebrations in China, with the curtain coming down on December 10 this year, feature a series of Chopin concerts presented by a stellar list of pianists from home and abroad, as well as exhibitions, movies, dramas and other events about Chopin's life and music, with the aim of helping the Chinese better understand this musician of the Romantic era

Full Story

Popular With the Young
Everybody has different interpretations of the same piece of music. Some children connected the music to Chopin's life story, which they learnt from books, and used the words such as "romantic" or "beautiful" to describe his music

Backgrounder

Profile of Frederic Chopin
Frederic Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 in Żelazowa Wola. He attended the High School of Music in 1826. After graduation, he traveled and performed. In December 1829, Chopin premiered his Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21

Archive

-	Li Yundi Wins Chopin Piano Competition
-	Musicians Show Their Talents
-	Poet of the Keyboard
-	Chopin Prize for Chinese Pianist
-	Chopin's 150th Anniversary Commemoration

Q&A

Playing Together
Tadeusz Chomicki, Polish Ambassador to China, talks about China's celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin, as well as cultural exchanges between Poland and China