About XIV Chopin Competition Edition

During the 14th Chopin Competition, which fell at the turn of the millennium, many talented pianists from the Far East appeared on the concert platform of the Warsaw Philharmonic.

One could hardly say that the chronological watershed brought the anticipated artistic breakthrough to the Competition. Once again, there was no pianist who succeeded in interpreting the Polish idiom contained in the mazurkas or who captivated listeners with the brillant style of the concerto which he or she performed. The prize for the best performance of a polonaise went to two Chinese pianists: the winner of Fourth Prize, Sa Chen, and the overall winner, Yundi Li. The jury was inclined to withhold the First Prize yet again, but there were fears about possible accusations that the Competition’s standing had been lowered.

Once more, a second-time entrant gained success. The Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter, winner of Second Prize, had not even qualified for the third round five years earlier. The audience’s affections were won by the Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa. Her striking personality was also appreciated by the jury, which awarded her a distinction. The pianist’s sudden death, in 2012, cut short her blossoming career.