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The awards ceremony and the traditional Winners’ Concert took place at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw. A day later, the Polish presidential couple will host the laureates and finalists at the Presidential Palace.

President Nawrocki emphasized Chopin’s unique place in Polish culture and identity:
“For Poland, Fryderyk Chopin is not only a musical virtuoso, but also a key figure in our modern history — a cultural diplomat who carried Poland in his heart even while living abroad,” he said as he handed the award to Lu.

He also referenced Cyprian Kamil Norwid’s famous words about Chopin: “A Pole by heart, a citizen of the world by his talent.”
“Each edition of the competition proves that Chopin’s music continues to transcend borders — and even centuries,” President Nawrocki added.

A Competition Under Presidential Patronage

The President congratulated all participants, the organizers, and the jury. The competition — held by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute and running until 23 October — was conducted under his honorary patronage.

During Tuesday evening’s concert, the winners performed for an enthusiastic audience. In the final part, Eric Lu — who placed fourth at the Chopin Competition ten years ago — played a piano concerto with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andrzej Boreyko.

Who Is Eric Lu?

Born in 1997 in Bedford, Massachusetts, Eric Lu began learning piano before turning six, inspired by his older sister. He later studied at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School in Boston under Alexander Korsantia and Ramón Rivera. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Jonathan Biss and Robert McDonald (a member of this year’s jury). He was also a student of Đặng Thái Sơn, another juror in this year’s competition.

Lu has performed widely across Europe, the United States, and China. At age 20, he won the International Leeds Piano Competition. He has released two albums with Warner Classics featuring works by Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms.

“For me, listening to Chopin and performing his music is an emotional journey,” he told journalists after Saturday’s performance. He added that he feels almost at home in Warsaw:
“I love this city — I know its streets, and I’ve had the privilege of performing here several times in recent years.”

Full List of Laureates

First Prize — Eric Lu (United States)
Second Prize — Kevin Chen (Canada)
Third Prize — Zitong Wang (China)
Fourth Prize (ex aequo) — Tianyao Lyu (China), Shiori Kuwahara (Japan)
Fifth Prize (ex aequo) — Piotr Alexewicz (Poland; the only Polish finalist this year), Vincent Ong (Malaysia)
Sixth Prize — William Yang (United States)

Special Prizes:

  • Polish Radio Prize for the best performance of mazurkas — Yehuda Prokopowicz (Poland)

  • National Philharmonic Prize for best concerto performance — Tianyao Lyu (China)

  • Krystian Zimerman Prize for best sonata performance — Zitong Wang (China)

  • Fryderyk Chopin Society Prize for best polonaise performance — Tianyou Li (China)

  • Bella Davidovich Prize for best ballade performance — Adam Kałduński (Poland)

This Year’s Jury

Garrick Ohlsson (chair), John Allison, Yulianna Avdeeva, Michel Béroff, Sa Chen, Akiko Ebi, Nelson Goerner, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Kevin Kenner, Momo Kodama, Robert McDonald, Piotr Paleczny, Ewa Pobłocka, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, John Rink, Wojciech Świtała, and Đặng Thái Sơn.

A Century-Old Tradition

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious piano competitions in the world. It was first held in 1927, initiated by Polish pianist and educator Jerzy Żurawlew and organized by the Warsaw Music Society. President Ignacy Mościcki established the tradition of funding the first prize and placing the event under the patronage of the Polish head of state — a tradition that continues to this day.

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