Who We Are

Mission Statement, Goal and Objective

The Northwest Council of the Chopin Foundation of the United States will continue the tradition of encouraging talented young American pianists to study and perform classical music, especially highlighting the music of Chopin. We will primarily focus on the Seattle competition and furthering young local talent.

A brief history of the Northwest Chapter of the Chopin Foundation and the Chopin Festival

The very first meeting of The Northwest Chapter of the Chopin Foundation was held September 20, 2001 at the Women's University Club in Seattle, Washington. President Steven Lagerberg opened a meeting with eight other Chopin enthusiasts in attendance.

Steven presented his vision for the Chopin Foundation which was, very simply, to showcase Chopin and his beautiful music. At the time, it was also hoped that we could further the education of young people by promoting Chopin's music and also by supporting fledgling pianists at the International Chopin Music Competitions held every five years in Warsaw, Poland.

In February 2007, we celebrated the fourth annual Northwest Chopin Festival. Our state-wide competition featured the finest local young piano talent, playing the music of Chopin. The Festival Winners perform their best works at their own concert. This year, 2008, the Honors Concert will be held February 3, 1:30 PM at the Sherman Clay recital hall, and will be complimentary. Each succeeding year, the Festival has grown, becoming one of Washington's larger piano competitions.

The Northwest Chopin Festival's plans for the future include hosting an annual Chopin Festival for young students at Sherman Clay and a Master Class. We also encourage students to work toward participating in the International Chopin Music Competitions.

We also encourage support of the National Chopin Foundation. A subscription to Polonaise follows.