Promoting the idea of the Competition. Conversation with Joanna Bokszczanin, head of the Competition Organisation Office and secretary to the jury

MARIA MARCHLEWSKA: What in practice is the role of the head of organisation of the Chopin Competition? Is it a continuous job, is there any respite between successive editions?

JOANNA BOKSZCZANIN: My tasks include above all co-creating, with the director, the framework for further editions of the competition. Already during the course of one edition, we are planning the next – in terms of both the programme and the organisation. We have already taken decisions concerning the next competition, and some of them have been announced by the director. They result from our experiences, for example from this year’s qualifying phase, during which we received a huge number of applications, and the qualifying committee had very little time to listen to all the recordings. These days, the technical standard of the recordings is uniformly very high, which makes it even harder to select. Hence we are considering a departure from the qualifying process based on DVD recordings and the introduction of live auditions in different parts of the world. That’s a serious logistical challenge, but essential with so many candidates. Besides questions related to the programme and organisation, we also propagate the idea of the competition, including through visits to countries where the pianistic potential is considerable, but access to musical education is sometimes limited. One example is Brazil: thanks to our collaboration, a competition has been set up in São Paulo, which has helped increase the number of applications from South America. These are long‑term projects, which do not bring immediate effects, but are still crucial. We also organise masterclass courses promoting the Chopin Competition.

M.M.: How many people are involved in organising the Chopin Competition?

J.B.: During the preparatory phase, the team is quite small: there are six people working in my department. During the phase of realisation, however, shortly before and during the competition, that group is expanded considerably, as the event requires huge organisational resources.

M.M.: Does each edition bring the organisers new experiences?

J.B.: Definitely. The competition never ceases to evolve, and the growing interest among pianists forces us to reflect and to introduce changes in the organisation.

M.M.: One of the elements of the Chopin Competition is the tour undertaken by the winner. What is the purpose of this?

J.B.: Our role is not just to organise the competition and promote Chopin’s music, but also to support the competition winner entering the international arena. Thanks to concerts in prestigious halls, the winner has the opportunity to showcase their ability before a discerning audience and the major organisers of musical life in those places. This year’s tour will last until next June, so it will entail seven months of intense artistic activity. There will be performances in countries like Japan, where we have been working with the NHK Symphony Orchestra for several years, South Korea and China. Thanks to our collaboration with the Liu Kotow agency, the winner of the Chopin Competition will also perform in many renowned halls in Europe, particularly in Germany. A prize‑winners’ gala will be held already on 3 November at the Berlin Philharmonic. We also have concerts planned in both North and South America.

M.M.: The year 2027 will be the centenary of the competition. How is the Fryderyk Chopin Institute preparing for that jubilee?

J.B.: Unfortunately, we weren’t able to plan a jubilee edition exactly in 2027, but we are preparing a rich programme of events, including concerts in Poland and abroad, exhibitions and educational projects.

M.M.: During this year’s edition, you are also acting as secretary to the jury. What does that role involve?

J.B.: The jury secretary is responsible first and foremost for the organisational‑technical side of the assessment process. My tasks include accurately entering the points awarded by the jurors into the system and counting them up with the aid of specialist programmes.