The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra with its Artistic Director, Andrzej Boreyka, completed its Asian tour on 14 February 2024. The orchestra performed nine concerts in seven major concert halls in Japan and South Korea.

The orchestra was accompanied by five outstanding pianists: Rafał Blechacz (winner of the XV International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 2005), Bruce Liu (winner of the XVIII International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 2021), Masaya Kamei (winner of the first prize at the International Frederic Chopin Competition in 2021), and Masaya Kamei (winner of the first prize at the International Frederic Chopin Competition in 2021). Marguerite Long and Jacques Thibaud in 2022), Michie Koyama (winner of fourth prize at the 11th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition in 1985) and Yekwon Sunwoo (winner of the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, among others).

The National Philharmonic Orchestra (OFN) presented music by Witold Lutosławski (Little Suite) and both Piano Concertos by Frederic Chopin. During his two performances with the OFN, Rafał Blechacz performed the solo part in Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54. Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 were performed to complement the tour’s concert programmes.

The tour began on 4 February with a concert in Osaka (The Symphony Hall). The soloist there was Bruce Liu, who will also play with the OFN on the following day, 5 February in Fukuoka (Acros Fukuoka Symphony Hall), 7 February in Tokyo (Suntory Hall) and 11 February in Yokohama (Minatomirai Hall).

OFN also performed at Tokyo’s famous Suntory Hall with Rafal Blechacz (8 February) and on 13 February, already in Korea, at the Bucheon Art Center. Suntory Hall hosted the artists of the National Philharmonic Orchestra on three occasions – during the afternoon concert on 7 February, the soloist was Masaya Kamei. On 10 February, the OFN performed at Morioka (Iwate Prefectural Civic Center) with Michie Koyama and concluded the tour at Korea’s Seoul Arts Center with Yekwon Sunwoo.

Adrian Andrzejewski