The Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition was established in 2017 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd.
The competition aims to contribute to the development of musical culture and foster international exchange by discovering and nurturing the next generation of pianists from around the world.
The competition is distinguished by two key features:
First, Shigeru Kawai grand pianos are utilized throughout the competition. The Shigeru Kawai full concert piano "SK-EX," which is played from the First Round through the Final Round, has been selected as the official piano of numerous prestigious international piano competitions since its debut in 2001.
Renowned for its ability to produce a wide range of tonal colors according to the artist's inspiration, the SK-EX continues to earn high acclaim from pianists and audiences worldwide.
Second, the Final Round repertoire uniquely features a "Piano Concerto performed by two pianos."
Adopted from the second edition of the competition, this format tasks finalists with performing a concerto where the orchestral accompaniment is played on a second piano by a world-renowned artist.
In the 5th edition, the finalists were supported by two distinguished collaborative pianists: Andrey Pisarev, an internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Head of the Piano Department and Professor at the Moscow Conservatory; and Alexei Melnikov, an exceptional young virtuoso who also studied under the late Prof. Sergei Dorensky, like Prof. Pisarev.
By performing alongside these world-class artists, the finalists were able to explore the profound expressive possibilities of the piano concerto and fully showcase their individual musical artistry.
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