Eric Lu, a 27-year-old American classical pianist, won the top prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw on Monday.
The prestigious event, which happens every five years and is known to some as the Olympics of the piano world, began this month with 181 performers. Most participants came from China, Japan and South Korea, which together had more than 100 pianists competing in the event. Seven of the pianists were from the United States.
Lu, who is from Massachusetts, was selected by a 17-member jury. As the winner of the top prize, he will receive 60,000 euros, or about $69,000, and a gold medal, according to a news release. Kevin Chen of Canada won second place, and Zitong Wang of China took third. Another American, William Yang, who is from New York, finished in sixth place.
The competition is typically scheduled around the anniversary of Chopin’s death, Oct. 17, and features his music almost exclusively.
“I’m so grateful for this honor,” Lu told reporters at the competition, according to Reuters, adding that the win was a dream come true. “I’m grateful for all the Chopin lovers around the world who watched online and all the audience here in Warsaw.”
Each finalist performed one of Chopin’s two piano concertos and the Polonaise-Fantasy (Op. 61).
While previous winners like Seong-Jin Cho of South Korea and Bruce Liu of Canada emerged from the competition with a global career, Lu is already well established in the world of classical music.
He rose to international stardom after placing fourth in the 2015 Chopin International Competition at age 17. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2020.
Lu has since won many awards, including the top prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018, and he has released several albums, including one of Schubert Impromptus this year.
Derrick Bryson Taylor is a Times reporter covering breaking news in culture and the arts.
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