Betind the scenes notes. The 3rd laureates’ concert

The waltz played as an encore by first-prize winner Eric Lu at the third concert of laureates on Thursday was the last piece of Chopin’s music played during the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Unlike the previous two concerts, when many awards were handed out, the last one was almost entirely devoted to music. The one exception was a brief awarding of the audience’s prize diploma to the outstanding stage personality, Piotr Alexewicz. This distinction is bounded with a special recital by the pianist at the Warsaw Philharmonic; the date is currently being determined

Each of the statutory prize winners – from Adam Kałduński to Eric Lu – played Chopin piece for piano solo, and the event culminated in Eric Lu’s lively performance of the Concerto in F minor, with the Warsaw Philharmonic’s orchestra, led by Andrzej Boreyko. After a standing ovation, Eric Lu played a waltz as an encore, thus ending the Competition.

With my journalist friends with whom I worked for three weeks, we regretted that the time has gone by so quickly.  

I have always been amazed by how Japanese women were always dressed in beautiful, elegant clothes for each session and each stage of the Competition, to stress the high profile of the event. It was like that this time, too. In dresses made from top quality fabrics, they were taking their last souvenir photos.  

As usual, there was a queue before the ticket office, hoping for passes.

The third prize winner, Zitong Wang, slipped while leaving the stage after her performance and fell. She quickly got up and waved to the audience to let them know that everything was OK. Backstage, I was told that she laughed about that stumble and that she was fine.

Off stage, the last cases with equipment that had served for the live transmissions were being packed. The artists’ canteen was almost deserted. In the foyer, the audience was quite hectically seizing the last chance to buy souvenirs from the Competition and from Poland.

Monika Ścisłowska-Sakowicz