Open this photo in gallery: Canadian pianist Ryan Wang, 18, will compete in the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw in October.Anna Liminowicz /The Globe and Mail

One of the world’s most prestigious classical piano competitions opens this week in Warsaw with 84 participants from 20 countries, including five Canadians.

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition has been held every five years since 1927 and is considered by many to be the piano Olympics. Canada’s Bruce Liu won the 2020 competition, which took place in 2021 because of the pandemic.

The contest is open to musicians aged 16 to 30 and is renowned for its pressure-cooker atmosphere and drama.