Lyu, who turned 17 on the day the competition results were announced, was one of the audience favourites, and many Polish critics said she deserved higher placement among the finalists.
In a public message, Paleczny praised the young pianist’s artistry and musical sensitivity.
“The competition is over, the prizes have been awarded,” he wrote. “But I deeply regret and am very sorry that on this sunny day of your birthday, we cannot give you the gift that, in my opinion, you fully deserve.”
He added: “It is difficult to put into words the extraordinary naturalness, grace, fluidity and creativity of your long phrases, the beauty and narrative quality of your sound, the precision of your articulation and pedaling, and many other elements that flowed straight from your heart and imagination into the hearts of your audience.”
Paleczny, 79, is one of Poland’s most distinguished pianists. He won third prize at the 1970 Chopin Competition in Warsaw and has since performed with leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra.
He has recorded for major labels such as EMI, Naxos and BBC Classics, and is known for championing the works of Chopin, Szymanowski and Paderewski.
Paleczny has served on the juries of many international piano competitions, including those in Warsaw, Leeds, Paris, Tel Aviv, London, Cleveland, Tokyo, Hamamatsu and Salt Lake City.
Since 1993, he has been director of the International Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, southwestern Poland.
Piotr Paleczny. Photo: Polish Radio/PR2
(mk/gs)