The Fryderyk Chopin Society
Local Branch in Ostrów Wielkopolski
The Fryderyk Chopin Society
Local Branch in Ostrów Wielkopolski
u. Wojska Polskiego 17
63-400 Ostrów Wielkopolski
Tel. 602 786 297
andrzejleraczyk@poczta.onet.pl
Board:
Jerzy Koralewski – president
Krystian Niełacny – vice-president
Wanda Przybylska – secretary
Elżbieta Mikołajczyk – treasurer
Elżbieta Wojtaszek – member
Auditing Commission:
Ewa Marciniak – president
Urszula Ambroży-Korzeniewska – member
Barbara Koralewska – member
Membership:80
Background:
The TiFC Local Branch in Ostrów Wielkopolski was established at the initiative of Marian Kostrzewski, Franciszek Kowalski, Barbara Kowalska, Stefan Stroiński, Zofia Witkowska and Alfons Zydrowicz at the founding meeting on 21 February 1961. This fact was a direct result of the Chopin music cult among many members of the local community. Another important factor was the location of Prince Antoni Radziwiłł’s Hunting Palace at the nearby Antonin. After World War II, until the late 1950s and early 1960s, the palace, like most of such sites, was plundered and devastated. It was thanks to the determination of a group of enthusiasts led by Franciszek Kowalski that the palace was saved from total devastation. Jerzy Waldorf, a celebrity active in the field of culture, played an important role here. Today, fully restored to its former splendour, the palace rings all year round with music, mainly Chopin’s, much to the delight of not only local music lovers.
Over the past 45 years the following persons have served as presidents of the Board of TiFC Ostrów Wielkopolski Branch:
Franciszek Kowalski: 1961-1984
Kazimierz Pussak: 1986-1991
Maria Gniazdowska: 1992-2003
Jerzy Koralewski: Since 2003
Major projects:
establishment of the Fryderyk Chopin Room at the Hunting Palace in Antonin,
co-organisation, in the 1960s, of annual concerts of the Wielkopolska Region Travelling Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr Jerzy Młodziejowski,
placing a plaque on the front wall of the Antonin palace commemorating Chopin’s visit to Prince Radziwiłł’s summer residence,
involvement, since 1962, in the organisation of annual Chopin Walking Tours,
co-organisation of Chopin Days in the 1980s and 1990s and in 2000. Since 1987 the event has been known as Chopin in the Autumn Colours Festival,
organisation of tours of places connected with Chopin.