Chopin Soirée: In the Parisian Salons of Frédéric Chopin
The Sfogato Music and Arts Society has the honor of inviting you on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM to the Ballroom of the Villa Decius Institute of Culture in Krakow—a co-organizer of the event—for a traditional Chopin Soirée titled "In the Parisian Salons of Frédéric Chopin."
The program, featuring both spoken word and music, draws inspiration from the 19th-century artistic salons hosted by aristocrats and friends of Frédéric Chopin. This event inaugurates the 17th Sfogato International Music and Arts Festival, held under the honorary patronage of, among others, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the Marshal of the Małopolska Region, and the Mayor of Kraków, with media patronage provided by TVP Info, TVP 3 Kraków, Radio Kraków, and the Kraków.pl portal. The evening’s program will include works by Frédéric Chopin (arranged for violin and piano) that the composer performed in Parisian salons or composed in Paris—such as the Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67 No. 4, dedicated to Princess Marcelina Czartoryska—as well as lesser-known miniatures by Chopin and Franz Liszt, works by other Parisian friends of the composer, and pieces referencing the history of Villa Decius, the former residence of Chopin’s last pupil, Princess Marcelina Czartoryska. Performers will include Tomasz Jarosz (baritone), Marek Polański (violin), and Marta Polańska (piano). The musical program will be complemented by a lecture by Marta Polańska, presenting the history of Frédéric Chopin’s activities in Parisian salons.
The Sfogato Festival program also includes: music workshops for talented students from primary and secondary music schools; a walking tour of Royal Kraków following the trail of Polish composers—Frédéric Chopin, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and Princess Marcelina Czartoryska (November); an academic conference titled "Music–Art–Media" (December 11, 2026, at the Potocki Palace in Kraków); and the Sfogato Stage 2026 International Music Competition (held online, with applications accepted until December 4, 2026, via the form at www.sfogatostage.com), featuring a winners' concert to be held abroad in 2027.
Detailed information is available at www.sfogato.org and www.sfogatofestival.com
Illustration: "Ball at the Hôtel Lambert in Paris" (also known as "Chopin's Polonaise"), painted in 1859 by the Polish émigré painter Teofil Kwiatkowski.
The Sfogato Festival program also includes: music workshops for talented students from primary and secondary music schools; a walking tour of Royal Kraków following the trail of Polish composers—Frédéric Chopin, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and Princess Marcelina Czartoryska (November); an academic conference titled "Music–Art–Media" (December 11, 2026, at the Potocki Palace in Kraków); and the Sfogato Stage 2026 International Music Competition (held online, with applications accepted until December 4, 2026, via the form at www.sfogatostage.com), featuring a winners' concert to be held abroad in 2027.
Detailed information is available at www.sfogato.org and www.sfogatofestival.com
Illustration: "Ball at the Hôtel Lambert in Paris" (also known as "Chopin's Polonaise"), painted in 1859 by the Polish émigré painter Teofil Kwiatkowski.