Cho Seong-jin won the 17th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in October.[Photo provided to China Daily]

It's a cold Saturday afternoon and the Beijing Concert Hall is packed. Cho Seong-jin has arrived for his Beijing debut and there are great expectations of the 21-year-old from South Korea who won the prestigious 17th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on Oct 20 this year.

At the concert, he performed pieces that he played in each round of the competition. He played Liszt's La Campanella as an encore, and received an extended ovation.

"This is a great venue. I think I will be coming back here," says the shy pianist after the recital.

Cho also interacted with his Chinese fans by signing copies of his album, a live recording of his performances at the competition. It was released by renowned classical music label Deutsche Grammophon.

Now, the pianist is busy touring, and this includes a concert in Seoul on Feb 2. It has been a long time since Cho's last performance in his home country.

The pianist says that he had been dreaming about participating in the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition for a long time.

Held every five years, the competition has earned a reputation as one of the world's top piano events, paving international careers to many young pianists.