Poland celebrates Chopin's 200th birthday

Poland is celebrating the 200th birthday of one of the country's most famous sons, composer Frederic Chopin. Festivities include a week-long marathon of recitals of his music, a commemorative bank note, and a new state-of-the-art museum.

Long considered a national treasure, Chopin's bicentenary provides a timely opportunity to market Poland as a land of high culture. It's firmly back in the European mainstream after a tragic 20th century, and hoping to lure large numbers of tourists.

Internationally-famed pianists are playing to packed concert halls.

Murray Perahia, Performer, said, "You can't just say it's just Polish or it's just operatic or it's just classical. It's everything and maybe that's why he appeals to everybody."

On Monday, a refurbished, multi-media museum devoted to Chopin's life, opened its doors. A new concert hall has opened on the renovated estate where Chopin was born to a Polish mother and French father 200 years ago.

Stanislaw Lopuszanski, Journalist, said, "I think that many people around the world will find out more about Chopin on this anniversary."

He is a great Pole but why should he be remembered? A female audience asked and answered herself.

Joanna Marzec, Engineering, said, "We will definitely remember Chopin. Extremely beautiful music."

Chopin left Poland at the age of 20 and spent most of his adult life in Paris. But he remained a staunch patriot and his work is infused with nostalgia for his homeland.

Rafal Blechacz smiles as he plays during a rehearsal of the 200th Anniversary of Fryderyk (Frederic) Chopin's Birthday Special Concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic concert hall February 22, 2010. Poland is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the composer's birthday. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)