Winners Announced in Kosciuszko Foundation 2008 Chopin Piano Competition

An unusually strong pool of players yielded shared prizes in the 59th Annual Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, held earlier this month at the Foundation's headquarters and at the Hunter College's Lang Recital Hall.

Hui WU, a native of Guangzhou, China; and Jonathan FLORIL, born in Madrid, shared First Prize; Floril was also awarded the Jan Gorbaty Prize for the best performance of music of Chopin. Andrew Tyson, a native of Durham, North Carolina; and Larry Weng, born in Nanning, China, shared Second Prize.

The jury consisted of Chair David Dubal, noted lecturer, writer, and broadcaster; Howard Aibel, concert pianist and founding editor of New York Concert Review; and Jed Distler, composer, pianist, and contributor to numerous publications.

Hui Wu is a 20 year old junior at The Juilliard School, where she studies with Jerome Lowenthal. She has won competitions and performed extensively throughout the United States, Germany, and China.

Jonathan Floril is an 18 year old sophomore at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studies with Solomon Mikowsky. He has won twenty first prizes in national (Spanish) and international competition.

Andrew Tyson is a 21 year old junior at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he studies with Claude Frank. Larry Weng is a 20 year old student at both the Juilliard School, where he studies with Jerome Lowenthal, and at Columbia University, where he is an economics major.

The Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition was established in 1949, on the 100th anniversary of the death of Fryderyk Chopin; the opening celebration took place at the Kosciuszko Foundation House, with Witold Malcuzynski as guest artist, and Abram Chasins, composer and music director of the New York Times radio stations, presiding over the special centennial program. Held annually since then, the competition is proud to number many outstanding pianists among its winners, including Van Cliburn, Murray Perahia, and Ian Hobson.

The objective of the Chopin Piano Competition is to encourage highly talented young musicians of all backgrounds, and to promote study and performance of the works of Chopin, Szymanowski, and other Polish composers. The competition is open to citizens or permanent residents of the United States, and international full time students, between the ages of 16 and 22.

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