Bruce Xiaoyu Liu bags 1st prize in Chopin Piano Competition
The winner of the 18th Chopin competition Canada's Bruce Xiaoyu Liu smiles after the results were announced in Warsaw, Poland, Oct. 21, 2021. (AFP Photo)


Canadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu became the winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition, which was held for the 18th time in Poland’s Warsaw, on Thursday.

The decision came after several hours of deliberations by a 17-person international jury. The winner receives a 40,000 euro ($46,620) prize and gold medal.

The second prize ex aequo went to Alexander Gadjiev and Kyohei Sorita, while Martin Garcia Garcia came in third.

The competition, named after the famed Polish composer Frederic Chopin, started in 1927. It is held every five years. Its 18th edition was scheduled to take place in 2020 but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.