Chopin Competition 2025: Programme Building
The jury's Stage 3 picks had some expected outcomes, such as seasoned candidates Kevin Chen and Eric Lu, who seemed likely to advance from the start.
However, some Stage 2 performances were erratic, including those by Piotr Alexewicz and Piotr Pawlak, yet they still made it to the next stage.
On the other hand, David Khrikuli, William Yang, and Vincent Ong improved significantly in Stage 2, which likely contributed to their advancement.
I regret the elimination of two real artists, Yanyan Bao and Gabriele Strata.
This elimination was surprising, similar to Magdalene Ho's first-round elimination from the 2025 Van Cliburn Competition.
Author's summary: Chopin Competition 2025 jury picks.