'Of course, it matters that I am the first Malaysian to reach the finals of the competition. But it does not matter in the sense that all people, irrespective of their origin, love music,' said Ong before his finals performance last Saturday in Warsaw, Poland. Photo: Wojciech Grzedzinski for NIFC
Penang-born pianist Vincent Ong, 24, has brought pride to Malaysia by securing fifth place at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland.
As the first Malaysian to reach the finals of this prestigious competition, Ong was awarded a laureate title and a prize of 25,000 euros (RM123,000). Ong shares joint fifth place with Polish pianist Piotr Alexewicz.
The results were announced early this morning (Malaysian time), with the 17-member jury - led by veteran pianist Garrick Ohlsson - naming American pianist Eric Lu, 27, the winner of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.
Canada's Kevin Chen, 20, finished second and China's Zitong Wang, 26, came third.
Chopin celebration
The final round concerts took place from Oct 18-20. Each pianist performed Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61 and one of the two piano concertos, either in E minor, Op. 11, or in F minor, Op. 21, accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Andrzej Boreyko.
Chopin's work Polonaise-Fantaisie is considered notoriously difficult to master.
“Of course, it matters that I am the first Malaysian to reach the finals of the competition. But it does not matter in the sense that all people, irrespective of their origin, love music,” said Ong to the Polish Press Agency before his finals performance last Saturday, which captivated the audience at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the venue of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.
Ong performed on a Shigeru Kawai piano.
His achievement in reaching the competition finals, organised by Poland's Fryderyk Chopin Institute, is expected to further elevate his growing profile and expand his international fanbase.
Established in 1927, the competition is renowned for launching international piano careers and remains one of the few major contests devoted entirely to a single composer – demanding both mastery and personal interpretation of Chopin’s works.
Previous winners of the competition include some of the biggest names in classical music, including Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich and Krystian Zimerman.
This year saw a record 642 pianists register for the qualifiers, with 84, all born between 1995 and 2009, advancing to compete in Warsaw. Eleven contestants reached the finals.
A rising star
Born in 2001, Ong began playing the piano at the age of four. He attended Heng Ee High School in George Town, playing as a choir pianist, before pursuing formal musical training under Malaysian pianist-composer Ng Chong Lim.
He is currently pursuing his studies with Eldar Nebolsin at the Hochschule fur Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin.
He has received guidance from renowned pianists such as Elisabeth Leonskaja, Natalia Trull, and Boris Berman.
Ong’s first major success came with a win at the International Taipei Maestro Piano Festival in 2019, followed by sixth place at the Singapore International Piano Competition (2020) and first prize at the International Robert Schumann Competition (2024).
He is also a recipient of the Maurice Ravel Piano Prize from the Susanne Scholten Foundation, a Clavarte Foundation scholarship from Switzerland, and the Lucia-Loeser Scholarship from his university.
