Rafal Blechacz, Pianist February 11, 2011

In October 2005, the then-20-year-old Rafal Blechacz, an unassuming young man from a small town in northern Poland, arrived in Warsaw for the 15th International Chopin Competition. His sensational performance won not only the competition, but also all four special prizes for the polonaise, mazurka, sonata, and concerto performances -- in fact, one of the judges remarked that he "so outclassed the remaining finalists that no second prize could actually be awarded." Blechacz was the first Pole to win the prize since Krystian Zimerman 30 years earlier. Notwithstanding his young age, his playing offers poetry, maturity, poise and concentration, as well as a phenomenal and luminous technique.