Last year’s 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition was chockful of electrifying personalities. Among the participants most often evoked backstage and in the media (from the early rounds onwards) was Martín García García. His playing and cheerful disposition were met with delight by some and indignation by others, but there was no questioning his remarkable talent. The Spaniard’s appearance in the final was anticipated with equal interest by both camps. His performance of Chopin’s F minor Concerto, relatively seldom chosen by the finalists, with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrzej Boreyko, was one of the stand-out events of the whole competition. García García enchanted the audience – already won over during previous rounds – with his subtle, light interpretation of Chopin’s Concerto, brimming with shimmering colours. He received the Warsaw Philharmonic’s special prize for that performance, as well as third place overall. Success in the Warsaw competition has opened for him the doors to the world’s foremost concert venues.
Bartłomiej Gembicki
