_edited.png)
ITS EXCELLENCY EXCEL No.27/2.11
- victorshramko
- Nov 2
- 4 min read
It was Excel that won the 19th Int'l Chopin Competition 2025. As such, it will reign for the next 5 years until the next Competition. How is it possible? To enumerate the incalculable? Anything is possible in the best of all worlds. Most recently, thanks to AI. But is AI always Artificial Intelligence or maybe, sometimes, Anonymous Interference??? Who knows?
The last sounds of Chopin's music faded away in the Pianistic Olympics. Shortly after the silence of astonishment at the results, a fierce discussion broke out in all media. AI's algorithms selected American of Chinese origin, Eric Lu (30 y.) as The Winner. Vice-Winner is Canadian of Chinese origin, Kevin Chen. This verdict was suggested by AI already a few days before the Grand Finale!? However, the common idols of the critics and audience were two excellent young ladies: 16 years old Chinese Tianyao Lyu and 30 years old Japanese Shiori Kuwahara, awarded ex aequo the 4th Prize.
Women Were Victorious. Morally.
When 16-year-old Tianlou begins her performance, she and the audience forget about the surrounding world. Every note was important and all of them formed melodies in all the voices and harmonies of both hands. There was no technical problem. She did all this with unimaginable naturalness. She didn't have time to learn it. She was born as MUSIC. Phenomenal. It happens, but very rarely. People started to call her 'the Magic Princess', and most of us expected her to win.
Also, the 30-year-old Japanese Shiori Kawahara conquered the audience with her virtuoso playing. A mature artist-pianist with a strong individuality, visible in her interpretation, but also with rich coloristic and delicacy. It was considered whether to combine charming youth and maturity ex aequo as ChC Winners?
Shiori competed in ChC for the 2nd time, as well as the 3rd Prize Winner, great Chinese Zitong Wang and the Distinction Winner, Japanese Miyu Shindo. Two other excellent female pianists, Yanyan Bao and Diana Cooper were omitted by (misogynistic?) AI Excel for promotions and awards.
That's not to say that male winners were weak. They played brilliantly, but this time women were better. I am reporting here not only my observations but also opinions of observers, critics, and even members of the jury (sic!). Yes, 10 Jury members opposed AI's verdict, but according to the rules, two-thirds of the Jury was needed to overturn Excel's calculations. Even the Vice-Chairman of the Jury expressed this publicly by extending birthday wishes (with apologies) to Tianlou Lyu!!!
Chopin Made in China?
Years ago, as a result of competitions and the composer's growing popularity, schools of interpretation of his works emerged. Of course, the Polish school (once puristic fidelity to sentimental-heroic patterns), Russian (broad-epic) or French (elegant-virtuosic brilliant style). For some time now, Chopin has been globalized. Poland remained the cradle of his music, but the center of Chopinism moved to Asia, to the Far East.
First was Japan, followed by S. Korea and China loved Chopin's music almost without limits. It seems to be a tradition there not to expose emotions. But as a result, emotions are even stronger. Chopin allows expressing it without words, beyond the canon of restraint. Further helpful are the passion for precise accuracy, and diligence derived from Confucian ideas. Apparently, 40 million young people in China study this music. They start at the age of 4 and perfect technique becomes an imperceptible naturalness for them.
Moreover, in those countries, with the help of Polish & European pedagogues, strong academies, universities, competitions, and festivals have been established there, and their winners are educated also at the best academies in the world.
No wonder someone joked that the ChC might be soon renamed the Asian Piano Championship.
Vox Populi vs. Vox Jury
There were always differences in ratings between the audience and the jury, as well as within the jury itself. Here are some memorable ones.
In 10th ChC in 1980 Croatian pianist Ivo Pogorelich, known for unorthodox interpretations, didn't make it to the Final. The audience booed the verdict, and Martha Argerich, the winner of the 7th ChC, resigned from the jury, calling Ivo a 'genius'. A year later Ivo debuted at Carnegie Hall and recorded Chopin's works for Deutsche Grammophon.
In the 5th edition in 1980 Michael Block from Mexico became the audience's favorite. Omitted by the Jury he received a Special Award from the Honorary Chairman of the Jury, Arthur Rubinstein.
In the 4th edition in 1955, the winner was a Pole, Adam Harasiewicz, but the Polish audience fell in love with the French pianist, Bernard Ringeissen, who received the 4th Prize. After the awards ceremony, his fans picked up the car in which he drove away with his mother.
Yet, history delivers the final verdict. Neither the Pole nor the Frenchman later enjoyed the same career as the Chinese pianist, Fou T'song, who won the 3rd Prize (and Special Mazurkas' Prize) at the same competition! (NB I lived next door to Fou T'song for a few months. We met again years later when he moved to the UK and married Yehudi Menuhin's daughter.)
Chopin – Citizen of the World
On the margin of these memories, I am glad that although Chopin's music is an element of Polish patriotism, we overshadow its performances without the glasses of nationalism. I presumed that Chopin would be glad about this. (NB This year a talented Vietnamese was also a member of the Polish team.)
However, it was a great time of a great event!
PS. Paradox about pianos: as I wrote before, Steinway's piano on all stages was the most often chosen by participants, but on the most prestigious Awarding Ceremony Concert on the stage was exposed – Italian Fazioli, the 3rd in rank. That's life.
Enough words.
Let us play: once more Chopin on YouTube. All of ChC's performances are recorded and available on YouTube/NIFC.
+Tianyao Lyu (age 11) plays Chopin's Etude F Major Op. 10 No. 8.
Written by
Cezary Owerkowicz
Co-founder of Kuwait Music Academy and
Director of Treasure of Talents Festival in Kuwait
