Nashville Chopin, Led by Artistic Director Graciella Kowalczyk, Announces Winners of Its Inaugural Amateur Edition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - EntSun -- The Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition (NICPC) has announced the winners of its First Amateur Edition following two days of live performances on October 9 and 10, 2026, in Collins Alumni Auditorium at Lipscomb University. Jim Chou, a physician from New York, won First Prize. Charl de Wet, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician from St. Louis, Missouri, earned Second Prize, and Benjamin Alwes of Chicago, Illinois, took Third Prize. The competition jury was chaired by Dr. Graciella Kowalczyk, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition.

The inaugural Amateur Edition welcomed 31 pianists from six countries: the United States, Japan, South Korea, Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Open to pianists age 35 and over who do not derive their principal income from piano performance, instruction, or composition, the competition brought together physicians, engineers, scientists, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a professor, and a pastor. Stepping away from clinics, laboratories, classrooms, and offices, all 31 competitors performed in Friday's First Round on October 9, with Saturday's Final concluding on October 10.

"I am completely blown away by the extraordinary level of talent displayed over the last few days," said Dr. Kowalczyk. "Calling these musicians 'amateurs' doesn't do them justice—the technical mastery and depth of understanding on that stage was nothing short of world-class. More than anything, I was moved to tears by the sheer sincerity and highest level of artistry they brought to the music. Every performance felt like a deeply personal story, delivered straight from the heart. It was a true honor not only to listen to them perform but also to meet these wonderful, passionate individuals. Thank you to all the pianists for sharing your souls with us this weekend."

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"As someone who began in the concert hall before moving into finance and business, I know that the love of the piano never leaves you when your career takes a different path," said Joshua Izzard, Administrative Director and co-founder of the competition. "Graciella built this competition to offer pianists a fair, transparent, and deeply serious artistic stage, and this edition opened that stage to musicians who have kept Chopin at the center of full lives and demanding professions. Congratulations to Jim, Charl, Benjamin, and our four genre prize winners, and our sincere thanks to Lipscomb University and to Rex and Edwina Gardner."

Alongside the top three prizes, the jury awarded the Rex & Edwina Gardner Genre Prizes, given by competition friends Rex and Edwina Gardner to recognize the finest performances of Chopin works across four iconic forms. All four honors went to performances from Friday's First Round: Mark Cannon of Larchmont, New York, won the Mazurka Prize for the Mazurka in C minor, Op. 30, No. 1; Robert Finley of Northborough, Massachusetts, received the Nocturne Prize for the Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1; Diana Cusano of Louisville, Kentucky, earned the Scherzo Prize for the Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20; and Jonathan Shih of Seattle, Washington, took the Impromptu Prize for the Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp major, Op. 36.

Joining Dr. Kowalczyk on the seven-member jury were Elisabeth Pridonoff, Emeritus Professor of Piano at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Jerome Reed, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Piano at Lipscomb University; Robert Marler, Professor of Piano at Belmont University and Principal Keyboardist of the Nashville Symphony; Zsolt Bognár, concert pianist, broadcaster, and host of Living the Creative Life; Vladimir Petrov, laureate of the 2025 Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition; and Joshua Izzard, Administrative Director of the competition, who served as tiebreaker.

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The First Amateur Edition marks the latest milestone in the rapid growth of the Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition under Dr. Kowalczyk's artistic leadership. Co-founded by Dr. Kowalczyk and Joshua Izzard in 2022, the competition, where she serves as Artistic Director and President of the Board, held its inaugural edition in October 2023 and its second edition at Lipscomb University in December 2025. A French-born, Polish-raised pianist who holds a doctorate in piano performance from the University of Kansas, Dr. Kowalczyk has performed as a soloist in more than fifteen countries, from early appearances at Chopin's birthplace in Żelazowa Wola to the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Kölner Philharmonie, and Ed Landreth Auditorium in Fort Worth. Her recording of fugues and postludes by Canadian-Armenian composer Ashot Ariyan is available on the RMN Classical label.

Beyond the flagship Nashville competitions, Dr. Kowalczyk serves as Artistic Director of Chopin in Cyprus, the organization's international piano festival and concerto competition launched in Nicosia in June 2025, and serves on the faculty of Chopin in Bohemia, its summer program for gifted pianists held in Teplice, Czech Republic, in July 2026. In Nashville, she is also President and Artistic Director of Music City Chopin, whose Piano Rainbow initiative gives upright pianos to Metro Nashville public schools, where students paint and decorate them.

Continuing her work as a pedagogue whose students regularly win prizes across the United States, Dr. Kowalczyk is opening a piano academy in Nashville dedicated to the study of Chopin and the preparation of pianists for competitions and auditions. Details are available at https://graciellaacademy.nashvillechopin.org.

Both days of competition were streamed live and remain available for replay at https://amateur.nashvillechopin.org/live. Complete results are published at https://amateur.nashvillechopin.org/results, and competitor profiles and repertoire can be viewed at https://amateur.nashvillechopin.org.