The world's most prestigious Chopin Competition will begin on October 2, 2025.
1)
The 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition will commence in Warsaw on 2 October. Eighty-five contestants from 20 countries and regions will vie for the world's highest honour.
First held in 1927, it is the world's oldest competition and is regarded as the pinnacle of international piano competitions, having produced numerous winners and prize-winners who have gone on to achieve international renown.
Artur Szkreter, Director of the organising body, the Polish National Institute of Fryderyk Chopin, stated: ‘The Chopin Competition is chosen as the competition among competitions.’
2)
From early works to late compositions:
This year saw 642 applicants. Only 162 from 28 countries and regions advanced to the preliminary round. Further narrowed down, just 66 will compete in the first qualifying round from 3rd to 7th October.
Nineteen additional participants, prize-winners from competitions worldwide (including Leeds, Miami, and Hamamatsu) and Poland's Paderewski Competition and National Chopin Competition, are exempt from the preliminary round.
China has the highest number of participants with 29, followed by Japan and Poland with 13 each.
3)
Public Relations Director Aleksander Łachowski stated, ‘This is an event that can transform a pianist's career.
Winning not only increases performance opportunities but also raises global recognition.’ Director Skrzynek emphasised the competition's significant influence, adding, ‘Participation itself holds meaning.’
4)
Held only once every five years, its defining feature is that all required pieces are by Chopin. Approximately 40 contestants advance to the second preliminary round (9th–12th October), around 20 to the third preliminary round (14th–16th), and roughly 10 to the final (18th–20th).
Japan's participants in the first preliminary round are: Kaito Kobayashi, Shiori Kuwahara, Shuji Kyomasa, Yuka Nakagawa, Yuria Nakajima, Yuya Nishimoto, Arisa Onoda, Hayato Shimada, Miyu Shindo, Shiorina Tokai, Tomohiro Ushida, Miki Yamagata, and Ryota Yamasaki. Some are already established performers.
5)
The jury president is Garrick Ohlsson, winner of the 8th competition. Judging will be conducted by a panel of 17 members, including Akiko Ebi and first-time participant Momo Kodama.
The final round typically features two of Chopin's piano concertos, but this year, contestants must also perform Chopin's “Fantasy Polonaise” before the concertos.
Director Schukrenel stated: ‘The concertos are early works. The “Fantasy Polonaise” is one of the pieces composed in his most advanced years. We want them to demonstrate their achievements from youth to maturity. We ask them to perform the two works as a single connected entity.’
6)
Cruel Reality:
Reviewing past winners and prize-winners reveals names like Ashkenazy (2nd in the 5th edition), Pollini (winner at 18), Argerich (from Argentina), Mitsuko Uchida (2nd in the 8th edition), Zimmerman (known for his affinity with Japan), and Bunin (particularly popular in Japan). Its global prominence surpasses that of other competitions.
7)
The documentary film Pianoforte, opening this month on the 26th at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho in Tokyo and elsewhere, is further proof of this. It meticulously follows the behind-the-scenes story of the last competition.
It elicits candid confessions from the contestants: ‘Nobody wants competitions. Competing through music?’ ‘I don't want to be a pianist. But once I finish playing, I just want to play again.’ Yet they confront their performances under immense pressure.
The tension among contestants awaiting the announcement of preliminary qualifiers is palpable. We witness the harsh reality that only a select few advance to the finals.
8)
Director Jakub Piątek states: ‘I wanted to know what sacrifices they make, how much they practise, what price they pay. And what happens just minutes after they leave the stage?
But above all, I wanted to see young people grappling with conflict and emotion, those on the cusp of adulthood.’
9)
Opening up life:
The previous competition saw Kyohei Sorita take second place, Manami Kobayashi fourth, and Hayato Tsunoda reach the semi-finals, generating significant excitement in Japan.
Many music fans watched live on-site, while others followed daily updates via websites, YouTube, and smartphone apps, with blogs chronicling the results and piano enthusiasts experiencing the highs and lows.
Public Relations Director Laskovsky remarked, "Even if they don't reach the finals, it opens up a significant chapter in their lives.
The competition doesn't end when the winners are decided. For the winners, the competition is just beginning."
10)
The previous edition was postponed for a year due to the pandemic and held in 2021. Only four years have passed since then. In October, new winners and prize-winners will emerge.
Over 120 competitions are affiliated with the World Federation of International Music Competitions, producing winners one after another. Therefore, the period of prominence is short.
Twenty years on, will the prize-winners still be remembered? Even the most celebrated winners of the Chopin Competition cannot escape the passage of time.
Yet challengers persist. It is in their nature. The “best-before date” for a pianist's career, launched by a competition, is a lifetime.
The world's most prestigious Chopin Competition will begin on October 2, 2025.
https://www.sankei.com/article/20250920-DXHJJMHQ6NI6NCN33WBENS7PBI/
[Launch] Make the Chopin Competition 10 times more enjoyable! Three Must-See Points ~ The 19th International Chopin Piano Competition
The Chopin Competition Finalists have been announced! 13 Japanese pianists selected, adding 19 to the list of international competition winners
https://note.com/ptna_chopin/n/n2501b48a345a
Profiles of 13 Japanese pianists! ~ The 19th International Chopin Piano Competition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4s1wXuk8R0
[Latest Version] Tomohiro Ushida x Chopin Competition 2025 | A thorough introduction to notable pianists!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp4XCx6Rpj8
Enjoy the Chopin Competition 10 times more! 3 must-see points ~ The 19th International Chopin Piano Competition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S75LmCJJdbk&t=7s
