Frédéric François Chopin, the Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of French-Polish parentage, was born 200 years ago this year on March 1st, 1810.

To mark this bicentenary the Govern de les Illes Balears has declared 2010 the Año Chopin (Year of Chopin) in the Balearic Islands.

A short while ago, a new plaque was installed in Carrer Mar, in Palma de Mallorca, where Chopin and his companion, George Sand, first took residence after arriving in Mallorca in November 1838 (see photo above), before they moved to Valldemossa.

Chopin, in a letter from Mallorca to his friend Juli Fontana in Paris, wrote: “No doubt I will go and live in a charming Charterhouse in the most beautiful country in the world; the sea, mountains, palm trees, a cemetery, a church dating back to the Crusades, the remains of a mosque, age-old olive trees…! Now, my dear friend, I am enjoying life a little more; I am very close to the most beautiful thing in the world; I am a better man”. George Sand was less enthused when she wrote Un Hiver à Majorque (Winter in Majorca) which you may have read.

A series of concerts with compositions by Chopin was presented over the last few months. Tonight (June 11th) at 21h00, a piano recital will be performed by Elías Azquinezer at the Museu Chopin (Cartoixa de Valldemossa). More concerts by different musicians will be given at the same place (Celda 4) tomorrow, June 12th (Irene de Juan), and Sunday, June 13th (Valentín Moldovan). Admission for each concert will be  charged at 18 €.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: June 8th, 2010. The time was 15:23:18.