Warsaw: SiltaNews – News Desk
Twenty pianists from eight countries, including three from Poland, have advanced to the semi-final of the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition being held in Warsaw. The jury, headed by former competition laureate Garrick Ohlsson, released the list of qualifiers for the third stage of the contest on Sunday evening.
Among the hopefuls are Piotr Alexewicz, Piotr Pawlak and Yehuda Prokopowicz, representing the host nation. In the last competition, held in 2021, six Poles made the third-round shortlist. The auditions for the competition’s next stage will be held between Tuesday and Thursday. The contestants will each play a recital of about an hour, including a sonata, a series of Mazurkas, and other works by the composer chosen from a list specified by the organizers.
In the final stage of the competition, scheduled for October 18 – 20, a maximum of 10 pianists will each play a Piano Concerto by the Polish composer, accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Each finalist will also perform the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61, to be played solo.
Held every five years, the Chopin Competition is open to pianists under 30 and focuses exclusively on the works of Fryderyk Chopin, whose music is prized for its beauty and technical complexity. The competition is one of the most important events in the global classical music calendar and has launched the careers of many internationally renowned concert pianists.
The winner of the first prize will receive €60,000 and a gold medal. The total prize pool exceeds €240,000, highlighting the event’s global importance and high standards. In addition to the gold, silver and bronze medals, the competition has three runners-up prizes as well as special prizes for outstanding performances of specific pieces.
Overseeing the competition this year is an international jury chaired by Garrick Ohlsson, the U.S. pianist who won the 1970 edition and who also served as a juror during the 2015 competition. Polish pianists have triumphed in the International Chopin Piano Competition on several occasions, with first prizes awarded to Halina Czerny-Stefańska (who shared the gold medal in 1949), Adam Harasiewicz in 1955, Krystian Zimerman in 1975, and Rafał Blechacz in 2005.