Chopin premiered the first piano concerto at his farewell concert in Warsaw in 1830 before leaving for lifelong exile from his homeland -- a circumstance that adds poignancy to the work's aching melodic beauty and wistful mood. The imposing ruins and stark landscapes of Scotland fired Mendelssohn's romantic imagination and the powerful emotions and dark-hued colours of his Scottish symphony reflect the initial impact of his Caledonian sojourn.

Sebastian Lang-Lessing - Conductor, Tasmanian Symphony
Ewa Kupiec - Piano

MENDELSSOHN Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No.1
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No.3, Scottish

Ewa Kupiec's career and reputation have grown world-wide at an extraordinary rate in the last five years. Whilst maintaining a busy profile on the concert platforms of Germany, she is now a regular performer with Europe's finest orchestras, and has performed in recent years with the Netherlands Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic amongst others.

In 2002 she made her American debut with the Milwaukee Symphony, swiftly followed by further engagements in the USA, and in 2008 she will make her debut with the Minnesota Orchestra. In Japan, Kupiec made her recital debut in Tokyo in 2002 and she returns there later this year to perform with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony and Nagoya Philharmonic. Kupiec's first visit to Australia in 2005 was hailed as a great success and has endorsed her musical presence on the international concert scene: her performances of Chopin's First Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony were chosen by the orchestra to be included on their first live recording, produced on their own label. Kupiec returns to Australia for recital and concerto tours in 2007 and 2008.