| The Third International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition | |
| Venue: | National Philharmonic, Warsaw |
| Holder Label: | Winner |
| Holder: | Yakov Zak |
| Previous: | 2nd |
| Main: | Chopin Competition |
| Next: | 4th |
The III International Chopin Piano Competition (pl|III Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina) was held from 21 February to 13 March 1937 in Warsaw. It was the last competition before the outbreak of World War II, and the competition would not be held again until 1949.
80 pianists from 22 countries took part in the competition, including two participants from Japan. Contestants could choose between pianos manufactured by Bechstein, Bösendorfer, Pleyel and Steinway. Soviet pianist Yakov Zak was awarded the first prize.
Out of 80 pianists in the elimination stage, 21 were admitted to the final, where they performed two consecutive movements of one of Chopin's two piano concertos with the Warsaw Philharmonic.[1]
The two female Japanese pianists and received great acclaim among critics and the public. When news broke that Hara, who reached the final, was not among the prize-winners and was merely awarded an honorable mention, a commotion broke out. Fearing that the frenzied crowd would cause damage to the Philharmonic, industrialist Stanisław Meyer sponsored a special award for Hara.[2]
The following prizes were awarded:[1]
| Prize | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Yakov Zak | ||
| 2nd | Rosa Tamarkina | ||
| 3rd | Witold Małcużyński |  Poland | |
| 4th | Lance Dossor |  United Kingdom | |
| 5th | Agi Jambor |  Hungary | |
| 6th | Edith Axenfeld |  Germany | |
| 7th | Monique de La Bruchollerie |  France | |
| 8th | Jan Ekier | Poland | |
| 9th | |||
| 10th | Poland | ||
| 11th | Pierre Maillard-Verger | France | |
| 12th | Lélia Gousseau | France | |
| 13th | Poland | ||
| Jan Bereżyński | Poland | ||
| Poland | |||
| Márta Blaha | Hungary | ||
| Hungary | |||
| Colette Gaveau | France | ||
| Zbigniew Grzybowski | Poland | ||
 Japan | |||
| Natalia Hornowska-Pęzińska | Poland | ||
| Nina Jemelianowa | |||
| Helena Landau | Poland | ||
| Fryderyk Portnoj | Poland | ||
| Paulina Szmukler | Poland | ||
| France | |||
| Jozsef Weingarten | Hungary | ||
Two special prizes were awarded:
| Special prize | Winner | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Performance of Mazurkas | Yakov Zak | |||
| Best Performances of a Sonata | Lance Dossor | United Kingdom | ||
The jury consisted of:[1]
Guido Agosti Wilhelm Backhaus (vice-chairman) Zofia Buckiewiczowa Marian Dąbrowski Zbigniew Drzewiecki
Emil Frey Alfred Hoehn Lazare Lévy
Marie Panthès Isidor Philipp (vice-chairman) Lucyna Robowska Richard Rössler
Emil von Sauer (vice-chairman)
Magda Tagliaferro Józef Turczyński (chairman) Bolesław Woytowicz (secretary) Jerzy Żurawlew