Kevin Chen, a 20-year-old pianist hailing from Calgary, secured the second position at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, with American Eric Lu clinching the top spot. Chen, along with ten other finalists, showcased their talent performing a concerto with the Warsaw Philharmonic and conductor Andrey Boreyko during the competition’s final rounds on October 18, 19, and 20. Among the 84 competitors at the event, five were Canadians, including Victoria Wong, Ryan Wang, Eric Guo, and Athena Deng.
The competition’s winner was decided 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) and a gold medal presented by the President of Poland. Kevin Chen received the silver medal and a prize of 40,000 euros (around $65,000 CAD), while China’s Zitong Wang, securing the third position, was awarded a bronze medal and 35,000 euros (approximately $57,000 CAD).
Janet Lopinski, President and Artistic Director of the Canadian Chopin Society, shared her excitement upon Chen’s achievement, highlighting his young age and promising future. Chen, who commenced his piano journey at the age of five, debuted with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra at a tender age, gaining recognition in 2013 as one of CBC Music’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30.” Calvin Dyck, the director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra, praised Chen’s musical sensitivity and talent.
Having won several prestigious competitions in recent years, including the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, the Geneva International Music Competition, and the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in Budapest, Kevin Chen is currently based in Hanover, Germany. His path to the final stage of the Chopin Piano Competition involved a rigorous selection process from a preliminary round in April and May, followed by three solo recitals in October.
Chen’s choice to perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E Minor, Op. 11, for the final impressed the audience and judges alike. Canadian pianists have a strong track record at the Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, with notable successes in previous editions. The competition, held every five years around October 17 to commemorate Chopin’s death, offers laureates a platform for international recognition and career advancement through concert engagements and recording projects.
Notable past winners of the competition include Maurizio Pollini (1960), Martha Argerich (1965), Garrick Ohlsson (1970), Krystian Zimerman (1975), Đặng Thái Sơn (1980), Yundi Li (2000), and Seong-Jin Cho (2015).
