Fryderyk Chopin’s Birthday in Szafarnia
A theatrical performance, a recitation contest, and a concert by Marcin Wieczorek are the events through which the Marshal’s Chopin Centre in Szafarnia will celebrate the 215th birthday of Fryderyk Chopin. The inauguration will take place on Saturday, February 22nd. Chopin Week in Szafarnia will last until Saturday, March 1st.
“Two hundred years ago, young Fryderyk Chopin spent time in Szafarnia, enchanted by the beauty of the landscape and the hospitality of the Dziewanowski family. Today, the Chopin Center in Szafarnia remains a unique and welcoming place, filled with the spirit of the great composer’s creativity. I invite you to experience Chopin’s music,” encourages Marshal Piotr Całbecki.
Fryderyk Chopin spent his vacations twice at the Dziewanowski manor in Szafarnia, in 1824 and 1825. The center’s activities were inaugurated in 1949 with the Chopin Festival and the opening of a room commemorating the artist. For the past two decades, Szafarnia has been on the list of cultural institutions managed by the regional self-government.
The Program
Chopin Week will begin with the theatrical performance “Chopin’s Loves”, based on letters from the eminent composer to his closest friends and loved ones. The play portrays Chopin not only as a musical genius but also as a man full of passion, love, and humor. Audiences will discover an unknown side of Chopin—filled with deep sensitivity, longing, and ardent emotions. The performance explores his relationships with the women in his life, his love for music, Paris, and his homeland.
The 25th Regional Recitation Contest Dedicated to Fryderyk Chopin and His Music is the second event in the program celebrating the 215th anniversary of the pianist’s birth. On Friday, February 28th, forty elementary school students from across the region will present literary works dedicated to Chopin and his music.
The celebrations will culminate on Saturday, March 1st, with a concert by pianist Marcin Wieczorek. The program will include “Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12,” “Ballade in G minor, Op. 23,” and “Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posth.” Tickets are available at www.szafarnia.art.pl or by phone at +48 56 682 79 30.
Regional Cultural Institutions
The regional government oversees the Chopin Centre in Szafarnia, along with 16 other cultural institutions offering a diverse range of cultural activities:
- Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz
- Children’s Art Gallery and Centre of Creativity in Toruń
- “Wozownia” Art Gallery in Toruń
- Archaeological Museum in Biskupin
- Professor Maria Znamierowska-Prüffer Ethnographic Museum in Toruń
- The Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Lands in Włocławek
- Opera “NOVA” in Bydgoszcz
- Chopin Centre in Szafarnia
- Lubostroń Palace in Lubostroń
- Wilam Horzyca Theater in Toruń
- Regional Public Library and Copernicus Library in Toruń
- Dr. Witold Bełza Regional and Municipal Public Library in Bydgoszcz
- Regional Centre for Cultural Animation in Toruń
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Musical Theater in Toruń
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Heritage Centre in Toruń
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Centre for Education and Innovation in Toruń
Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson for the Marshal’s Office
February 21, 2025