In 1943 The Atkinson hosted a pianoforte recital by Jerzy Sulikowski, a Polish pianist, featuring arrangements from Polish composers Paderewski, Zarembski, Szymanowski, Statkowski and Chopin. The recital was a benefit concert to help raise awareness of the Polish war effort.
In March 2022 The Atkinson presents a Chopin recital from classical pianist Andrew Wilde, hosted alongside their ‘Courage & Devotion’ exhibition that remembers the Polish Airmen based at RAF Woodvale during WW2.
Proceeds will be jointly donated to the Anglo-Polish Society and The Atkinson Development Trust.
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- 1943 Pianoforte Recital
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- Andrew Wilde © R G Deyn
About Andrew Wilde
Andrew Wilde, described by Daniel Barenboim as “a major musical and pianistic talent” continues to enthrall a large and devoted audience with his music making.
He studied with Ryszard Bakst at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester and graduated with distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music.
He received top prizes at many international piano competitions including the Naumburg in New York (1987), Pozzoli in Seregno, Italy (1988), William Kapell in Maryland (1989), Dino Ciani in Milan (1990), and World Competition in London (1991). In 1985 he won First Prize and Special Prize (for 20th Century performance) at the Dudley International Piano Competition.
He has given recitals at major venues in Great Britain and abroad, including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Warsaw, Milan, Vienna, Düsseldorf, Santiago (Chile), Washington DC, New York City, Dallas, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Berlin and Budapest.
His concerto repertoire exceeds thirty works and he has performed these with major orchestras worldwide such as the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Hallé, National Symphony Washington DC and Dallas Symphony.
He has given cycles of the complete Beethoven and Mozart Violin Sonatas with the great Hungarian violinist Vilmos Szabadi and during the present season has given recitals to mark the 200th Anniversary of Chopin’s birth and of the Bridgewater Hall recital Robert Beale (Manchester Evening News) wrote, “Andrew Wilde’s Concert For Chopin was one of the best solo recitals I have heard him give”.
Courage & Devotion
26 June – 12 March 2022
This exhibition remembers the lives of the Polish Airmen based at RAF Woodvale, the iconic Spitfire and some of the stories associated with the area during World War 2.
