About the XIII edition of the Chopin Competition

The 13th Chopin Competition is associated with the addition of another work with orchestra to the programme of the final besides a concerto, with the pianists offered the choice among the Variations on Mozart’s ‘Là ci darem la mano’, Fantasy on Polish Airs and Rondo à la Krakowiak. This was also the first edition of the Competition in which pianists were obliged to include a video cassette of a thirty-minute recording of their Chopin interpretations with their applications.

As five years earlier, the jury failed to find among the participants an artist whose talent, abilities and personality merited the Grand Prix. Second Prize was awarded equally to the French pianist Philippe Giusiano and the public’s favourite Alexei Sultanov. The Russian pianist, who saw himself as the favourite, demonstrated his dissatisfaction at the verdict by boycotting the prize-winners’ concert; ultimately, however, he decided to perform in the repeat concert.
For the only time in the Competition’s history, none of the three special prizes (for the best performance of mazurkas, a polonaise and a concerto) was awarded.