The Chopin Competition

A Legacy Since 1927

One of the oldest and most prestigious piano competitions in the world

Editions Since 1927

50+

Countries Represented

500+

Laureates

Origins & Foundation

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest music competitions in the world, renowned for its great prestige and global recognition. The initiator of the Chopin Piano Competitions was Professor Jerzy Żurawlew (1887-1980), an outstanding Polish pianist, pedagogue, and composer. The first competition was held on January 23-30, 1927, in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. From modest beginnings in 1927, when 26 pianists from eight countries participated, the event has grown into a global phenomenon attracting hundreds of talented musicians from around the world.

Evolution Through History

According to the organizers' plan, the competition was to be held every five years: 1932, 1937, and so on. World War II prevented the 1942 edition. The first post-war competition (IV overall) took place in 1949 in the surviving 'Roma' building hall, as part of the Chopin Year marking the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. The next competition was delayed until 1955 due to the reconstruction of the Warsaw Philharmonic, which soon achieved national institution status. Since 1955, the International Chopin Piano Competition has been held without interruption at the National Philharmonic every five years.

Competition Format

The Chopin Competition is unique as one of the few monographic piano competitions in the world, devoted exclusively to the works of a single composer. This allows not only the assessment of participants' skills but also the observation of changing attitudes toward Chopin's works and different musical forms. The competition has evolved from two stages in the pre-war editions to four stages today. Young pianists perform in alphabetical order starting from a randomly selected letter, and participants' ages generally range from 18 to 29 years.

Historic Venues

The pre-war competitions and those from 1955, 1960, and 1965 were held in winter, close to Chopin's presumed birthday of February 22. However, due to high rates of illness among both jurors and participants during this period, the date was changed to October, the month of the composer's death. Since 1957, the International Chopin Piano Competition has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions, headquartered in Geneva, of which it is a co-founder.

Legendary Laureates

Winning or receiving one of the prizes at the International Chopin Competition opens doors to the world's most famous concert halls. The competition has launched the careers of such renowned pianists as: Lev Oborin, Witold Małcużyński, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Bella Davidovich, Barbara Hesse-Bukowska, Adam Harasiewicz, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson, Krystian Zimerman, Dang Thai Son, Stanislav Bunin, Yundi Li, and Rafał Blechacz.

Distinguished Jury

While the first competition jury consisted exclusively of Polish musical figures, subsequent editions invited the most outstanding musicians and pianists from Poland and abroad. Legendary names such as Magda Tagliaferro, Marguerite Long, Wilhelm Backhaus, Nadia Boulanger, and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli have served as jurors. Previous laureates, including Jan Ekier, Lev Oborin, Witold Małcużyński, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, and Martha Argerich, have also participated in the jury's work.

Competition Traditions

Since 1975, permanent traditions accompanying the International Chopin Competition include commemorations of the anniversary of the great composer's death. October 17 is included in the competition calendar as a day of tribute to Chopin. On this occasion, Mozart's Requiem is performed in the Holy Cross Church on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw – where the composer's heart is preserved – the same work that bid farewell to Fryderyk Chopin at his funeral in Paris's Church of the Madeleine in October 1849.

The Modern Competition

The XV Competition in 2005 set a record with 350 applicants and 257 final participants. Modern editions are organized by the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute (NIFC), which operates following the merger with the Chopin Society. The competition continues to attract global attention, with performances broadcast worldwide and each edition producing new stars of the classical piano world. The XX edition in 2030 promises to continue this extraordinary legacy.

Competition Editions

Year	First Prize	Country
1927	Lev Oborin	USSR
1932	Alexander Uninsky	USSR
1937	Yakov Zak	USSR
1949	Halina Czerny-Stefańska & Bella Davidovich	Poland/USSR
1955	Adam Harasiewicz	Poland
1960	Maurizio Pollini	Italy
1965	Martha Argerich	Argentina
1970	Garrick Ohlsson	USA
1975	Krystian Zimerman	Poland
1980	Đặng Thái Sơn	Vietnam
1985	Stanislav Bunin	USSR
1990	Not awarded	-
1995	Not awarded	-
2000	Yundi Li	China
2005	Rafał Blechacz	Poland
2010	Yulianna Avdeeva	Russia
2015	Seong-Jin Cho	South Korea
2021	Bruce Liu	Canada
2025	Eric Lu	USA
2030	XX Edition - Coming Soon!	?