Eric Lu's Gold Medal Win for America After 55 Years - Technique or Poetry: Kevin Chen's Narrow Defeat and His Legacy

The Note That Updated "55 Years"

At the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition (October 2025, Warsaw), Eric Lu (27) from the United States won first place. An American gold medalist had not been seen since Garrick Ohlsson in 1970. It was a moment that filled a gap of over half a century. Various media outlets reported Lu's words, "A dream has come true," and announced the prize money of 60,000 euros.The Washington Post

It's Not Just About Technique—This Year's Final "Assignment"

This year's final was special. All finalists were required to perform "Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op.61" as a mandatory piece, and they chose one piece from either "Concerto in E minor" or "Concerto in F minor." Lu competed with "Polonaise-Fantasy" and "Concerto in F minor, Op.21." He performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic (conducted by Andrey Boreyko), and the overall supervision was by a panel of 17 international judges—chaired by Garrick Ohlsson, the 1970 winner.International Chopin Piano Competition

Podium and Special Prizes—The Faces of the Winners

According to the official announcement, the main results are as follows.
1st place: Eric Lu (USA) / 2nd place: Kevin Chen (Canada) / 3rd place: Wang Zitong (China). 4th place was tied between Lü Tianyao (China) and Shiori Kuwahara (Japan), 5th place was Piotr Aleksewicz (Poland) and Vincent Ong (Malaysia), and 6th place was William Yan (USA). Special prizes were awarded to Wang Zitong for Best Sonata, Lü Tianyao for Best Concerto, Yehuda Prokopovich (Poland) for Best Mazurka, Li Tianyou (China) for Best Polonaise, and Adam Kaudunski (Poland) for Best Ballade.International Chopin Piano Competition

Numbers Tell the Story of "Chopin for the Audience"

This competition is also a "participatory festival" watched by fans worldwide via streaming. According to the official report, Shiori Kuwahara's final had over 71,000 simultaneous viewers, the highest ever. The main viewing countries were Japan, Poland, India, South Korea, and the United States, with streams spanning YouTube and TikTok. The total performance time of the competition was 102 hours over 15 days.International Chopin Piano Competition

"Unexpected" and "Expected"—The Buzz on Social Media

Social media timelines were filled with celebratory messages containing both praise and criticism. Reuters officially reported the winning moment on X, and the NYT succinctly conveyed "27 years old, from Massachusetts" on Threads. On Reddit's piano board, comments varied, such as "The audience's reaction was somewhat calm" and "Voices highly praised Chen's consistency." While the enthusiasm was high, the conclusion showed that even watching the same footage does not lead to a single interpretation.Threads

The Question Left by "Kevin Chen's Second Place"

Chen, highly regarded for his technique and compositional ability, placed second. Canadian media had been paying attention since the semi-finals, and he continued to receive enthusiastic support on social media. The discussion around the judging results focused on the balance between "technique and poetic expression," with a faction supporting Chen's "elegance" and another backing Lu's "depth of storytelling."International Chopin Piano Competition

Eric Lu—The Current Position of the "Young Classic"

In terms of his career, Lu is both precocious and orthodox. He reached the finals of the Chopin Competition in 2015 (with a history of placing highly at a young age) and won the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018. He honed his skills at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music and has performed with major orchestras. If one were to simplify the reason for his victory this time, it would be that his judgment of tempo and timing was extremely natural to the breathing of the piece, convincing not with the "pressure" of the climax but with the "story" of the entire piece.The Washington Post

What the Format Showed—The "Polonaise-Fantasy" as a Set Piece

The fact that "Polonaise-Fantasy" was set as a mandatory piece in the finals is symbolic. It is not a work that boasts brilliant technique but one that is established through long breaths and poetic connections—a "piano of storytelling." This selection indicates an update to the image of Chopin and also the fact that it was the place where Lu's qualities resonated best.International Chopin Piano Competition

The Spread of Participants—"China, Japan, and Poland" Leading the Way

The total number of applicants was over 640, the highest ever. 162 passed the preliminary screening, and 84 from 19 countries participated in the main competition. Particularly, China had the most participants with 28, followed by Japan and Poland with 13 each. Eleven participants advanced to the finals. The judging was overseen by the aforementioned 17-member international jury led by Ohlsson.International Chopin Piano Competition

"Ceremony" and "Beyond"—Winning is Not the Goal

The award ceremony and winners' concert were scheduled for October 21 at 8 PM (local time) and were broadcast on the official YouTube channel. It is customary for Chopin winners to embark on a full-fledged tour and recording plans from here, with the winner's career landscape changing over several years. However, for Lu, the true challenge lies in continuously presenting "which Chopin" after the award.International Chopin Piano Competition

"Multiple Truths" Surrounding Reception

The discussions on social media are heated, but in the end, what remains are the scores and the music. The competition is a momentary contest, and judging is always relative. As the sense of being "everyone's judge" strengthens in the era of streaming, the gap between official results and public opinion becomes more visible. However, this gap itself is evidence of the richness of Chopin's interpretations. Lu's victory is both the conclusion of the judges and a hypothesis predicting the next decade.