Calgary’s Kevin Chen wins silver medal at International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

Kevin Chen performs during the 3rd stage of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Poland, 16th of October, 2025.

Canada’s Kevin Chen won the silver medal at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition on Monday in Poland.

Born in Calgary in 2005, Chen made his orchestral debut with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and is now based in Hanover, Germany, according to his competition biography.

Chen, 20, was one of five Canadians who competed in this year’s event, held every five years in Warsaw, Poland. He was joined by fellow Canadian pianists Athena Deng, Eric Guo, Ryan Wang and Victoria Wong, who were among dozens of competitors from Asia, North America and Europe.

He has since performed with ensembles including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Hungarian National Orchestra and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.

Chen has also appeared at prominent venues and festivals around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, and St John’s Smith Square in London.

He won the 2022 Geneva International Music Competition and the 2023 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv.

American Eric Lu won the gold medal, which comes with a cash prize of just under $100,000.

China’s Zitong Wang took the bronze medal.

The winners were announced just after 6:30 p.m. MST live on YouTube.

The nearly 100-year-old event was inspired by the Olympic Games. Named after the famed Polish composer Frederic Chopin, it is held every five years in Warsaw around Oct. 17, the anniversary of Chopin’s death.

Later this week, the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition will hold its semi-finals and finals at Jack Singer Hall in Calgary.

With files from CTV’s Kendra Mangione and Tammy Ibrahimpoor and Reuters