From February 20 to March 1, the 9th US National Chopin Piano Competition was organized by the Chopin Foundation of the United States in Miami. Following eight days of grueling competition, the nine Competition Jury members—Agustin Anievas, Chair, Sergei Babayan, Ian Hobson, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Kevin Kenner, Dean Kramer, Jon Nakamatsu, Katarżyna Popowa-Zydroń and Margarita Shevchenko—announced the prize winners on March 2.
Finalists:
- First Prize: ERIC LU (b. 1997)—$75,000 plus automatic acceptance to the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in October 2015, and a concert tour in the USA and abroad
- Second Prize: RACHEL NAOMI KUDO (b. 1987)—$35,000 plus automatic acceptance to the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in October 2015
- Third Prize: GEORGE LI (b. 1995)—$20,000
- Fourth Prize: ERIC ZUBER (b. 1985)—$10,000
- Fifth Prize: JOSHUA WRIGHT (b. 1987)—$5,000
- Sixth Prize: ALEXANDER BEYER (b. 1995)—$4,000
Special Prizes ($1,000 each):
- Best Mazurka: Joshua Wright
- Best Polonaise: Rachel Naomi Kudo
- Best Sonata: George Li
- Best Concerto: Eric Lu
Winners of the third through six prizes also receive a paid trip to Warsaw, Poland, this April, to enable participation in the Preliminary Round of the International Chopin Piano Competition (if selected). The five semi-finalists not advanced to the finals receive $1,000 each.
[Source: press release via chopin.org]