This is an all-time record, with the corresponding number of 353 in 2010 and 452 in 2015.
China leads the field with as many as over 100 budding talents wishing to take part in the Warsaw event, followed by Japan (90 applications) and Poland (over 60).
In addition to the sizeable numbers of prospective entrants from the United States, Canada, South Korea, Italy and France, the organizing committee has received applications from such countries as Thailand, Turkey, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Mongolia, Georgia and Iceland.
All the applicants had to submit a video recording of the programme of the first stage of the competition.
By March 9, a selection panel will announce the names of 160 pianists who will be invited to Warsaw to participate in a preliminary stage of the competition, scheduled for the second half of April. Eighty of them will vie for accolades in October.
Established in 1927, the International Chopin Piano Competition is among the world’s most prestigious events of its kind.
Next year’s competition will be its 18th edition.
Past winners of the event include such household names as Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson, Krystian Zimerman and Rafał Blechacz. (mk/tf)