Eric Lu, a 27-year-old pianist from Massachusetts, clinched the top prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in the Polish capital of Warsaw, a contest widely regarded as the piano world's Olympics. The event, held every five years, drew 181 participants this cycle—more than 100 from East Asia and seven from the US. A 17-member jury awarded Lu a gold medal and about $70,000 for his efforts, reports the New York Times.
The Washington Post notes that Lu is the first American to win the competition's top prize since 1970. "I'm so grateful for this honor," Lu said at the event, per Reuters, thanking Chopin fans worldwide for their support. Lu's performance included one of Chopin's piano concertos, as well as the Polonaise-Fantaisie (Op. 61). Lu first rose to fame in the competition in 2015, when, at the age of 17, he placed fourth. The contest, which is scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of Chopin's death on Oct. 17, mostly features music by the composer, per the Times.
The competition, known for launching global careers, has previously helped boost the careers of Seong-Jin Cho, Bruce Liu, and others. Canadian pianist Kevin Chen took second place, with China's Zitong Wang finishing third. Another American, William Yang, placed sixth. Give the judges some credit, too. "Listening eight hours a day to pianists playing Chopin may sound like a pleasure," contest judge John Rink said in 2015, per the Post. But, he noted at the time, it entails "intensive concentration and enormous stamina, as well as the application of consistent, sound criteria in order to give each competitor a fair crack of the whip."
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