Patrick May is the President of The Vancouver Chopin Society, coordinating with the Chopin Institute in Warsaw, among others, to bring to Vancouver solo piano recitals by world-class musicians. Highlight of last year was his travel to Warsaw for meetings at the International Federation of Chopin Societies, as well as to attend performances at the 18th International Chopin Competition, securing to perform in Vancouver many of the laureates from the competition.

Wojciech Świtała Graduate of Professor Józef Stompel’s piano class at the Academy of Music in Katowice. In the years 1991-1996 he perfected his piano skills under supervision of Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, André Dumortier and Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden. He is a laureate of International Piano Competitions in Paris (Marguerite Long and Jacques Thibaud Piano Competition) and Montreal. He was the best Polish contestant of the 12th International F. Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, where he was granted the prize for the best performance of polonaise and a number of non-statutory prizes.

Teppo Koivisto (b. 1961) is one of the most eminent Finnish pianists of his generation. After his studying years at Sibelius Academy with Jussi Siirala, he continued his studies with Menahem Pressler in USA and with Bernard Ringeissen in France. Koivisto has appeared as soloist and chamber musician widely in Europe and in USA. During his student years he was successful in national and Scandinavian piano competitions including shared second prize (with Olli Mustonen) for the Maj Lind Piano Competition in 1982 and second prize in Nordic Piano competition in Oslo.