Schubert: The Impromptus Opp. 90 & 142

Eric Lu is the First Prize Winner of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition – the highest honour in the world's most prestigious and oldest piano competition. The official award ceremony took place on 20th October 2025 at the Teatr Wielki – National Opera in Warsaw.

“I have a real sense of a journey with these works, in particular with Op. 90, having lived with them intensely in preparation, on stage and, finally, in the recording studio,” he says. “For me, the Impromptus are some of the greatest jewels in the piano literature. They are magnificent, deep pieces of music, and the very essence of Schubert.” 

The sense of an inner journey is ever present in the Impromptus, where emotions continually shift and struggle. While the Op. 90 set has, on the surface, a generally equable mood, this feeling is fragile.