Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

 Seo Jun Lim (1st Prize winner of Classic Section)

The 33rd International Piano and Orchestra Competition “Città di Cantù” 2025 was held in Cantù, Italy, from May 6th to 10th, and the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano was chosen as the official piano for the competition.

One of Kawai’s most esteemed piano technician, MPA (Master Piano Artisan) Shinya Kurata from Kawai Europe, also played a pivotal role at the Cantù International Piano Competition. He diligently worked on not only crafting the sound, but also contestant support through active communication.

Maestro Ovidiu Balan (Conductor of the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Romania)

33rd International Piano and Orchestra Competition “Città di Cantù” 2025: Final Result

Comments from prize winners

■ Seo Jun Lim:

First of all, this competition is very unique because there is not so many competitions that the contestants play only Concerto in Competition. And to playing concerto is not common in our life, for example in competition we should go final for playing concerto and for ourselves it is very hard to get a chance to play with orchestra.
So I was very happy to be a part of that competition and that was such an amazing experience for me and also happy to became a 1 prize winner and special prize.
During the competition I played with Kawai and the piano was amazing.
Very sensitive, tuned well and delightful. The piano reacted everything how I touched and also followed my music with me. With that piano I could do anything that I wanted to show. Also the tone was very rich so I just enjoyed playing and felt happy. It was pleasure to play with Shigeru Kawai.
Thank you again for Tuning the Piano!

■ Rina Saito:

This Competition is a rare in which 12 pianists in each category of the classical and romantic sections participate after passing the preliminary round of video screening, and have the opportunity to perform with an orchestra in both the semi-final and final rounds. For me, it was also my first opportunity to perform a piano concerto with an orchestra. The town of Cantu has a relaxed atmosphere, and after the performance, as I walked near the hall, someone casually asked me, ‘You were playing earlier, where do you study?’ The whole town seemed to be supporting the contestants with a warm atmosphere. In the final round, I saw the full house from the stage and played with that emotion in my heart. The piano that supported us this time was Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano. I listened to other pianists' performances from the audience, and I was truly amazed by the variety of sounds produced by different performers. What I felt about the instrument's characteristics while playing was the beauty of the soft tones and their excellent resonance. In a concerto, there were many parts where the piano plays with the orchestra, so the sound always resonated throughout the venue at a certain volume or higher. In contrast, in sections like cadenzas where the piano plays alone, I aimed to captivate the audience's ears by using extreme softness in special moments. The SK-EX responded to these delicate intentions and expressions, and even at low volumes, the sound reached beyond the stage to the audience, allowing me to trust the instrument and focus on my expression until the end. I would like to once again express my gratitude to the Kawai tuners who always kept this wonderful SK-EX in optimal condition. I aim to utilize the experience from this competition to further enrich my musical career in the future through continued effort.

■ Teodora Kapinkovska:

The competition exceeded all of my expectations — from the impeccable organization and excellent facilities, to the outstanding orchestra, conductor, and of course, the extraordinary instrument we had the privilege to play on. Performing on such a remarkable Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano was truly a joy.
I also deeply appreciate your support and involvement throughout the entire process! Kawai tuners’ assistance was precious.

■ Michele Castaldo:

I'm very happy! Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano was fantastic: perfectly tuned and with impeccable mechanics.
I really enjoyed the competition, it was well organized and the piano mechanics were very high-performance.

■ Yuka Inoue:

I am deeply honored to have received an award at this historic competition. Above all, I am grateful to the many people who supported me and made this valuable experience possible. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved, including the flexible and warm-hearted organizers, the audience, the tuners who took care of the performers and provided the best tuning, the conductor and orchestra members, the kind host family, the teachers who supported me from the preparation stage, and the friends who accompanied me. In this competition, I had been informed in advance that I would be able to play on a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano, so I was very much looking forward to performing at the hall.  Having grown up playing Kawai pianos since childhood, the SK-EX remains an object of admiration for me. It has a natural ability to guide the sound I want to produce, and its tonal range is even broader than I had imagined, once again proving invaluable to me.  I felt that it was a piano that truly collaborates in creating music. I had the opportunity to listen to many of the other participants' performances from the audience, and each sound was truly diverse. The deep, powerful fortissimo, the lustrous and light-hearted tones, and the delicate, transparent quiet sounds repeatedly captivated my heart. Among these, the warm and soft tones of the SK-EX seemed to gently embrace the performer's expression and further expand it. I am deeply grateful for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you very much.

About the International Piano and Orchestra Competition “Città di Cantù” 

The Città di Cantù International Piano Competition is an international competition for young pianists held in Cantù, Northern Italy. It started in 1991 and has been held annually since then. The competition is organized by the Nuova Scuola di Musica di Cantù, a music school that has been offering music education, masterclasses, and cultural events since 1986, in collaboration with the Cantù city administration. The competition is also supported by local businesses, the Rotary Foundation, and cultural associations. This unique Italian international piano competition requires all pieces in the competition to be concertos. Winners are selected in both the Classical and Romantic categories.

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

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nuovascuoladimusicacantu

Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cantupianocompetition/

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/