Deutsche Grammophon releases album by Eric Lu, 
winner of the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition, 
and continues collaboration with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute

Deutsche Grammophon is releasing an exclusive album featuring highlights from the performances of Eric Lu, winner of the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition. The American pianist was awarded the first prize by the jury after the final round in Warsaw. The recordings of his performances were made live during the traditional music competition (the “Olympics of the piano world” - New York Times) and will be released on CD by Deutsche Grammophon on November 21st.

A record number of over 640 young artists from the farthest corners of the world applied to participate in the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition. After 15 days of auditions and 102 hours of Chopin’s music, the 17-member jury, chaired by Garrick Ohlsson, awarded First Prize to 27-year old, US-born Eric Lu.  His interpretations “delighted with their maturity, subtlety, and extraordinary sense of phrasing – this is pianism of the highest order, in a spirit that would have been close to Chopin’s heart.” (Marta Cienkowska, Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage)

The collaboration between the Fryderyk Chopin Institute and Deutsche Grammophon began in 2015, when the label released an album by the winner immediately after the conclusion of the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition. Seong-Jin Cho's debut recording – a selection from the recital rounds and the final – stormed the pop charts in his native South Korea and led to an exclusive contract for the artist with Deutsche Grammophon in January 2016. The victory at the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition in 2021 went to the then 24-year-old Canadian pianist Bruce Liu. Like Seong-Jin Cho before him, Liu has since enjoyed great success on the concert stage and in the recording studio and has signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon.