Toughest Chopin piano competition picks a winner

The 15th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, which is held every 5 years in Poland and is an important cultural event dedicated to the composer, has been won by the young Polish pianist Rafal Blechacz, aged 20.

The competition drew 80 young pianists from around the globe. It’s a tough competition, so much so that in previous years judges have deemed no-one receive the first prize of US$25,000.

This year, two pianists shared 3rd place (South Korean brothers Dong Min Lim and Dong Hyek Lim), whilst Shohei Sekimoto and Takashi Yamamoto, both of Japan, shared the fourth spot.

Continued below...

A Chopin prize from Warsaw can open doors to the world’s great music halls and launch major careers for young pianists. Past winners have included Maurizio Pollini of Italy, Argentina’s Martha Argerich, Poland’s Krystian Zimerman and Stanislaw Bunin of Russia.

Source: Polish pianist wins Poland’s prestigious Chopin competition (Free New Mexican)