Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Juries and top three prize winners

 

The 10th International Piano Competition “City of Vigo” took place in Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain, from August 8th to 14th, with the selection of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano as the official instrument for the event.

 

At this memorable 10th edition, one of the greatest pianists in the world, Martha Argerich, who has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Kawai, served as president of the jury.

This is the fourth time that Kawai has collaborated with its official distributors in Spain, Bilbao Trading Partnership S. L.
And the competition's top prize is designated the “Shigeru Kawai” Prize, named after the official piano used for the competition.

One of Kawai’s most esteemed piano technicians, MPA (Master Piano Artisan) Kazuya Ohara from Kawai Japan, and a piano technician apprentice from Japan, Tsubasa Miyahara, also played a pivotal role at the International Piano Competition "City of Vigo ". They diligently worked on not only crafting the sound, but also contestant support through active communication.

 

Mr. Kazuya Obara (MPA from Kawai Japan)

 

 

■ 10th International Piano Competition “City of Vigo”: Final Results

 

 

 

1st prize winner - Yang Gao

First of all, congratulations on becoming a finalist and receiving a prize. Could you tell us a little about what went through your mind when you heard the result?

It’s impossible to say I wasn’t stressed at all when waiting for the results of the Grand Final. But on the other hand, making into the Grand Final and booking a top-3 in the competition did bring some kind of relief to me. The good feeling of the final’s performance added another level of excitement. The First Prize result is such an honor with significance to me. That probably made one of my happiest evenings.

 

You performed on the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX during the competition. What was it like to play this instrument? Did you feel that it brought out something special in your interpretation?

I love that instrument—absolutely in love. I chose to play on the Shigeru Kawai during last year’s Chopin Competition because I found the singing quality of the tone extremely satisfying. I take the ability to sing on the piano very highly and Shigeru Kawai would be the perfect choice for the long, vibrant sound. I feel very delighted the SK-EX piano was the one used in the Vigo competition. I enjoyed quite much the diversity of tone colors and layers. I could treat the piano as an experimental field on stage and turn the performance into an improvisatory fantasy.

 

What place does music, and especially the piano, have in your life?

I can’t imagine my life without music. Music serves to me as a magical mirror. It could reflect the most subtle emotions and could project stunning images through the colors of the sound. Also as a pianist, I could see myself in this mirror and search for my personal artistic expression. It is a way for me to observe the world, and also a way to realize myself better.

 

When you perform, what would you like to convey through your music—to your audience, to society, or even to yourself?

The top goal of my performance is to be enlightening. Every piece I learned and performed is one that I have a personal take to interpret. I don’t think any performance would be successful or even “correct” without evoking the audience’s urge to listen (composers would probably wish their pieces to be moving, too). Music is a language, but it is so abstract that you don’t see particular words or catch anything in the air. The language only works between an urge to present an interpretation and an urge to receive.

 

Looking ahead, what are your hopes and aspirations as a pianist? Are there any particular goals, repertoire, or musical projects you would like to pursue?

For me as a pianist, I simply would like to perform a wider range of repertoire, and perhaps getting more involved into experimental projects with collaborations. I particularly enjoy working with composers and discuss about ideas. I think arts is all about ideas that reflect and speak. Building a sharp mind and come up with creative ways to present music would be my way to go. More specifically, I’m very curious about innovative programs. I enjoy build a program that serves as an artistic narrative and connect the composers and works together.

 

 

 

2nd prize winner: Park Hyo-Eun

First of all, congratulations on becoming a finalist and receiving a prize. Could you tell us a little about what went through your mind when you heard the result?

Thank you for your congratulations. First of all, as all the contestants who performed with me in the final were such outstanding pianists, I was actually in a state of mind where I would have been delighted to receive any prize. Furthermore, whilst I had simply embraced music as a way to feel truly alive, I could sense the overwhelming affection from the judges, the audience and my fellow musicians, so I was already deeply moved and grateful even before the results were announced. However, I was truly surprised to receive the Audience Award, and I was delighted that my sincerity seemed to have resonated so well with the audience.

 

You performed on the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX during the competition. What was it like to play this instrument? Did you feel that it brought out something special in your interpretation?

When I play the piano on stage, I imagine hearing my own sound coming from the far end of the stage. At such times, I feel that how well my sound carries across that space depends on the piano’s capabilities. Throughout the Vigo Competition, whenever I played the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX on stage, I felt that my sound filled the entire space without drifting aimlessly in the air or dissipating; the sound returned to me and filled me completely. This sensation allowed me to forget everything and immerse myself in the music in a state of complete absorption. Needless to say, the piano boasts exquisite pedals, a rich variety of timbres, and a multi-layered, delicate keyboard. I believe that the more an artist meticulously studies touch and sound on the piano, the more they are bound to love a Shigeru Kawai piano.

 

What place does music, and especially the piano, have in your life?

The piano is like a clear mirror that reveals my most authentic self. As I can never be false or hypocritical in front of the piano, the time I spend playing is when I feel humblest. At the same time, it is also the time when I feel the lightest. Whilst there is pain that we inevitably face and must bear in life, we sometimes carry a burden heavier than we ought to due to excessive ambition. When I play the piano, I encounter my most genuine self; it feels as though I am facing a version of myself stripped of all impurities—my lightest, most natural self. Seen in this light, one could say that the piano is what sets me free the most.

 

When you perform, what would you like to convey through your music—to your audience, to society, or even to yourself?

There is nothing other than the music itself. All I can do is strive to grasp the composer’s intention as closely as possible, and to listen to and absorb exactly what the music reveals to me; if I were to go beyond this and introduce intentions other than those of the music, it would become unnatural. In fact, as the ‘process of listening to what the music reveals to me’ is in itself a process in which my own subjectivity is involved, the music that emerges through me will already be imbued with what is essential to me—provided, that is, I have approached that music with sincerity. On the other hand, even when encountering the same piece of music, every individual and every group may perceive it quite differently; if they can simply encounter the music itself and themselves as they are, I could ask for nothing more.

 

Looking ahead, what are your hopes and aspirations as a pianist? Are there any particular goals, repertoire, or musical projects you would like to pursue?

I experience great joy when I feel that I am listening to a single piece of music together with other performers, and so I harbor a desire to explore chamber music in its full breadth. Furthermore, although I realize I still have much to learn, performing the complete works of Brahms is one of my lifelong ambitions.

 

 

 

 

■ Final Round Performance

 

 

 

 

■ About the International Piano Competition “City of Vigo”

 

The International Piano Competition City of Vigo is a piano competition held annually in the city of Vigo (Pontevedra, Spain). This competition was founded by Mr. Pablo Galdo, the actual artistic director, and its first edition took place in the year 2017. In this competition, there is no minimum or maximum age limit. Additionally, participants have the freedom to choose their repertoire. To select candidates, a preselection was always done. The organization of the competition is carried out by the Classical Music Association of Galicia.

 

Official website: https://www.vigopianocompetition.com/

 

 

■ About the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano

 

Unveiled in 2001 as the flagship instrument of the Shigeru Kawai line, the SK-EX concert grand piano is hand-crafted in limited numbers following a unique ‘prototyping’ creation process. In order to achieve the supreme range of expression required in a concert piano, each instrument utilizes a variety of carefully selected materials, with premium aged spruce soundboards. Shigeru Kawai instruments adopt the advanced Millennium III keyboard action, featuring extended wooden keys and advanced ABS Carbon action parts, providing superior speed and responsiveness than conventional wooden action parts, allowing pianists to express a greater range of feeling and emotion in their performance.

Shigeru Kawai official website: https://www.shigerukawai.jp/en/