He walked away with $30,000 and a spot in next fall’s International Chopin Competition in Poland - one of the world’s most prestigious piano contests.Ī lot of hard work has led to this moment, starting with his first lessons at age 3. 29 at the National Chopin Piano Competition in Miami earned him the second-place prize. The 21-year-old Minneapolis native had played Chopin hundreds - if not thousands - of times before, but this time the stakes were higher.
A gentle, introspective expression passed over Evren Ozel’s face as he began playing the melody of Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E minor, Op.
