Seong-Jin Cho, a 21-year-old pianist from South Korea, has won the gold medal at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. The prize has helped a number of major pianists begin their careers over the years.
Charles Richard-Hamelin, 26, of Canada, won the silver medal, and Kate Liu, 21, of the United States, won the bronze, the competition announced on its website.
The prize for Mr. Cho, who studies at the Paris Conservatory, came with $33,600. Ms. Liu, who won the third prize, is studying at the Curtis Institute of Music. She has given several recitals in New York, including at Carnegie Hall and Subculture.
Every five years the whole pianistic world moves to Warsaw and the International Chopin Piano Competition. Since the first which took place during the winter of 1927, the Competition now presented its 17th edition which highlights the grand Polish composer’s works and rewards its best interpreters. The legendary Polish initiative has helped to discover such great prize winning artists as Lev Oborin (first winner), Bella Davidovich, Adam Harasiewicz, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson, Mitsuko Uchida, Krystian Zimerman, Yundi, Rafał Blechacz, Yulianna Avdeeva, Ingolf Wunder and Daniil Trifonov but also famous non-laureates such as Ivo Pogorelich.
Measuring Excellence
What stands clear, beginning with the 1955 competition, is its immense influence on piano playing worldwide. Winners and Prize-Winners are in most cases able to perceive important international careers, on the concert circuit and as recording artists. Their pianistic influences often become a contemporary map of stylistic excellence and cannot be overrated. Beginning this year, pianists aged 16 (uptil 30) were allowed to the competition. This resulted in 445 applicants. The preliminary elimination round took place this spring and 84 pianists qualified for the First Stage which started on October 3rd.
A Most Prestigious Jury
Eventually twenty competitors participated in the Third Stage of the Competition and ten of them made it to the Grand Finale, which started on October 18 and the finalists performing one (of the two) Chopin piano concertos with The Warsaw Philharmonics. Following the last day of the Grand Finale on October 20, the Prizes will be awarded. The winners are chosen by an international jury comprising great pianists all of whom are Prize-Winners from previous Competitions and teachers, pedagogues and specialists in Chopin’s music.
List of the participants of the finals:
Mr Seong-Jin Cho (South Korea)
Mr Aljosa Jurinic (Croatia)
Ms Aimi Kobayashi (Japan)
Ms Kate Liu (United States)
Mr Eric Lu (United States)
Mr Szymon Nehring (Poland)
Mr Georgijs Osokins (Latvia)
Mr Charles Richard-Hamelin (Canada)
Mr Dmitry Shishkin (Russia)
Mr Yike (Tony) Yang (Canada)
You can follow the Grand Finale (until October 20th) and the Prize-Winners’ Concert (October 21) of the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition live and discover the piano stars of tomorrow.
Video, Grand Finale October 18, all finalists playing Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11:
Seong-Jin Cho (South Korea)
Aljosa Jurinic (Croatia)
Aimi Kobayashi (Japan)
Kate Liu (United States)
Resources:
The official Competition website: http://chopincompetition2015.com
The official iOS app: https://appsto.re/pl/jBvv6.i
The official Android app: http://goo.gl/u93t9T
Chopin Competition YT channel
The Winner 1970 Garrick Ohlsson speaks: Pianist, Know Thyself
<The full list of prizes was as follows>
1st prize (ㅌ30,000) and gold medal : Seong-Jin Cho (조성진, South Korea)
2nd prize (ㅌ25,000) and silver medal : Charles Richard-Hamelin (찰스 리차드-하멜린, Canada)
3rd prize (ㅌ20,000) and bronze medal : Kate Liu (케이트 리우, United States)
4th prize (ㅌ15,000) : Eric Lu (United States)
5th prize (ㅌ10,000) : Yike (Tony) Yang (Canada)
6th prize (ㅌ7,000) : Dmitry Shishkin (Russia)
Prize-winners' Concerts
Central European Time Zone (UTC/GMT+02:00)
Gala and the main Concert, Prize Winners Concert
21 October 2015
(17회 쇼팽 콩쿠르 우승자 갈라콘서트 프로그램.
우승자인 조성진은 혼자서만 3부에서 연주한다.)
1st Part
Presentation of awards
2nd Part
Yike (Yony) Yang, Canada – 5th Prize
Impromptu in F sharp major Op. 36, Barcarolle in F sharp major Op. 60
Eric Lu, United States – 4th Prize
4 Preludes from Op. 28 (No. 4 in E minor, No. 13 in F sharp major, No. 15 in D flat major, No. 24 in D minor)
Kate Liu, United States – 3rd Prize
3 Mazurkas Op. 56 (No. 1 in B major, No. 2 in C major, No. 3 in C minor)
Charles Richard-Hamelin, Canada – 2nd Prize
Nocturne in B major Op. 62 No. 1, Ballade in A flat major Op. 47
3rd Part
Seong-Jin Cho, South Korea – 1st Prize
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk
Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11
17TH INTERNATIONAL FRYDERYK CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION
18 October 2015, Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, final
Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra Jacek Kaspszyk, conductor
Chopin - Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11 (피아노 협주곡 제1번 E단조 Op.11)
웅장한 Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra 연주와 Jacek Kaspszyk의 지휘, 그리고
유려와 섬세함의 몰입된 연주에 청중들의 모습은 침묵의 숲에 빠져들었다.
자신감 넘친 조성진의 완벽한 연주에 폴란드 대통령도 기립박수로 기쁨의 화답을 보냈다.
나 또한 우뢰와 같은 청중들의 기립박수 소리에 시간이 어떻게 가는지도 모를 정도였으니.. ^^:
실황영상을 직접보니 짜릿한 전율이 온몸을 감싸안았다. 내가 원래 라이브를 즐기는 편이라 더욱...
9 October 2015, Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, second stage
Chopin - Polonaise in A flat major op. 53 (영웅 폴로네이즈)
심사위원들에게 호평을 받은 영웅 폴로네이즈!
개인적으로 좋아하여 즐겨 듣는 곡이다.
폴로네이즈 영웅은 폴란드 민속음악인데 조성진씨가 이렇게 멋지게 연주를 해대니
쇼팽이 재림했을 정도의 착각까지 불러온다.
3 October 2015, Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, first stage
Chopin - Etude in C major Op. 10 No. 1 (에튀드 Op.10 제1번)
About
조성진(Seong-Jin Cho)
세계 권위의 3대 콩쿠르 중 최고의 콩쿠르인 국제 쇼팽 피아노 콩쿠르에서
한국인으로는 최초로 순수 국내파 동안 청년인 조성진씨가 우승을 차지했다.
국제 쇼팽 피아노 콩쿠르는 벨기에의 퀸 엘리자베스, 러시아의 차이콥스키 콩쿠르와 함께 3대 콩쿠르로 불리운다.
이 대회는 쇼팽의 고향인 폴란드의 바르샤바에서 5년에 한번씩 치뤄지는데, 쇼팽의 기일인 10월17일 전후 3주에 걸쳐서 개최된다.
연주 곡목은 당연히 쇼팽의 것만을 대상으로 하며 17세~28세 까지로 연령제한이 있다.
실로 클래식 음악계의 노벨상을 탄 것이나 다름없는 일이고, 세계를 뒤흔들만한 사건이다.
피아노 신동에서 거장의 반열에 오를 시작, 깃발을 꽂았다고 할 수 있다.
사실 한국인 최고 성적은 3위였던 2005년 제 15회 대회에서 임동민 임동혁 형제가 있었고,
조성진씨 말로는 어릴적 그 두 형제의 연주를 보고 감명을 받아 피아노에 입문, 빠져 들었다고 한다.
문화적 환경, 영향이 얼마나 중요한 일인가를 알 수있는 대목이다.
그리고, 요즘 흔히 말하는 금수저? 가정도 아닌 아빠는 평범한 회사원, 엄마는 전업주부 집안에서,
