HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-18-2007 Local Student Musicians Help Celebrate South Bend’s Polish Culture 04 SOU TB
ti x
U ..
vH:nce y
1865
Office of the Mayor
MEDIA ADVISORY
Friday, May 18, 2007
9:15 AM
Contact. Mikki Dobski, Communications & Spec. Projects, 574-235-5855c. 574-876-1564
Patricia Collins Jones, Coordinator, Chopin Youth Piano Competition, 272-6428
Local Student Musicians Help Celebrate
South Bend's Polish Culture
The winners of the 19"' Annual Chopin Youth Piano Competition will perform on Sunday,
May 20, 2007, at 2:00 p.m., at the South Bend Christian Reformed Church, 1855 N. Hickory Rd.
Immediately following the winners' recitals, contest judge and guest artist Professor Matthew
Hill, Associate Professor of Music at Goshen College, will present a short talk on "The Teaching
of Chopin," and a performance of Frederic Chopin's `Ballade in G Minor." Admission is free,
and the public is welcome to enjoy and celebrate the work of these talented musicians.
This year's winners are:
• Senior Division(Grades 10-12)
— Winners...........................Matt Bilik& Renula Mitra
— Honorable Mention..........Lance Wu
• Junior Division(Grades 7-9)
— Winner ............................Kyle Zhang
— Honorable Mention..........Francis Chen
• Elementary Division(Grades 4-6)
— Winner ............................Anthony Kolbus
— Honorable Mention..........John Ferlic
The Chopin Youth Piano Competition is sponsored by the Chopin Fine Arts Club and the
South Bend Music Teachers Association. The Club was established in 1939 to help foster
appreciation of Polish culture and arts in South Bend, and to help provide scholarships to local
high school students who exhibit excellence in the areas of visual and performing arts.
"Frederic Chopin was the one of the first western classical composers to infuse Slavic
elements into his music," stated Mary Sue Freitag, Competition Chairperson. "Even today, his
mazurkas and polonaises are the cornerstone of Polish nationalistic classical music. This
competition helps us educate young students about his importance in 19"' century Romantic
classical music, and also reinforce the importance of Polish culture in South Bend."
South Bend's Polish ties extend back to the end of the Civil War, and continue today
through its Sister City relationship with Czestochowa, Poland, and the heritage and contributions
of South Bend's Polish-American citizens.
- 30 -