American pianist Eric Lu wins 19th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition

Warsaw, Oct 21 (PTI) American pianist Eric Lu has been crowned the winner of the 19th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in the early hours of Tuesday.

The decision came after hours of deliberations by a 17-person jury, chaired by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson.

Lu received a prize of 60,000 euros (nearly Rs 62 lakh) and a gold medal funded by the President of Poland.

Lu performed Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61, and Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 21.  The competition, which started on October 3 at Warsaw Philharmonic, and saw 102 hours of Chopin's music, featured 84 young pianists from 19 countries, mostly from China (28), Japan, and Poland (13 each).

Canada’s Kevin Chen and China’s Zitong Wang won the second and third prize, respectively.

Eleven of the highest-rated pianists performed in the Finals, which started on October 18.  Accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andrzej Boreyko, each of the finalists performed one of Chopin's two piano concertos and Polonaise-Fantasy, Op. 61.

The other finalists of the competition will receive equivalent distinctions funded by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

The competition, held every five years in the Polish capital, is among the most esteemed in the world and one of its kind for testing pianists for their knowledge and skill of just one composer, Frederic Chopin. PTI MAH GRS GRS