Canada’s Kevin Chen, 20, is the winner of the Artur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv in 2023. He has appeared at several prestigious venues and events including New York's Carnegie Hall and the Chopin and His Europe Festival in Warsaw.
David Khrikuli from Georgia was born in 2002. Last year, he won first prizes at the International Piano Competitions in Cantu, Italy, and in Vigo, Spain.
Shiori Kuwahara of Japan was born in 1995. She is a laureate of many international competitions, including those in Barcelona, Vercelli and Bolzano in Italy, and Tel Aviv.
All finalists perform Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy, Op. 61, and one of the two piano concertos—either in E minor, Op. 11, or in F minor, Op. 21—accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Andrzej Boreyko.
Of the day’s three contestants, Khrikuli is the only one to have selected the F minor Concerto.
Pianists from seven countries are competing for the top honours, including three from China, two from Japan, and two from the United States.
The only Polish pianist vying for the highest honours is Piotr Alexewicz. The 25-year-old appeared before the Warsaw audience on Sunday.
The competition jury, chaired by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, includes internationally acclaimed pianists such as Dang Thai Son, Yulianna Avdeeva, Nelson Goerner, Kevin Kenner, Robert McDonald, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Piotr Paleczny and Ewa Pobłocka, as well as American pianist and Chopin scholar John Rink and British music critic John Allison.
The prizewinners will be revealed late on Monday. A total prize fund exceeds EUR 240,000, including EUR 60,000 for the top prize, EUR 40,000 for second place, and EUR 35,000 for third place.
Special prizes will also be awarded for the best performance of a concerto, mazurka, polonaise, sonata and ballade.
Three prizewinners’ concerts are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Competition laureates will embark on international concert tours, performing across Europe as well as in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
(mk/gs)