Chopin 2025: Chopin's music is emotional journey - Eric Lu
US pianist Eric Lu, a finalist in the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, has said that playing Chopin's music is a journey through emotions, calling the Polonaise-Fantasy a "story of life and death".
On Saturday evening, Eric Lu played the Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61 along with a piano concerto accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Andrzej Boreyko.
After the performance, the pianist said that he saw Chopin's compositions as rich and diversified, all-round music.
Eric Lu described the polonaise he played in the final round of the competition as a "story about life and death". The pianist said that it contained everything that Chopin lived through and as such, it came through as very moving.
Asked about his stay in Warsaw, Eric Lu said he felt almost like at home in the city, as he had the privilege to perform here a number of times in recent years. He especially admired the Warsaw music audience, as it understood the essence of and appreciated Chopin's music.
The final stage of this year's contest features, in alphabetical order, Piotr Alexewicz (Poland), Kevin Chen (Canada), David Khrikuli (Georgia), Shiori Kuwahara (Japan), Tianyou Li (China), Eric Lu (United States), Tianyao Lyu (China), Vincent Ong (Malaysia), Miyu Shindo (Japan), Zitong Wang (China) and William Yang (United States).
The final round concerts take place at the National Philharmonic, from Saturday to Monday. Each pianist performs Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61 and one of the two piano concertos, either in E minor, Op. 11, or in F minor, Op. 21, accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Andrzej Boreyko.
The 19th edition of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, organised by Poland's Fryderyk Chopin Institute, runs from October 2 to October 23.
The Polish Press Agency is a media partner of the competition. (PAP)
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