Polish Radio music commentator Adam Rozlach said the group includes nearly all of the early standouts identified by critics and audiences, among them three Polish contestants.
“The class of the favorites was largely confirmed,” Rozlach said.
He praised Poland’s Piotr Pawlak for a “superb” second-stage performance that, he said, demonstrated both dynamic thinking and lyrical sensitivity.
He called countryman Yehuda Prokopowicz “even more sensitive,” while noting that “pianistic effectiveness did not always follow” his beautiful playing.
Rozlach is a music journalist for public broadcaster Polish Radio and TVP Kultura, the culture channel of Poland’s public television.
Adam Rozlach. Photo: Wojciech Kusiński/Polish Radio
Rozlach described the second stage as consistently strong, even though several previously distinguished pianists did not show their best form
He said most of them still progressed, which, in his view, points to both their talent and the jury’s trust.
He cited Canada's Eric Guo and America Eric Lu as examples of contestants who moved on despite less convincing showings, and noted that Nathalia Milstein of France and Russian pianist Philipp Lynov did not advance.
He pointed to omissions that surprised him, including 18-year-old Yanyan Bao of China, her compatriot and long-time audience favorite Hao Rao, Japan’s Miki Yamagata and Yumeka Nakagawa, and 24-year-old Kai-Min Chang from Taiwan.
Among the youngest semifinalists, Rozlach singled out 16-year-old Tianyao Lyu of China, who studies in Poznań, western Poland, calling her “a remarkable talent with extraordinary imagination.”
He also highlighted 17-year-old Yifan Wu of China and 19-year-old Hyo Lee of South Korea, who advanced alongside his more decorated brother Hyuk.
Rozlach welcomed the presence of Japan’s Shiori Kuwahara, China’s Zitong Wang, and Japan’s Tomoharu Ushida, whom he said combines brilliant technique with a deep understanding of Chopin.
Rozlach described 20-year-old Kevin Chen as “a true star of the world’s concert stages,” saying Chen’s "readings of the Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53, and the Op. 10 Études showed "Chopinesque phrasing that some critics claim to miss in his playing."
He also praised William Yang of the United States for music-making that, in his words, now “proves him more an artist than a mechanical executor,” and called Malaysia’s Vincent Ong “a fascinating phenomenon,” noting Op. 28 Preludes that “could go straight to disc.”
The third stage begins on Tuesday at 10 a.m. with Yang (Jack) Gao of China and concludes on Thursday, when the names of the 10 finalists are due to be announced.
The competition runs through October 23 and is organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, a state cultural institution in Warsaw.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, nifc.pl, onet.pl