The concert is part of the 'Efekt Chopina' ('The Chopin Effect') concert series, organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

A concert to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising.

• Andrzej Wierciński - piano
  
  Weronika Kudrej - host

Programme:

F. Chopin:

• Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61
• Berceuse in D-flat major, Op. 57
• Scherzo in C-sharp minor, Op. 39
• Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55 No. 2
• Scherzo in E major, Op. 54
• Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 58

“I would like to finish the Cello Sonata, the Barcarolle, and something that I do not yet know what to call,” Frédéric Chopin wrote in a letter to his family. That “something” would eventually become the Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61. Franz Liszt discerned within it elements of melancholy and anxiety, while the musicologist and critic Zdzisław Jachimecki observed that “the piano speaks here in a language hitherto unknown.” During the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition in 2025, the Polonaise-Fantasy was included for the first time among the compulsory works in the final round, alongside Chopin’s piano concertos.

The recital programme will also feature the Impromptu in G-flat major,  Op. 51, a work notable for its arabesque-like character. Brilliant passagework intertwines with lyrical melodic lines. The atmosphere of Mallorca is often associated with the Scherzo in C-sharp minor, Op. 39. According to the eminent Chopin scholar Mieczysław Tomaszewski, it is “music given over to wild frenzy, mysteriously fading away, only to erupt once more in aggressive octaves. And then: a slowing of the tempo, a calming, a quietening.” 

This evening, Andrzej Wierciński will also perform a work that has long divided the experts. Writing in Chopin in His Most Successful Works, Jan Kleczyński remarked of the Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55:  “With broad phrasing it appears noble, yet it is not among the most rewarding of his compositions.” A very different opinion was expressed by the French critic Hippolyte Barbedette, who wrote: “Chopin’s Nocturnes are perhaps the greatest source of his fame; they are his most perfect works.”

The recital will also feature the Scherzo No. 4 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 54, a work distinguished by its luminous, almost fairy-tale character. Its central section is contemplative and expansive, gazing towards distant horizons; at times it seems to voice a declaration of love that is both pure and deeply passionate. The programme will culminate in the Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, composed during Frédéric Chopin’s fifth stay at George Sand’s estate in Nohant in 1844. The work initially met with a mixed reception. Franz Liszt was unconvinced by the sonata. The organist and critic Frederick Niecks argued that its opening movement contained an excess of thematic material, while the composer Vincent d’Indy criticised what he perceived as a lack of structural coherence. It was only in the twentieth century that the sonata received the recognition it deserved. 

Chopin’s works will be performed by Andrzej Wierciński, a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London, semi-finalist of the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition, and laureate of numerous prestigious international competitions, including those held in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Vienna.

 

Andrzej Wierciński

Andrzej Wierciński began developing his pianistic skills under the guidance of Professor Anna Jastrzębska-Quinn at the prestigious Zenon Brzewski General Music School in Warsaw (2010–2014). He then pursued his higher education at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, graduating with distinction in 2019 from the piano class of Professor Wojciech Świtała. In 2020 he completed postgraduate studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg under the tutelage of Professor Pavel Gililov. Then, in 2024, he graduated with distinction from the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied as a scholarship recipient under the celebrated pianist Norma Fisher.

Wierciński earned international recognition as a standout semi-finalist at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Critics widely praised his performances, describing him as “...a mature artist with a distinctive personality, characterized by superb technical skill and a fluid command of sound.” In 2019, he received the Third Prize at the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, while in 2022, the Third Prize at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski American International Piano Competition in Los Angeles and the Grand Prix at the Red Maple Music Competition in Toronto.

Wierciński’s impressive competitive track record spans numerous other prestigious national and international stages, having secured first prizes at the “Golden Ring” International Chopin Competition in Slovenia, the International Chopin Competition in Budapest, and the “Masters Neapolitan Piano Competition” in Naples. Additionally, he secured third prize at the “Halina Czerny-Stefańska In Memoriam” International Competition in Poznań and fifth prize at the International Competition in Tbilisi, where he was also honoured with the special prize for the best performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Classical Sonata in E-flat major, No. 4. These accolades have brought the pianist many other significant opportunities, such as a contract with a record label in China, a series of solo recitals spanning Denmark, China, and Italy, and high-profile concerts with prominent orchestras, including the Rome Symphony Orchestra.

Andrzej Wierciński’s extensive list of laurels is rounded off by the Gold Medal at the First International Music Competition in Vienna, and the first prize at the International Piano Competition in Saint-Priest, France, which came along with a number of special prizes, including a recording contract with KNS Classical and a concert tour of European countries. Furthermore, his achievements include the Silver Medal at the Berlin International Music Competition and the Honorary Prize at the Paris International Music Competition.

He has taken part in international masterclasses led by distinguished teachers, including Michel Beroff, Dmitri Alexeev, Carlo Palese, Akiko Ebi, Rafał Blechacz, Lee Kum Sing, Anna Malikova, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Andrzej Jasiński, Dang Thai Son, Tomas Ungar, and Janusz Olejniczak. He also participated in the month-long Morningside Music Bridge piano course in Calgary, where his achievements earned him masterclasses with André Laplante and Krzysztof Jabłoński, and he further studied with the renowned Daniil Trifonov during masterclasses in Katowice.

Andrzej Wierciński is the recipient of several prestigious accolades, including the Krystian Zimerman Scholarship, the YAMAHA Foundation Artistic Scholarship, a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and the Franciszek Wybrańczyk Artistic Scholarship from the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation.

He regularly gives recitals in most European countries and across the globe, including the United Arab Emirates, where he represented Poland at the Dubai World Expo and performed at prominent venues in the capital, such as the Theatre of Digital Art (TODA). Additionally, he has given concerts in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, China, and Japan, with his close collaboration with KAWAI and Japan Arts leading to numerous successful tours across Asia. A significant milestone in his career was his performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, conducted by Maestro Maciej Tworek at the National Philharmonic during the 24th edition of the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, at the special invitation of Elżbieta Penderecka. Furthermore, the artist has collaborated with an array of distinguished conductors, including Alexander Liebreich, Josep Caballé Domenech, Jacek Kasprzyk, Mirosław Błaszczyk, and Marek Moś. In 2015, during the official visit of the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, to Japan, he gave a notable Chopin recital in Tokyo before a distinguished audience that included Princess Masako Owada of Japan.

He has also collaborated with many prestigious orchestras, including the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Warsaw National Symphony Orchestra.

His achievements also include a 2015 album released under the auspices of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, which features an expressive selection of solo piano works by Fryderyk Chopin, Domenico Scarlatti, and Robert Schumann.

Free admission tickets available at the CKK Jordanki ticket office from 23 July 2026.

Mecenas Główny: Miasto Toruń 
Partner Główny: Samorząd Województwa Kujawsko-Pomorskiego
Dofinansowano z Funduszy Europejskich
Patronat honorowy: Marszałek Województwa Kujawsko-Pomorskiego Piotr Całbecki, Prezydent Miasta Torunia Paweł Gulewski
Mecenas Kultury - Główny Sponsor: PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A.
Mecenas Strategiczny: Strabag Sp. z o.o.
Darczyńca: Konsul Honorowy Finlandii w Toruniu - Tadeusz Pająk 
Partnerzy: Pneuma Jarosław Pawlicki, Pirmedia Sp. z o.o., Maciej Zieliński - fotograf, KM Transport Jadwiga Łączyńska, Fisheye Production Marcin Rybicki, MZK w Toruniu Sp. z o.o., Filharmonia Pomorska im. Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego w Bydgoszczy
Partner motoryzacyjny: Toyota Bednarscy
Partner technologiczny: Vobacom Sp. z o.o.
Patronat medialny: TVP3 Bydgoszcz, TV Toruń, Nowości - Dziennik Toruński , Toruń Nasze Miasto, Polskie Radio PiK, POLMIC 
Organizator: Toruńska Orkiestra Symfoniczna Instytucja finansowana ze środków Gminy Miasta Toruń