Eric Lu | |||||||
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.png) Lu in 2023 | |||||||
| Born | December 15, 1997 (1997-12-15) (age 27) Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||
| Occupation | Classical pianist | ||||||
| Awards | 1st prize, (2025) | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陸逸軒[1] | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陆逸轩 | ||||||
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| Website | www | ||||||
Eric Lu (born December 15, 1997) is an American classicalpianist. The winner of the 2025XIX International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and the 2018Leeds International Piano Competition, he has performed with many of the world's major orchestras, including theLondon Symphony Orchestra,Chicago Symphony Orchestra,Boston Symphony Orchestra,Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,Los Angeles Philharmonic,Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra,Oslo Philharmonic, and on tour with theOrchestre national de Lille.[2][3]
Lu records forWarner Classics under an exclusive contract,[4][5] and has released critically acclaimed recordings ofBeethoven,Brahms,Chopin,Schubert, andSchumann on the label.[6][7][8][9] Since winning the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition, he is set to release a live album of highlights from his winning performances onDeutsche Grammophon.
Eric Lu was born inMassachusetts on December 15, 1997, to a father fromKaohsiung, Taiwan, and a mother fromShanghai, China.[10] He grew up inBedford, Massachusetts, and started piano studies at age six with Dorothy Shi (杨镜钏) in the Boston area.[10] He later enrolled at theNew England Conservatory Preparatory School, where he studied with pianistsAlexander Korsantia andA. Ramon Rivera. In 2013, he was admitted into theCurtis Institute of Music, where he studied with pianistsJonathan Biss andRobert McDonald. He is also a pupil of classical pianistĐặng Thái Sơn.
In 2015, at age 17, Lu won 4th place at theXVII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw,[11][12][13] becoming one of the youngest laureates in the competition's history. There, he befriendedCharles Richard-Hamelin, who was also a candidate at the time.[14] Shortly afterward, he performed his debut at the 70thInternational Chopin Festival inDuszniki, Poland.[15] He toured Japan and Korea with theWarsaw Philharmonic along with the competition's other prizewinners in January 2016.
In 2017, Lu won theInternational German Piano Award inFrankfurt. He also won the audience prize.[16]
In 2018, at age 20, Lu won First Prize and the gold medal at theLeeds International Piano Competition.[17] He was the first American pianist to win sinceMurray Perahia. He played Beethoven'sPiano Concerto No. 4 in the finals with theHallé Orchestra conducted byEdward Gardner. After winning, he was immediately signed by Askonas Holt andWarner Classics. His first concert was his debut with theRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra andVasily Petrenko. He subsequently played recitals atWigmore Hall, theAmsterdam Concertgebouw,[18] theLouis Vuitton Foundation in Paris,[19] theSaint Petersburg Philharmonia, and theShanghai Grand Theatre.The Guardian wrote of his Bristol recital: "Lu seems already to possess something of the magic touch of early Leeds laureatesMurray Perahia andRadu Lupu".[20]
In June 2019, Lu replacedMartha Argerich in a concert with theSingapore Symphony Orchestra. He made his debut at the 2019BBC Proms at London'sRoyal Albert Hall with theShanghai Symphony Orchestra andYu Long.[21]
In 2022, Lu stepped in on short notice to perform with theChicago Symphony Orchestra andRiccardo Muti, replacingMaurizio Pollini; theChicago Tribune noted Lu's "perfectly idiomatic" interpretation of Mozart'sPiano Concerto No. 27 and his "pliant, gossamer touch".[22]
In 2025, Lu placed first at theXIX International Chopin Piano Competition.[23] He is the second American winner of the competition, afterGarrick Ohlsson in 1970, and the second winner to play Chopin'sPiano Concerto No. 2 afterDang Thai Son in 1980. He is also the only person to have taken part twice and won a prize both times. A live album of performance highlights from the competition will be released byDeutsche Grammophon.[24][25]
Lu records forWarner Classics under an exclusive contract. His first major release was in 2020, of an album of Chopin's24 Preludes, Op. 28; Schumann'sGeistervariationen; and Brahms'sIntermezzo, Op. 117 No. 1.[26][27] Lu followed this with an all-Schubert disc, released in 2022.[28][29]
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