VCS History

The idea of founding the VCS came to Iko Bylicki’s mind in late 1996 when he heard about the ten-year-old prodigy, pianist Stanislaw Drzewiecki, son of the famous Russian pianist, Tatiana Shebanova, who was married to Polish pianist, Jaroslaw Drzewiecki. Presenting this musical family to Vancouver audiences seemed like a great idea; however, this required some organizational structure. It seemed natural and timely to consider starting a Chopin society for Vancouver, since the International Federation of Chopin Societies, founded in Warsaw in 1985, was receiving quick recognition, and many new Chopin societies were launched around the world.

Sharing this idea with other Polish enthusiasts resulted in The Vancouver Chopin Society being incorporated on April 22, 1997 under the Society Act of British Columbia with Tadeusz van Wollen as president, Eryk Sitkowiecki as artistic director, Iko Bylicki as vice-president, Malgorzata Burczycka as secretary, and Tadeusz Dukszta as treasurer. In the same year, the VCS officially became a member if the IFCS. However, the first concert did not occur until a year later, on April 19, 1998, in the Vancouver Playhouse. Teresa Bobrowska, our current secretary, joined us after that first concert.

Being able to continue and survive the very first seasons and build the foundation for the Society was possible because of the outstanding dedication of, among others, two ladies, Elizabeth Czetwertynski, an incredibly charming old lady who was able to bring around a hundred people for each concert since nobody could refuse her convincing power, and Dr. Maria Bleszynski, whose financial generosity rescued the Society from sinking a number of times.

The very first member of the Society was Masanao Morimura, the Japanese scientist, who retired in Canada in the nineties. He played piano very well and was extremely fond of Chopin’s music, and he was developing a web site about Chopin and writing a book. He passed away on May 27, 2012, a few days after he had renewed his subscription.

The first concerts were held in the Norman Rothstein Theatre, but in the second half of the 1999/2000 season, the board decided to move the concerts to the auditorium of the Vancouver Academy of Music. In 2006, the board decided to move the concerts to Magee Theatre, and since then, the concert series is presented in three venues, the Vancouver Playhouse, the Chan Centre, and the Magee Theatre.

Conductor Grzegorz Nowak became the VCS’s artistic director in 1999, holding the post through 2004. After Mr. Nowak left Canada, Lee Kum-Sing, respected piano teacher, worldwide, became the artistic director, and has remained so since.

And twenty seven seasons after The Vancouver Chopin Society was inaugurated, two members, Teresa Bobrowska, and Iko Bylicki are still working on the board of the VCS, feeling privileged to be part of such a competent and dedicated board such as we have today.

Board

Our society is run by wonderful and dedicated volunteers who donate their time, energy and talents to manage and direct society’s affairs. If you are interested in serving on our board, please click here.

• Charles Richard-Hamelin – Artistic Director
• Benedykt Iko Bylicki – Senior Manager
• Ilya Takser – Chief Content Executive
• Barbara Tevarotto – Graphic Designer
• Patrick May – Director, President
• Henry Ewert – Director, Vice-President
• Teresa Bobrowska – Director, Secretary
• Jason Ng – Director, Treasurer
• Vince Cardella – Director
• Eugene Nizker – Director of Programming
• Graham Blank – Director
• Daria Fedorova – Director of Artistic and Educational Programs
• Lee Kum-Sing – Honorary Artistic Director

Please contact us at:

The Vancouver Chopin Society
# 400 – 601 West Broadway Avenue,
Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 4C2
Canada

Telephone: 604.871.4450 or 236.878.4056
Email: info@chopinsociety.org

Welcome to The Vancouver Chopin Society’s remarkable 2024 – 2025 season. Once again, we have devoted much time and hard work to arrange for this stellar array of artists to perform for you.
We begin our season with the debut of Canada’s own Kevin Chen, who has been creating major sensations wherever he plays. Our season continues with appearances by Martin Garcia Garcia as well as Vadym Kholodenko. Garcia Garcia was one of the most original and interesting performers at the 2021 International Chopin Competition. Kholodenko’s remarkable Vancouver debut led to his immediate re-engagement.
In 2025, the sensational French pianist Lucas Debargue will make his Vancouver debut, the consummate artist Dang Thai Son will return, and the young and very talented Avery Gagliano will play in Vancouver for the first time. In addition, we continue our happy and fruitful collaboration with Early Music Vancouver in presenting fortepianist Dimitry Ablogin, who will also be making his Vancouver debut.
During the global pandemic, concert halls were closed, and the world was starved of live music. Now that concert halls are open, and musicians are once again playing for us in person, let us not take for granted these indelible moments when we may experience the magic and beauty of live music-making, when a great artist can hold us spellbound and breathless with his or her music making. Such moments can never be experienced on YouTube.
We invite you to join us for every single concert of this remarkable season.

From the Board

The Vancouver Chopin Society is distinctive in its approach to featuring artists of the keyboard not by their famous names, but for their specialty in Chopin’s music and exceptional performances of classical repertoire. And with our unique international connections, particularly in the European countries, the Chopin Society has been able to bring to Vancouver audiences top Chopin interpreters such as Nelson Freire, Nelson Goerner, Rafal Blechacz, Ingrid Fliter, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Dina Yoffe, Juana Zayas, Wojciech Switala, Zbigniew Raubo, Janne Mertanen, Ingolf Wunder and Daniil Trifonov. These former Chopin Competition laureates and judges have won the highest possible critical acclaim worldwide for their recitals and recordings of the music of Chopin and other composers, though some are generally not so well-known in North America. In many cases the Chopin Society has introduced them first to Vancouver.

Consequently, the Vancouver Chopin Society has been able to bring the highest caliber of artists to Vancouver audiences of music lovers, teachers and music students at very affordable ticket prices.

Thanks to the support of our donors and audiences, we look forward to continuing this tradition in seasons to come.

Member of IFCS

The VCS is a member of the International Federation of Chopin Societies, based in Vienna.
Members of the International Federation of Chopin Societies:

Fundacion Chopiniana
President: Marta Noguera
Address: Av. de Mayo 1370 – Palacio Barolo 6° floor oficce 127
C.A.Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
Phone: +54 11 47 73 22 95
E-mail: fundacionchopiniana@hotmail.com

Friends of Chopin Australia Inc.
President: Ben James
Address: 4 Morrow Street
Dunlop Act, 2615
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 625 95 099
E-mail: president@friendsofchopin.org.au
Website

Internationale Chopin-Gesellschaft in Wien
President: Theodor Kanitzer
Address: Biberstrasse 4, A-1010 Vienna
AUSTRIA
Phone: +43 1 512 23 74
Fax: +43 1 512 23 74/75
E-mail: office@chopin.at
Website

The Vancouver Chopin Society
President: Patrick May
Address: #400 – 601 West Broadway Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 4C2
CANADA
E-mail: info@chopinsociety.org
Website

Sociedad Frederico Chopin de Chile
President: Cristobal Giesen
Address: Miraflores 178 – Piso 13
7600981 Santiago
CHILE
Phone: (562) 2425 9404
E-mail: contacto@sociedad-chopin.cl
Website

Společnost Fryderyka Chopina, spolek
President: Martin Kasik
Address: Dům Chopin, Hlavni 47, 353 01 Mariánské Lázne
CZECH REPUBLIC
Phone: 00420 354 595 267, 00420 777 670 319
E-mail: info@chopinfestival.cz
Website

Association “Musique au Pays de George Sand”
President: Yves Henry
Address: 7, avenue George Sand, 36400 La Châtre
FRANCE
Phone: +33 25 406 04 95
Fax: +33 25 406 09 15
E-mail: contact@festivalnohant.com
Website

Société Marseillaise des Amis de Chopin
President: Agnes Viottolo
Address: 473 rue Paradis13008 Marseille,
FRANCE
Phone: +33-06-63-47-71-88
E-mail: a.viottolo@teitgen-viottolo.com

Société Chopin a Paris
President: Antoine Paszkiewicz
Address: 23, avenue Foch, 75116 Paris
FRANCE
Phone: +33 145 00 22 19
Fax: +33 140 67 70 08
E-mail: chopinparis@aol.com
Website

Chopin Gesellschaft in der BRD e.V.
President: Jill Rabinau
Address: Kasinostrasse 3, Kennedy-Haus, D-64293 Darmstadt
GERMANY
Phone/Fax: +49 (0)6155 7952606
E-mail: jillrabenau@chopin-gesellschaft.de
Website

Chopin-Gesellschaft Hamburg-Sachsenwald e. V.
President: Hubert Rutkowski
Address: Obere Bahnstraße 12,
21465 Wentorf bei Hamburg
GERMANY
Phone: +49 (0)4104 2489
E-mail: info@chopin-hamburg.de
Website

Chopin-Gesellschaft Hannover
President: Sookie Schober
Address: Kirchröder Str. 42, D-30625 Hannover
GERMANY
Phone: +49 511-55-42-22
Fax: +49 511 55 07 78
E-mail: chopinhannover@t-online.de
Website

Chopin-Gesellschaft Taunus e.V.
President: Rolf Kohlrausch
Address: Zimmersmühlenweg 27, D-61440 Oberursel, Hochtaunuskreis
GERMANY
E-mail: chopin-gesellschaft-taunus@t-online.de

György Ferenczy Foundation
President: Izabela Darska Havasi
Address: Nagyszekes U, 8, HU – 1172 Budapest
HUNGARY
Phone: +36 1 253 66 40
E-mail: society@chopin-budapest.hu
Website

Associazione Culturale „Fryderyk Chopin”
President: Mrs. Marcella Crudeli
Address: Via Pierfranco Bonetti, 88/90
I-00128 Rome
ITALY
Phone: +39 06 5073889
E-mail: info@chopinroma.it
Website

International Chopin Festival in Japan
President: Hiroyuki Takashima
Address: 1-20-2-307 Ebisu Shibuya-ku, Tokio 150-0013
JAPAN
Phone: +81 3 6450 3307, +81 90 3009 3951
Fax: +81 3 6450 3308
E-mail: info@t-artists.com
Website

The Frederic Chopin Society of Japan
President: Akiko Ebi
Address: c/o Kawai Musical Inst. Mfg. Co. Ltd, Zenriren Bldg. 1-36-4 Yoyogi Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151
JAPAN
Phone: +81 333 79 28 03
E-mail: kajimurah@kawai.co.jp

Chopin Stichting Nederland
President: J. A. W. Buisman
Address: p/a Museum Geelvinck
Kamperweg 23
8181CS Heerde
NETHERLANDS
Phone: +31 20 639 07 47
E-mail: info@chopinstichting.nl
Website

Foundation of International Chopin Festivals in Duszniki Zdrój
President: Jadwiga Merkur
Address: Rynek 10, 57-340 Duszniki Zdrój
POLAND
Phone: +48 74 866 92 80
E-mail: chopin@festival.pl
Website

Frederic Chopin Society in Warsaw
President: Bronislawa Kawalla
Address: ul. Tamka 43, 00-355 Warszawa
POLAND
Phone: +48 22 826 65 49, +48 22 828 38 73
Fax: +48 22 827 95 89
E-mail: info@chopin.pl
Website

Polish Chopin Academy
President: Irena Poniatowska
Address: ul. Tamka 43, 00-355 Warszawa
POLAND
Phone: +48 22 44 16 197

Kosovo Chopin Society, Faculty of Arts-Music Departament Prishtina
President: Lejla Pula
Address: Maria Theresa, Prishtina
REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
Phone/Fax: +38 138 220 446
E-mail: kosovo.chopin@gmail.com

The Frederic Chopin Society of Korea
President: Chong-Pil Lim
Address: Piano Department, School of Music
Hanyang University
222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu
Seoul 04763, Korea
SOUTH KOREA
Phone: ++82 10 3385 2934
E-mail: cplim13@gmail.com

Association “Festivals Chopin de Valldemossa”
President: Rosa Capplonch Ferra
Address: Celda No 2 en la Cartuja de Valldemossa, Claustre de la Cartoixa 2, 07170 Valldemossa, Mallorca
SPAIN
E-mail: museum@festivalchopin.com

Société Frédéric Chopin Geneve
President: Aldona Budrewicz-Jacobson
Address: Case postale 18, CH-1222 Geneve
SWITZERLAND
E-mail: aldona.jacobson@bluewin.ch
Website

Bangkok Chopin Society
President: Tongsuang Israngkun
Address: 54/1 Sukhumvit Soi 3 (North Nana),Khlong Toei NeuaWatthana District Bangkok 10110
THAILAND
E-mail: bkk.chopin.society@gmail.com

Chopin International Academy of TOVAK Foundation
President: Irena ÜLKÜ
Address: F. K. Gökay Cd. Okul Sk. Altunizade Sitesi F Blok D. 1
Üsküdar, Istambul
TURKEY
Phone: (+90) 531 772 18 35; (+48) 505 082 777
E-mail: irena.ulku@chopintovak.org
Website

Frederick Chopin Society in Ukraine
President: Natalia Vorobyova
Address: vul. Vernadskogo 18 kv. 40, 49027 Dnepropetrovsk
UKRAINE
Phone: +38 056 7701669
E-mail: chopin.ukr@gmail.com

Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc.
President: Blanka A. Rosenstiel
Address: 1440 79th Street Causeway, suite 117, Miami, Florida 33141
UNITED STATES
Phone: +1 305 868 06 24
Fax: +1 305 868 51 50
E-mail: info@chopin.org
Website

Chopin Society of Atlanta
President: Dorota Lato
Address: 10700 State Bridge Road, Suite 12,
Johns Creek, Georgia 30022
UNITED STATES
Phone: +1 404 245 6133
E-mail: info@chopinatlanta.org
Website

Chopin Society of Connecticut
President: Luiz Carlos de Moura Castro
Address: 38 East Woodhaven Drive
Avon, CT 06001-2425, USA
UNITED STATES
Phone: +1 860 675 6363
E-mail: demouracastro@comcast.net
Website