19th Chopin Competition and 28 th Audio Video Show in Warsaw

Established and inaugurated in 1927, the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest music events of its kind in the world.

 

Audio Video Show is an exhibition of audio-video and home theater equipment. With 2,000 square meters of exhibition space, it is the second-largest event of its kind in the world.

Both of these events are aimed at music lovers and place Warsaw in a special position on the world map. However, the reality is somewhat different. The former strengthens the position of pianists, allowing them to perform concerts in various locations around the world. The latter is an opportunity to showcase equipment for music lovers' homes. The former is for a very narrow audience, while the latter is open to a much wider audience.  Furthermore, a television program broadcasting the concerts drew attention to a seemingly minor detail concerning listening to recordings, as they are produced differently. It was also noted that there are differences between radio and television broadcasts.

Unfortunately, Yamaha missed the opportunity to showcase its presence in Warsaw in conjunction with the AVS2025 competition, even though this Japanese manufacturer offers pianos and audio equipment for home use. While Warsaw could have elegantly incorporated this idea, the event organizers clearly lacked inventiveness a week after the competition. 

The competition organizer has a separate page about pianos and states: We now know the brands of pianos that will be featured at the 19th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition. In addition to the Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai and Fazioli pianos present at previous editions of the Competition, the pianists will also have at their disposal a C. Bechstein D-282, a manufacturer that traces its very long history back to 1853, and boasts a steady presence on the most important concert stages and competitions, including the Chopin Competition.

In Polish, the fair generates online information about Warner's participation in the presentations. The title is "Audio Video Show 2025: High-Quality Music Experiences with Warner Music Poland." However, nothing similar appears in English. Google's translation of this information isn't impressive, but it allows you to learn a little more about the topic. Many of the presentations focused on Dolby Atmos. 

The winner of this year's Chopin Competition is Eric Lu, an artist associated with Warner Classics since 2018, but the AVS2025 program doesn't mention this. A symbolic presentation of the competition recording using well-arranged home playback equipment might have been interesting. There is a note in Polish that reads: "On behalf of Warner Classics, I offer my warmest congratulations to Eric Lu on this extraordinary achievement. This historic victory marks another chapter in the career of an artist who is already one of the most important pianists of his generation. For seven years, we have proudly accompanied his artistic journey, based on the work of the great Romantic composers. We have witnessed his art evolve into a style full of poetic introspection and virtuosic precision." - Alain Lanceron, President, WARNER CLASSICS & ERATO. This publisher has a separate page about the competition winner.

 

Polish Television was the first in Europe to reach an agreement with Dolby Labs on AC-4, and this was now used during the Chopin Competition. Original recordings from the competition could become interesting presentations for visitors to AVS2025. Maybe something will appear next year.

 drawing by Per Oscar Dahlberg

Benjamin's psychoacoustic lab  is constantly testing and implementing possibilities for optimal music playback using new technical solutions with the computing potential of computers and open structures. PC4uMusicis the main project. 

 
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