It’s the bicentennial year of composer Frederic Chopin, who was born 200 years ago in March of 1810.  This year marks a related anniversary for pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who won the gold medal at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland back in 1970.

At the time of the competition, Ohlsson was a 22 year-old Julliard student without much worldwide recognition. However, once he won in Warsaw, Ohlsson was catapulted into the musical stratosphere, truly launching his international career.  

Listen as Garrick Ohlsson reminisces on his youthful win in Warsaw– which he won by playing Chopin’s E-Minor Concerto – as well as  his time travelling throughout Poland as a something of a national hero, in this extra from The Fishko Files.

Garrick Ohlsson will perform an all-Chopin program at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall on February 3^rd.

Recorded and mixed by Edward Haber