The Grand Finale of the 2010 International Chopin Year Celebrations, part 1 of 2

On January 3rd, 2011, the Consulate hosted a special gala to celebrate all who had contributed to the success of the 2010 International Chopin Year.

The special guests of the evening included Yulianna Avdeeva, the winner of the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, who performed a mini-recital especially prepared for the evening, Mr. Waldemar Dąbrowski, Director of the Warsaw Grand Theater-National Opera and the Chopin Year Celebration Committee, and Mrs. Elzbieta Penderecka, President of the Ludwig van Beethoven Society. Director Dąbrowski used the occasion to award the renowned American pianist Mr. Emanuel Ax with The Chopin Passport, one of only several dozens of such distinctions presented to individuals who have excelled in promoting the composer's music. The award on Mr. Ax's behalf was accepted by his longtime friend and a well-known pianist himself Mr. Roman Markowicz.