The Warsaw Philharmonic Hall is the venue tonight of the third, and last, concert of the prize winners of the International Chopin Piano Competition, which ended on Wednesday.

During yesterday’s concert, all the pianists were given a tumultuous ovation. Second Prize winner Ingolf Wunder of Austria, the audience favourite, gave as many as six encores.

Fourth Prize winner, Yevgeni Bozhanov of Bulgaria, left Warsaw before the prize winners concerts, dissatisfied, as some sources say, with the jury verdict.

According to the competition rules, all the prize winners are obliged to perform in these concerts. As a consequence of his decision, the Bulgarian pianist has not received the 15, 000 euro cash award.

Numerous non-statutory prizes have also been awarded. First Prize winner Yulianna Avdeeva of Russia will give two concerts with the New York Philharmonic and two with the NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo. She has also been invited to play with the Warsaw Philharmonic in Japan and to take part in next year’s Ruhr Piano Festival in Germany.

Poland’s Marcin Koziak has received a special award for the best Polish pianist who failed to qualify to the final round. He will give a series of recitals in Switzerland. (mk)