The 68th Chopin Piano Competition attracted music enthusiasts in the Nation’s Capital.
Congratulations to Yuya Nishimoto from Japan, who won the First Prize ($5,000) in the 2024 Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition. The Competition took place between February 28 and March 3, 2024, in Washington, DC.
Thanks to Yuya and eight other competition semifinalists, Washington, DC, briefly became the Chopin capital of the world. The young pianists showed incredible skills and played their hearts out, performing recitals at St. Ann Catholic Church. Dozens of Chopin music enthusiasts attended the concerts on two consecutive days. After careful deliberation, the jury chose three finalists to perform in the final round. The other participants received master classes from the jury members.
The Competition’s grand finale took place on Sunday, March 3.
Three finalists, Yuya Nishimoto, 21 (Japan), Athena Deng, 21 (Canada), and Antoni Kleczek, 17 (United States), played Chopin concertos with the National Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Piotr Gajewski.
A record audience filled up the entire sanctuary of St. Ann Catholic Church.
The winners were announced later that night during the Award Ceremony at the residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland.
The first-place winner, Yuya Nishimoto ($5,000) also shared the Szymanowski Prize ($1,500) ex aequo with Athena Deng.
The jury gave two Second Prizes ($2,500 each) to Athena Deng and Antoni Kleczek.
All nine participants of the 2024 Competition adored the evening with their short recitals at the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland’s residence.
The 68th Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition would not have been such an incredibly successful event without the esteemed and hard-working jury with Ewa Poblocka (Poland), Akiko Ebi (Japan), Linda Petricova (United States), Krzysztof Jablonski (United States/Poland), and the jury chair, Maestro Piotr Gajewski with the National Philharmonic, and the entire KF Chopin Piano Competition Team.
We appreciate invaluable help from the host families who took our young contestants under their roofs, made them feel at home, and provided good care during their stay in Washington, DC.
We are grateful for the support of WETA Classical, which recorded the recitals and reported daily on the Competition’s highlights.
We appreciate all our partners and sponsors:
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C., and the Consular Division.
Mrs. Wanda OBrien-Trefil for funding the Competition’s Third Prize.
Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins of St. Ann Catholic Church, and Robert Bright, Director of Music. Thank you for allowing us to use this wonderful space and making it a home for the Competition.
The Competition’s history dates back to the early 1950s, making it the oldest Chopin competition in the United States.
The prominent past winners include Van Cliburn, Murray Perahia, Kevin Kenner, Kirill Gerstein, and many others.
Read more about the Competition here.
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