Chopin Singing Society to host centennial ceremony outside Kleinhans Music Hall
On Saturday, June 7 at 11:00 a.m., Buffalo’s Chopin Singing Society hosts a ceremony to rededicate the bust of globally beloved Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, which stands outside of Kleinhans Music Hall along Symphony Circle. The ceremony—presented in collaboration with Kleinhans Music Hall, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Msgr. Peter Adamski Polish Saturday School, and Cimasi Law Office—marks exactly one hundred years since the monument was gifted to the City of Buffalo.
The original dedication of the Chopin bust took place on June 7, 1925, drawing a crowd of 25,000 to its initial home in Buffalo’s Polonia: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, then known as Humboldt Park. Sculpted by Josef Mazur and commissioned by the Chopin Singing Society in honor of their 25th anniversary in 1924, the bust was unveiled in a celebration that included performances by Polish-American choirs and remarks from city and international dignitaries. In 1974, the bust was moved to its current location at Kleinhans Music Hall.
One hundred years after the original dedication, the rededication ceremony commemorates this anniversary and honors the Polish-American legacy behind it, with performances by the Chopin Singing Society, the Msgr. Peter Adamski Polish Saturday School Choir, and pianists Melanie Bebak and Amelia Wroblewski. The program also includes a brief history of the bust and Polonia’s dedication to the arts, and the laying of a floral tribute. A brief reception will follow.
This free event is open to the public and takes place rain or shine. No public seating available—lawn chairs are welcome. Attendees may park in the Kleinhans Music Hall lot.