Chopin Foundation returns to Barboursville

Contributed
Published: April 3, 2008

The Chopin Foundation of the United States and Premier Virginia Properties are proud to present Jacek Kortus of Poland, the youngest finalist of the 2005 International Chopin Piano Competition, on his world piano tour. Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Mr. Kortus will offer a program of Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt at the Barboursville Vineyards, located at 17655 Winery Road, Barboursville and a Children’s Concert on Wednesday, May 7, at 6 p.m.
Jacek Kortus was born July 12, 1988, in Poznan, Poland, and is a senior at Henryk Wieniawski National Music School in Poznan. He is a laureate of many international and national competitions, such as: First and Grand Prix of the Ninth Chopin International Competition in Antonin, first in the 2002 National Ludwik Stefanski in Plock, second (first not awarded) in the 2002 National W. Kedra Competition in Lodz, second in the 2002 I. J. Paderewski National Competition, second in the 2001 National Competition in Zagan, third in the 2000 International Competition in Antonin, third in the 1999 International Competition in Szafarnia and honorable mention at the 2002 International Festival in Siedlce, just to mention a few.
In 2002 Mr. Kortus was chosen as a scholarship recipient from the Foundation of Jolanta and Aleksander Kwasniewski Support Young Talents. He has twice received Poland’s Ministry of Culture Scholarship, 2002 and 2005. In 2003 he was a finalist of the Stefan Seiler International Piano Competition in Kitzingen, and in 2004 he was awarded a special prize at the Sixth International Arthur Rubinstein in Memoriam Competition for Young Pianists and was selected to perform in The Talents’ Week Festival.
As a finalist of the XV International Chopin Piano Competitive in Warsaw, he has performed throughout Poland (Poznan, Warszawa, Gdansk, Gorzow Wielkopolski, Paris, New York, Miami and Washington). Most recently, he has received the Young Art Medal, which is awarded to young artists for their outstanding achievement. He is also a recipient of the Young Positivist Hipolit Cegielski Medal for achievements in his work and a scholarship from the Bank of Children’s Smiles funded by WBK WestBank in Poznan.
For further information on the Chopin Foundation, visit http://www.chopin.org or Premier Virginia Properties (540) 832-0071 or