III International Chopin Piano Competition

The III International Chopin Piano Competition (III Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina) was held from 21 February to 13 March 1937 in Warsaw. It was the last competition before the outbreak of World War II, and the competition would not be held again until 1949.

80 pianists from 22 countries took part in the competition, including two participants from Japan. Contestants could choose between pianos manufactured by Bechstein, Bösendorfer, Pleyel and Steinway. Soviet pianist Yakov Zak was awarded the first prize.

Awards


Out of 80 pianists in the elimination stage, 21 were admitted to the final, where they performed two consecutive movements of one of Chopin's two piano concertos with the Warsaw Philharmonic.

The two female Japanese pianists Miwa Kai and Chieko Hara received great acclaim among critics and the public. When news broke that Hara, who reached the final, was not among the prize-winners and was merely awarded an honorable mention, a commotion broke out. Fearing that the frenzied crowd would cause damage to the Philharmonic, industrialist Stanisław Meyer sponsored a special award for Hara.



The following prizes were awarded:

Two special prizes were awarded:

Jury
The jury consisted of:


 * 🇮🇹 Guido Agosti
 * 🇩🇪 Wilhelm Backhaus (vice-chairman)
 * 🇮🇹 Attilo Brugnoli
 * 🇵🇱 Zofia Buckiewiczowa
 * 🇵🇱 Marian Dąbrowski
 * 🇵🇱 Zbigniew Drzewiecki
 * 🇨🇭 Emil Frey
 * 🇩🇪 Alfred Hoehn
 * 🇭🇺 Imre Keeri-Szano
 * 🇫🇷 Lazare Lévy
 * 🇬🇷 Loris Margaritis
 * 🇵🇱 Eugeniusz Morawski-Dąbrowa
 * Heinrich Neuhaus
 * 🇨🇭 Marie Panthès
 * 🇫🇷 Isidor Philipp (vice-chairman)
 * 🇵🇱 Zofia Rabcewicz
 * 🇵🇱 Lucyna Robowska
 * 🇩🇪 Richard Rössler
 * 🇦🇹 Emil von Sauer (vice-chairman)
 * 🇱🇻 Paul Schubert
 * 🇭🇺 Imre Stefaniai
 * 🇧🇬 Andrei Stojanow
 * 🇵🇱 Stefan Śledziński
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Śmidowicz
 * 🇧🇷 Magda Tagliaferro
 * 🇵🇱 Józef Turczyński
 * 🇵🇱 Adam Wieniawski (chairman)
 * 🇵🇱 Bolesław Woytowicz (secretary)
 * 🇵🇱 Jerzy Żurawlew