2024 Chopin Academy
June 25 – June 28, 2024(Vancouver)
Deadline March 31
Mission
To provide young pianists with a solid foundation as well as stylistic awareness in interpreting the music of Chopin.
For this we have invited to this summer academy two of today’s most distinguished pianists and teachers who have devoted their lives to Chopin’s music, both of whom also serve as members of the jury on the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
Features
Daily individual lessons
• Participants would have the opportunity of having private lessons with our distinguished pedagogues. .
• Lessons take the form of smaller groups of 3 students sharing a two-hour session with their designated teachers to address specific issues regarding each student’s performance as well as more general discussions regarding style and historical context.
• Every participant would have two 45-minute lessons with each teacher, a total of four private lessons over four days.
• All lessons focus exclusively on the works of Chopin.
• Our two distinguished faculty members are Kevin Kenner and Wojciech Switala.
• Four students will be chosen to share the stage with members of the faculty in our final gala concert.
Lectures
• specialized lectures on various aspects of the music of Chopin as well as his contemporaries.
• Lectures will be offered via Zoom in real time, with opportunities for questions and interactions with the lecturer.
• This year we will be featuring Prof. John Rink of the University of Cambridge whose scholarly research into the works of Chopin will be focusing on the understanding and interpretation of the concert works of Chopin. He is also a member of the jury on the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
Chopin Academy Performances
Students and the general public will have the opportunity to attend live concerts featuring our Academy piano faculty as well as carefully selected students of the Academy.
Social Event – Dancing the Polonaise and Krakowia
It is our hope that students would come not just to learn about music, but also to forge new and lasting friendships during their time of study.
We would feature an evening of fun and socializing, with the opportunity of learning how to dance the Polonaise and Krakowiak, featuring dancers from Vancouver’s Polonez Polish Folk Dance Group.
Tuition
The cost of tuition to the Chopin Academy is $1700. Six applicants to the academy will receive a scholarship of $500 off the full fee. Earliest applicants will receive this scholarship.
Accommodation
VCS is happy to provide help in finding low cost accommodation
Venues
Classes will be held at the VSO School of Music and Tom Lee Music hall (downtown).
Application
To apply, please email us at info@chopinsociety.org, with your name, contact information (address, phone number and email address), teacher, the Chopin works you would like to bring to the academy, as well as a link to a 15-minute YouYube video of at least one work by Chopin, as well as one other work by Bach, Mozart, or Schumann. A non-refundable $50 registration fee should be e-mailed to the same email address.
Upon acceptance to the academy, the applicant will be notified by email, upon which the fee will be payable by e-transfer or by cheque made out to The Vancouver Chopin Society.