Kevin Chen, a 20-year-old pianist hailing from Calgary, secured the second position at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, while American Eric Lu clinched the top spot. Among the 84 contestants at the event, including five Canadians like Victoria Wong, Ryan Wang, Eric Guo, and Athena Deng, Chen emerged as one of the 11 finalists who showcased their talents with the Warsaw Philharmonic and conductor Andrey Boreyko during the final round on October 18, 19, and 20.
The winner was determined after extensive deliberations by a 17-member international jury led by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson. The prestigious first prize in the 98-year-old competition includes a cash award of 60,000 euros (approximately $98,000 CAD) along with a gold medal presented by the President of Poland.
Chen will be awarded a silver medal and 40,000 euros (around $65,000 CAD), while the third-place winner, Zitong Wang from China, will receive a bronze medal and 35,000 euros (about $57,000 CAD).
Janet Lopinski, the president and artistic director of the Canadian Chopin Society, shared her excitement upon Chen’s achievement, acknowledging his youth and promising future. Chen’s musical journey began at the age of five, and by the age of eight, he had already made his mark on CBC Music’s list of 30 talented Canadian classical musicians under 30 in 2013.
In subsequent years, Chen’s talent continued to shine, winning the first prize in several prestigious competitions, such as the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv in 2023, the Geneva International Music Competition in 2022, and the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in Budapest in 2021. Currently based in Hanover, Germany, Chen’s path to the final stage of the competition involved excelling in a preliminary round with 171 participants, followed by three solo recitals in October.
His mesmerizing performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E Minor, Op. 11, in the final round drew praise for his technical brilliance and faithful interpretation of the composer’s intentions. Canadian pianists have displayed a strong presence in the competition’s history, with notable achievements by Bruce Liu, Charles Richard-Hamelin, and Dang Thai Son in previous editions.
The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, held every five years around the anniversary of Chopin’s death on October 17, has a legacy of launching its laureates into the global spotlight, with past winners like Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, and Seong-Jin Cho. The competition champions exceptional talent and musical artistry, showcasing the best in classical piano performance on an international stage.
