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International Chopin Piano Competition

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International Chopin Piano Competition

The International Chopin Piano Competition (Polish: Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina), often called the Chopin Competition, is a piano competition in Warsaw, Poland, held first in 1927 and every five years since 1955. The competition is one of the founding members of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. It is also one of the few competitions devoted entirely to the works of a single composer, in this case, Frédéric Chopin. It is organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Described as the "Olympics of the piano world" by The New York Times, the Chopin Competition is considered one of the most prestigious competitions in classical music, known for launching pianists' international careers. Past winners have included Maurizio Pollini (1960), Martha Argerich (1965), Krystian Zimerman (1975), Yundi Li (2000), Rafał Blechacz (2005), and Seong-Jin Cho (2015). The most recent winner is American pianist Eric Lu, who won the XIX competition in 2025. Yundi Li is the youngest winner and youngest juror in the competition's history.

Infobox

Venue
National Philharmonic, Warsaw, Poland
Presented by
Fryderyk Chopin Institute
First award
1927; 98 years ago (1927)
Final award
2025
Website
konkursy.nifc.pl/en

Tables

Top 3 prize-winners at each Edition · Prize winners
I (1927)
I (1927)
Edition
I (1927)
1st
Lev Oborin Soviet Union
2nd
Stanisław Szpinalski Poland
3rd
Róża Etkin Poland
II (1932)
II (1932)
Edition
II (1932)
1st
Alexander Uninsky (c) Soviet Union
2nd
Imre Ungár (c) Hungary
3rd
Bolesław Kon Poland
III (1937)
III (1937)
Edition
III (1937)
1st
Yakov Zak Soviet Union
2nd
Rosa Tamarkina Soviet Union
3rd
Witold Małcużyński Poland
IV (1949)
IV (1949)
Edition
IV (1949)
1st
Bella Davidovich Soviet Union
2nd
Barbara Hesse-Bukowska Poland
3rd
Waldemar Maciszewski Poland
Halina Czerny-Stefańska Poland (tie)
Halina Czerny-Stefańska Poland (tie)
Edition
Halina Czerny-Stefańska Poland (tie)
V (1955)
V (1955)
Edition
V (1955)
1st
Adam Harasiewicz Poland
2nd
Vladimir Ashkenazy Soviet Union
3rd
Fou Ts'ong China
VI (1960)
VI (1960)
Edition
VI (1960)
1st
Maurizio Pollini Italy
2nd
Irina Zaritskaya Soviet Union
3rd
Tania Achot-Haroutounian Iran
VII (1965)
VII (1965)
Edition
VII (1965)
1st
Martha Argerich Argentina
2nd
Arthur Moreira Lima Brazil
3rd
Marta Sosińska Poland
VIII (1970)
VIII (1970)
Edition
VIII (1970)
1st
Garrick Ohlsson United States
2nd
Mitsuko Uchida Japan
3rd
Piotr Paleczny Poland
IX (1975)
IX (1975)
Edition
IX (1975)
1st
Krystian Zimerman Poland
2nd
Dina Joffe Soviet Union
3rd
Tatyana Fedkina Soviet Union
X (1980)
X (1980)
Edition
X (1980)
1st
Dang Thai Son Vietnam
2nd
Tatyana Shebanova Soviet Union
3rd
Arutyun Papazyan Soviet Union
XI (1985)
XI (1985)
Edition
XI (1985)
1st
Stanislav Bunin Soviet Union
2nd
Marc Laforet France
3rd
Krzysztof Jabłoński Poland
XII (1990)
XII (1990)
Edition
XII (1990)
1st
Not awarded
2nd
Kevin Kenner United States
3rd
Yukio Yokoyama Japan
XIII (1995)
XIII (1995)
Edition
XIII (1995)
1st
Not awarded
2nd
Philippe Giusiano France
3rd
Gabriela Montero Venezuela
Alexei Sultanov Uzbekistan (tie)
Alexei Sultanov Uzbekistan (tie)
Edition
Alexei Sultanov Uzbekistan (tie)
XIV (2000)
XIV (2000)
Edition
XIV (2000)
1st
Yundi Li China
2nd
Ingrid Fliter Argentina
3rd
Alexander Kobrin Russia
XV (2005)
XV (2005)
Edition
XV (2005)
1st
Rafał Blechacz Poland
2nd
Not awarded
3rd
Dong-Hyek Lim South Korea
Dong-Min Lim South Korea (tie)
Dong-Min Lim South Korea (tie)
Edition
Dong-Min Lim South Korea (tie)
XVI (2010)
XVI (2010)
Edition
XVI (2010)
1st
Yulianna Avdeeva Russia
2nd
Lukas Geniušas Russia Lithuania
3rd
Daniil Trifonov Russia
Ingolf Wunder Austria (tie)
Ingolf Wunder Austria (tie)
Edition
Ingolf Wunder Austria (tie)
XVII (2015)
XVII (2015)
Edition
XVII (2015)
1st
Seong-Jin Cho South Korea
2nd
Charles Richard-Hamelin Canada
3rd
Kate Liu United States
XVIII (2021)
XVIII (2021)
Edition
XVIII (2021)
1st
Bruce Liu Canada
2nd
Kyohei Sorita Japan
3rd
Martín García García Spain
Alexander Gadjiev Italy Slovenia (tie)
Alexander Gadjiev Italy Slovenia (tie)
Edition
Alexander Gadjiev Italy Slovenia (tie)
XIX (2025)
XIX (2025)
Edition
XIX (2025)
1st
Eric Lu United States
2nd
Kevin Chen Canada
3rd
Zitong Wang China
Edition
1st
2nd
3rd
I (1927)
Lev Oborin Soviet Union
Stanisław Szpinalski Poland
Róża Etkin Poland
II (1932)
Alexander Uninsky (c) Soviet Union
Imre Ungár (c) Hungary
Bolesław Kon Poland
III (1937)
Yakov Zak Soviet Union
Rosa Tamarkina Soviet Union
Witold Małcużyński Poland
IV (1949)
Bella Davidovich Soviet Union
Barbara Hesse-Bukowska Poland
Waldemar Maciszewski Poland
Halina Czerny-Stefańska Poland (tie)
V (1955)
Adam Harasiewicz Poland
Vladimir Ashkenazy Soviet Union
Fou Ts'ong China
VI (1960)
Maurizio Pollini Italy
Irina Zaritskaya Soviet Union
Tania Achot-Haroutounian Iran
VII (1965)
Martha Argerich Argentina
Arthur Moreira Lima Brazil
Marta Sosińska Poland
VIII (1970)
Garrick Ohlsson United States
Mitsuko Uchida Japan
Piotr Paleczny Poland
IX (1975)
Krystian Zimerman Poland
Dina Joffe Soviet Union
Tatyana Fedkina Soviet Union
X (1980)
Dang Thai Son Vietnam
Tatyana Shebanova Soviet Union
Arutyun Papazyan Soviet Union
XI (1985)
Stanislav Bunin Soviet Union
Marc Laforet France
Krzysztof Jabłoński Poland
XII (1990)
Not awarded
Kevin Kenner United States
Yukio Yokoyama Japan
XIII (1995)
Not awarded
Philippe Giusiano France
Gabriela Montero Venezuela
Alexei Sultanov Uzbekistan (tie)
XIV (2000)
Yundi Li China
Ingrid Fliter Argentina
Alexander Kobrin Russia
XV (2005)
Rafał Blechacz Poland
Not awarded
Dong-Hyek Lim South Korea
Dong-Min Lim South Korea (tie)
XVI (2010)
Yulianna Avdeeva Russia
Lukas Geniušas Russia Lithuania
Daniil Trifonov Russia
Ingolf Wunder Austria (tie)
XVII (2015)
Seong-Jin Cho South Korea
Charles Richard-Hamelin Canada
Kate Liu United States
XVIII (2021)
Bruce Liu Canada
Kyohei Sorita Japan
Martín García García Spain
Alexander Gadjiev Italy Slovenia (tie)
XIX (2025)
Eric Lu United States
Kevin Chen Canada
Zitong Wang China
Chopin Competition Medal Table · Prize winners › Medal table
1
1
Rank
1
Nation
Soviet Union
Gold
5
Silver
5
Bronze
2
Total
12
2
2
Rank
2
Nation
Poland
Gold
4
Silver
2
Bronze
7
Total
13
3
3
Rank
3
Nation
United States
Gold
2
Silver
1
Bronze
1
Total
4
4
4
Rank
4
Nation
Canada
Gold
1
Silver
2
Bronze
0
Total
3
5
5
Rank
5
Nation
Russia
Gold
1
Silver
1
Bronze
2
Total
4
6
6
Rank
6
Nation
Argentina
Gold
1
Silver
1
Bronze
0
Total
2
Italy
Italy
Rank
Italy
Nation
1
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
2
8
8
Rank
8
Nation
China
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
2
Total
3
South Korea
South Korea
Rank
South Korea
Nation
1
Gold
0
Silver
2
Bronze
3
10
10
Rank
10
Nation
Vietnam
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
1
11
11
Rank
11
Nation
Japan
Gold
0
Silver
2
Bronze
1
Total
3
12
12
Rank
12
Nation
France
Gold
0
Silver
2
Bronze
0
Total
2
13
13
Rank
13
Nation
Austria
Gold
0
Silver
1
Bronze
0
Total
1
Brazil
Brazil
Rank
Brazil
Nation
0
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Hungary
Hungary
Rank
Hungary
Nation
0
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Lithuania
Lithuania
Rank
Lithuania
Nation
0
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Slovenia
Slovenia
Rank
Slovenia
Nation
0
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Rank
Uzbekistan
Nation
0
Gold
1
Silver
0
Bronze
1
19
19
Rank
19
Nation
Iran
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Total
1
Spain
Spain
Rank
Spain
Nation
0
Gold
0
Silver
1
Bronze
1
Venezuela
Venezuela
Rank
Venezuela
Nation
0
Gold
0
Silver
1
Bronze
1
Totals (21 entries)
Totals (21 entries)
Rank
Totals (21 entries)
Nation
18
Gold
23
Silver
20
Bronze
61
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
Soviet Union
5
5
2
12
2
Poland
4
2
7
13
3
United States
2
1
1
4
4
Canada
1
2
0
3
5
Russia
1
1
2
4
6
Argentina
1
1
0
2
Italy
1
1
0
2
8
China
1
0
2
3
South Korea
1
0
2
3
10
Vietnam
1
0
0
1
11
Japan
0
2
1
3
12
France
0
2
0
2
13
Austria
0
1
0
1
Brazil
0
1
0
1
Hungary
0
1
0
1
Lithuania
0
1
0
1
Slovenia
0
1
0
1
Uzbekistan
0
1
0
1
19
Iran
0
0
1
1
Spain
0
0
1
1
Venezuela
0
0
1
1
Totals (21 entries)
18
23
20
61

References

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