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Chopin Competition Countdown

Chopin Competition Winners

Every first-prize laureate of the International Chopin Piano Competition, from 1927 to 2025.

Since 1927 the International Chopin Piano Competition has crowned a first-prize winner roughly every five years, and that title has repeatedly marked the start of a great international career. Below is the full roll of winners, edition by edition — click any name to read a short profile and the key facts about that pianist and their victory.

Year Edition Winner Country
2030 XX XX Edition — October 2030 ?
2025 XIX Eric Lu United States
2021 XVIII Bruce Liu Canada
2015 XVII Seong-Jin Cho South Korea
2010 XVI Yulianna Avdeeva Russia
2005 XV Rafał Blechacz Poland
2000 XIV Yundi Li China
1995 XIII First prize not awarded
1990 XII First prize not awarded
1985 XI Stanislav Bunin Soviet Union
1980 X Đặng Thái Sơn Vietnam
1975 IX Krystian Zimerman Poland
1970 VIII Garrick Ohlsson United States
1965 VII Martha Argerich Argentina
1960 VI Maurizio Pollini Italy
1955 V Adam Harasiewicz Poland
1949 IV Halina Czerny-Stefańska & Bella Davidovich Poland / Soviet Union
1937 III Yakov Zak Soviet Union
1932 II Alexander Uninsky Soviet Union
1927 I Lev Oborin Soviet Union