About XV Chopin Competition Edition

Rafał Blechacz – all the unforgettable emotions of the 15th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition are associated with that name. The Polish artist became the most decorated pianist in the history of the Competition, winning not only First Prize, but also all the special prizes (for the best performance of mazurkas, polonaise and concerto), as well as the prize funded by Krystian Zimerman for the best performance of a sonata and the audience prize. In the final, while the last chords of the Piano Concerto in E minor performed by Rafał Blechacz were still resounding, an eruption of genuine euphoria broke out among the audience. The orchestra, bringing the work to a close, could not be heard! The verdict was easy to predict.

Several crucial changes appeared in the rules of the 15th Competition: it was decided to precede the competition proper with a qualifying round, since the organisers found selecting participants solely on the basis of video recordings to be not wholly reliable. The Competition was divided into three stages. The jury’s assessment system was simplified: marking on a scale from 1 to 25 was replaced by voting ‘yes’ or ‘no’. An additional points scale from 1 to 100 was treated as secondary. The assessments of all the judges remained secret.

For the first time, the Competition was broadcast in its entirety on radio, television and the Internet.