Chopin Competition 2025: 40 pianists advance to the second stage in Warsaw

The 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition reaches a critical turning point today as the second stage begins (October 9–12). The jury, chaired by Garrick Ohlsson, has selected 40 pianists to perform in this round, from which no more than 20 will advance to Stage III.

The qualifiers stepping into Stage II
The pianists moving forward (in alphabetical order) are:
Piotr Alexewicz (Poland), Jonas Aumiller (Germany), Yanyan Bao (China), Kai-Min Chang (Chinese Taipei), Kevin Chen (Canada), Xuehong Chen (China), Zixi Chen (China), Yubo Deng (China), Yang (Jack) Gao (China), Eric Guo (Canada), Xiaoyu Hu (China), Zihan Jin (China), Adam Kałduński (Poland), David Khrikuli (Georgia), Shiori Kuwahara (Japan), Hyo Lee, Hyuk Lee, Kwanwook Lee (South Korea), Xiaoxuan Li, Zhexiang Li, Tianyou Li (China), Eric Lu (United States), Philipp Lynov (individual neutral pianist), Tianyao Lyu (China), Ruben Micieli (Italy), Nathalia Milstein (France), Yumeka Nakagawa (Japan), Vincent Ong (Malaysia), Piotr Pawlak (Poland), Yehuda Prokopowicz (Poland), Hao Rao (China), Anthony Ratinov (United States), Miyu Shindo (Japan), Gabriele Strata (Italy), Tomoharu Ushida (Japan), Zitong Wang (China), Yifan Wu (China), Miki Yamagata (Japan), William Yang (United States), and Jacky Zhang (Great Britain).

A centenary edition in motion
Held from October 2 to 23, this edition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Chopin Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious events for young pianists. Eighty-four competitors from 19 countries are performing in Warsaw—66 selected after live preliminary auditions and 19 through automatic entry based on international prizes.

The winner will receive a €60,000 first prize and a gold medal, with a total prize fund exceeding €240,000. The competition unfolds in four stages at the Warsaw National Philharmonic, culminating in the finals from October 18 to 20 and three prize concerts on October 21–23.

A special commemoration on October 17 will mark the 176th anniversary of Chopin’s death, traditionally featuring a performance of Mozart’s Requiem at the Holy Cross Church.

Legacy and prestige
First held in 1927, the International Chopin Piano Competition has been organized every five years since 1955 by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. It remains one of the few major competitions devoted entirely to a single composer and is known for launching international careers. Among its laureates are Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, Yundi Li, Rafał Blechacz, and Seong-Jin Cho. The most recent winner, in 2021, was Bruce Liu of Canada.

How to follow
All stages of the 2025 competition are being streamed live on the Chopin Institute’s YouTube channel , with full performance replays and updates available on the official website.