American Pianist Eric Lu Wins Prestigious Chopin Competition in Warsaw
An exceptional talent has emerged on the world stage: American pianist Eric Lu was awarded first prize at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw on Monday, October 21st.
Lu, 27, captivated the 17-person international jury, chaired by renowned American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, with his interpretations of Chopin. He performed Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major and his Second Piano Concerto, accompanied by the esteemed Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Andrzej Boreyko. The victory earns Lu a 60,000 Euro prize and a gold medal funded by the President of Poland.
The competition, held every five years near the anniversary of Chopin’s death, is widely considered one of the most important and prestigious events in the classical music world. This year’s event marked the beginning of a series of special celebrations leading up to the competition’s centenary.
“I’m grateful for the jury to bestow me this honour. This is a dream come true,” Lu stated following the announcement.
The competition drew a record-breaking 640 applicants from around the globe, with 84 participants ultimately competing in the main event, which commenced on October 3rd. Eleven finalists were selected to perform in the final round. China demonstrated significant representation, contributing 28 participants, while Poland and Japan each sent 13.
Kevin Chen of Canada secured second prize, and Zitong Wang from China claimed third. A total of six prizes were awarded, alongside a number of special recognitions honoring exceptional performances.
The full list of prize winners is as follows:
- 1st Prize – Eric Lu (USA)
- 2nd Prize – Kevin Chen (Canada)
- 3rd Prize – Zitong Wang (China)
- 4th Prize – Tianyao Lyu (China); Shiori Kuwahara (Japan)
- 5th Prize – Piotr Alexewicz (Poland); Vincent Ong (Malaysia)
- 6th Prize – William Yang (USA)
Special prizes were also awarded for specific performance categories:
- Polish Radio Award for the best performance of Mazurkas – Jehuda Prokopowicz (Poland)
- Warsaw Philharmonic Award for the best performance of a Concerto – Tianyao Lyu (China)
- Krystian Zimerman Award for the best performance of a Sonata – Zitong Wang (China)
- Fryderyk Chopin Society Award for the best performance of a Polonaise – Tianyou Li (China)
- Bella Davidovich Award for the best performance of a Ballade – Adam Kałduński (Poland)
The awards ceremony, scheduled for Tuesday evening, October 22nd, will be live-streamed on the Fryderyk Chopin Institute’s YouTube channel, featuring performances by the laureates and special prize winners.
