Article 1 of 4 Eric Lu of the United States poses for a photo as he is announced as the winner of the 19th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition, at the concert hall of the National Philharmonic Orchestra, in Warsaw, Poland October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
WARSAW, Oct 21 (Reuters) – American pianist Eric Lu won first prize at the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw on Tuesday.
The decision came after hours of deliberations by a 17-person international jury, chaired by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson. The winner of the 19th edition of the competition receives a prize of 60,000 euros ($69,972) and a gold medal financed by the Polish president.
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“I am very grateful for this honor. I am grateful to all the Chopin lovers from all over the world who watched online and all the audience here in Warsaw. I am grateful to the jury for granting me this honor. It’s a dream come true,” Lu told reporters in the early hours of Tuesday, visibly overwhelmed.
In the finale, he performed Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantastique in A flat major, Op. 61, and the Piano Concerto in F minor, op. 21.
“We worked very hard and we had a number of very difficult discussions regarding our opinions on artistic issues,” said jury president Ohlsson before announcing the winner. “I think we made a good decision for this year’s competition.”
Lu, 27, graduated from the Curtis Institute. He won the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018 and has performed with, among others, the Boston, London and Chicago symphony orchestras.
He released two albums on the Warner Classics label, recording works by Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Brahms, according to the Chopin Competition website.
Second prize went to Canadian Kevin Chen, while Chinese Zitong Wang came third.
This year’s competition had 84 participants, all born between 1995 and 2009. The majority came from China, Poland and Japan. Eleven competitors reached the final.
This nearly 100-year-old event was inspired by the Olympic Games. Named after the famous Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, it takes place every five years in Warsaw around October 17, the anniversary of Chopin’s death.
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Reporting by Barbara Erling, Chris Thomas; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Sonali Paul
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