Yulianna Avdeeva, performing on a Yamaha Yamaha CFX concert grand piano, has been awarded the first grand prize in the finals of the 16th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition (Chopin Competition), which were held in Warsaw, Poland, from October 18 to October 20, 2010 (local time).

The CFX concert grand, which was introduced in May this year, is Yamaha’s flagship model and incorporates all the best of Yamaha’s piano manufacturing technology. This was the first time for the CFX to be selected officially at a major international piano competition as well as the first time for a piano made in Japan to win first place at the time-honored Chopin Competition.

The Chopin Competition was first held in 1927 and has subsequently been held every five years, with the exception of period during World War II. The competition is dedicated to great composer and pianist Frederic Chopin, who was born in Poland, and is one of the most-prestigious piano competitions in the world. The Chopin Competition has become known as the gateway to success and produced many of the world’s great pianists.

The Chopin Competition this year coincided with the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, and it was held from September 30 through October 23 in the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall in Warsaw, Poland. A total of 78 pianists participated, performing on the officially recognized instruments of four piano manufacturers, including Yamaha. The competition is held in four stages, and 10 of the pianists selected in the first three stages go on to compete in the fourth and final stage. This time, four of the finalists performed on the CFX, and Avdeeva won the first grand prize with her brilliant performances.

Avdeeva was born in 1985 in Moscow, and, at 25, she is currently a student of the Gnesinykh Russian Academy of Music. She has already attracted considerable attention as one of the most-promising of up-and-coming pianists.

Yamaha has been selected as one of the official providers of pianos for the Chopin Competition since 1985. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth and is also the year that Yamaha introduced its CFX concert grand pianos to the world. Yamaha is pleased to have been able to offer its full support in this way.

Yamaha will continue to offer its highest-quality pianos and state-of-the-art tuning technology for international competitions, supporting the development of young musicians around the world. Drawing on the feedback from performers, Yamaha will continue to make even further improvements in its pianos in the years to come.