Leeds winner Eric Lu releases new album

Pianist Eric Lu

One of the rising star pianists today is undoubtedly the 20 year old American Eric Lu who won First Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition 2018 last September. This big win just continued his ascent that started a few years ago when he was just 17 ending up as a prize winner at the 2015 Chopin International Competition.

This year’s Leeds competition kept me and some people I know from my side of the world awake at unholy hours just to experience the music and all the excitement in real time. I think that there was a heightened interest at the competition this year since 2015 First Prize Winner Anna Tsybuleva was a recent guest in the country when she went on tour with violinist Yu-Chien “Benny” Tseng and the Asian Youth Orchestra back in August. Also, the 2009 First Prize Winner Sofya Gulyak have performed here already a handful of times. Since the Philippines have been treated with Leeds winners this past decade, I do wish that Eric Lu follows suit and performs here soon.

While crossing my fingers and waiting for that to happen, I’ll just listen to his newest release, his first under Warner Classics and Erato. This album features the live recordings of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 with the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner, and Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 and Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 from The Leeds International Piano Competition 2018. This album, along with a worldwide management deal with Askonas Holt, is part of the new prize package at the competition introduced this year.

If the album is not enough, watch the competition on demand here via medici.tv. Here are some snippets of Eric from the competition.

P.S.

I hope that I don’t have to cross my fingers for too long.