Rafał Blechacz (born June 30, 1985 Nakło n. Notecią, Poland) is a Polish classical pianist.
On October 21, 2005, he became the sole recipient of all five first prizes at the 15th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, taking First Prize and the polonaise, mazurka, sonata, and concerto prizes. According to ABC News, one of the judges, Professor Piotr Paleczny, said that Blechacz "so outclassed the remaining finalists that no second prize could actually be awarded." Another judge, the distinguished Irish pianist John O'Conor, said "He is one of the greatest artists I have had a chance to hear in my entire life," according to PBS. Blechacz was the first Pole to win the prize (given every five years) since 1975, when Krystian Zimerman won.
Blechacz completed his secondary education in the National Arthur Rubinstein Music School in Bydgoszcz and in May 2007 he graduated from the Feliks Nowowiejski Music Academy in Bydgoszcz with professor Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. He is also a winner of second prize at the Artur Rubinstein in Memoriam Piano Competition in Bydgoszcz (2002), 4th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (2003), and a winner of the Grand Prix at the International Piano Competition in Morocco in 2004.
