Eric Lu, piano 

Eric Lu, piano 

Programme:
Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1 
Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60 
Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44 
Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat major, Op. 61
*** 
Polonaise in B-flat major, Op. 71 No. 2 
Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58

Established and inaugurated in 1927, the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious music events of its kind in the world, testifying to the timelessness of the composer’s oeuvre and discovering some of the greatest piano talents of our time. The winner of the three-week event is shot to major-league stardom almost overnight, becoming sought-after guest of some of the world’s most prestigious venues and receiving enviable recording contracts. The competition was a ticket to fame for many legendary pianists (Vladimir Ashkenazy, Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, Maurizio Pollini, Mitsuko Uchida, Daniil Trifonov, etc...), while the news of the brilliant Italian-Slovenian pianist Alexander Gadjiev taking second place in 2021 echoed throughout the local music community.

The competition is held in regular five-year cycles, in four stages, its repertoire restricted to compositions by Frédéric Chopin: nocturnes, etudes, ballades, scherzos, polonaises, waltzes, mazurkas and sonatas. In Ljubljana, the laureate of the 19th competition of budding pianists, to take place in Warsaw between 2 and 23 October 2025, will perform a varied selection of the composer’s solo piano pieces. 

Born in Massachusetts in 1997, Eric Lu first came to international attention as a Laureate of the 2015 Chopin International Competition in Warsaw, aged just 17. He was also awarded the International German Piano Award in 2017, the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018 and Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2021. He has performed with the Boston, London, Chicago, Tokyo, Finnish Radio and Shanghai symphony orchestras, as well as the Los Angeles, Oslo, Luxembourg, Stockholm and Warsaw philharmonic orchestras, among others. Eric was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2019 to 2022. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Robert McDonald and Jonathan Biss. He also studied with Dang Thai Son and has been mentored by Mitsuko Uchida and Imogen Cooper. He has released two albums on the Warner Classics label, recording works by Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Brahms.

The concert is part of the official tour of the Winners of the 19th Chopin Competition.
Founded by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

In collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland