Blue note. Hommage à Janusz Olejniczak – exhibition at the Warsaw Philharmonic

We invite you to the exhibition ‘Blue Note. Hommage à Janusz Olejniczak’, dedicated to the memory of the outstanding pianist, laureate of the 8th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

This exhibition pays tribute to Janusz Olejniczak (1952–2024), one of the most outstanding contemporary pianists and most sensitive interpreters of the music of Fryderyk Chopin.   

He was supposed to be here with us today, among the jurors – and we miss him a lot.

The exhibition’s title refers to a famous discussion between Delacroix, Chopin and Maurice Sand concerning the affinity between painting and music, where there is mention of the metaphor of the note bleue, which may be interpreted as the search for an ideal sound – a search that accompanied also Janusz Olejniczak from the start of his creative path. 

Thanks to the numerous family souvenirs, our exhibition has a personal and emotional dimension. At its heart lies the piano on which Janusz prepared for the Chopin Competition in 1970.

Mariola Wojtkiewicz

I invite you to an encounter with my Dad. 

This exhibition tells of the first steps on his path – from the moment when the artist was born. For me, these images and sounds are like going home, where his presence can still be heard. A fragment of the story of a man who lived for music from the very beginning. I would like you to sense that passion, that force and that delicacy as well. May our journey in time become also part of your memories, your own story.

Paweł Olejniczak

Warsaw Philharmonic    
2–23.10.2025   
Paweł Olejniczak – exhibition curator
Mariola Wojtkiewicz – curatorial collaboration