Over 500 pianists from 53 countries have submitted their application for the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition, which is to open in Warsaw on October 2. It is a record number in the almost 100-year history of the competition, the organizer, Fryderyk Chopin Institute, says. In 2015, 452 pianists applied, and in 2010, only 353.
The most represented countries are China (over 100 applications), Japan (over 90 applications) and Poland (over 60 applications). There are strong representations from the USA, Canada, South Korea, Russia, Italy and France. The pianists applied from such various places as: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Georgia, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. The age range is between 16 and 30; more than half of the candidates are between 21 and 23; the 30 youngest are 16 or 17 years old.
By March 9, a selection panel will announce the names of 160 pianists who will be invited to Warsaw to participate in the Preliminaries, scheduled for the second half of April. Eighty of them will access to the competition in October.
