At the end of 2002, three famous pianists from Poland and the United States were invited to visit China. During their stay in China, they traveled to several of the country's major cities in nearly half a month, including Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. In each city, they promoted both the teaching profession and cultural exchange. They also played the works of Chopin and other world famous composers, allowing Chinese audiences to feast their ears on their wonderful performances. Nanning was their first stop, and the city warmly welcomed them, the most famous pianists to ever visit Guangxi.
The three pianists are Prof. Jerome Lowenthal, dean of the Piano Department of the Juilliard School of Music, reputed to be the Harvard of Music in the U.S., Prof. Adam Wodnichi from the College of Music of the University of North Texas, and Prof. Jan Kadlubiski, dean of the Piano School of the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland. Both Prof. Lowenthal and Prof. Wodnichi are image ambassadors for the world famous piano makers Steinway & Sons, while all three professors are members of the Evaluating Committee of the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competitions. Li Yundi, a Chinese student of Prof. Wodnichi, won first place at one of these competitions. During his stay in China, Prof. Wodnichi spoke to the press and highly praised Li's diligence and intelligence.
In Guangzhou, the three pianists visited the Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group, Ltd., known as the largest piano producer in China and the second largest in the world. In the company's exhibition room, they played China's so-called "first piano," which was so named because former CPC General Secretary Jiang Zemin played it.
They stayed at the Garden Hotel, a five-star hotel in Guangzhou. Pan Xiangxu, general manager of the hotel, has run and managed hotels in many countries around the world, and is a lover of the arts. He supplied the pianists with free food, accommodation, and transportation services while in China. The Winter Solstice of 2002 marked Prof. Wodnichi's birthday. When Pan found out, he held a grand birthday party for him at the hotel.
(China Pictorial April 25, 2003)
