Warsaw announces plans for Chopin Year

Dec 16, 2009, 15:17 GMT

Warsaw - A new Chopin museum, philharmonic concerts and educational projects will all be part of Poland's celebrations in 2010 to mark the 200th birthday of the Polish composer, officials announced Wednesday.

The Chopin Museum will open in March in the Polish capital as part of a Chopin Route that will outline significant landmarks in the composer's life, officials said. The museum will feature Chopin- related exhibits.

   A Chopin Centre near the museum is set to launch in February. It will include a library, conference room and offices.

   Chopin's birthplace at Zelazowa Wola, about 53 kilometres west of Warsaw, in central Poland, will be turned into a cultural and education center, while a nearby church where Chopin was baptized will be restored to host concerts.

   The total price tag for all of the investments was some 147 million zloty (51 million dollars.)

   The celebrations will include the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition; concerts at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall and the Polish National Opera; and a touring festival that will play some 1,200 concerts worldwide.

   Chopin concerts and projects will be staged across Europe and Asia as part of the Chopin Year. Special events will also take place in Paris, where the composer lived after leaving Warsaw.