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3rd American International Paderewski Competition: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano selected by 1st prize winner Young Sun Choi & 2nd prize winner Alexander Agate
South Korean pianist Young Sun Choi has been awarded the 1st prize at the 3rd American International Paderewski Competition held in Los Angeles, USA, from March 21th~26th, 2022, following a series of performances playing the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano.
The world’s best young pianists have converged on Los Angeles for the 3rd American International Paderewski Piano Competition, and the finals were held at the Loyola Marymount University Murphy Recital Hall in Los Angeles on March 25th, 2022. Five of the eight finalists performed using the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano, and Young Sun Choi was awarded the 1st place prize, Alexander Agate the 2nd place prize and Yanfeng Bai the Best Performance of Paderewski Prize.
3rd American International Paderewski Competition : Final Result
| 1st Prize | Young Sun Choi | South Korea | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| 2nd Prize | Alexander Agate | USA | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| 3rd Prize | Andrzej Wiercinski | Poland | |
| Best Performance of Paderewski | Yanfeng Bai | China | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| Finalist | Soyeon An | South Korea | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| Finalist | Linda Lee | South Korea | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| Finalist | Arsenii Mun | Russia | |
| Finalist | Ryota Yamazaki | Japan |
1st Prize
Young Sun Choi, Sounth Korea (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
2nd Prize
Alexander Agate, USA (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
3rd Prize
Andrzej Wiercinski, Poland
Best Performance of Paderewski
Yanfeng Bai, China (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
Finalists
Soyeon An, South Korea (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
Linda Lee, South Korea (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
Arsenii Mun, Russia
Ryota Yamazaki, South Korea
■ Comments from Young Sun Choi
"My choice of Shigeru Kawai piano contributed to my success in the competition. Not to mention the beautiful sound it produced, I was able to make a lot of colors of sound without extra effort. The piano perfectly responded to my touch and it was such a joy for me to perform on the piano. The organization of the American International Paderewski Piano Competition was excellent. And I was happy that they gave Shigeru Kawai as one of the options for the competitors. It was a pleasure to meet and compete with great musicians in Los Angeles."
■ About the American International Paderewski Competition
The American International Paderewski Competition has been held since 2010 in honor of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a renowned concert pianist and composer, leader of the Polish independence movement after World War I, and Prime Minister of Poland. Unlike other international competitions, the competition offers a free program that allows the pianists to fully display their artistic individuality.
Official Website
https://paderewskimusicsociety.org/
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UComqb4_OyMgv4hTdPuXmAnw
■ 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 utilises 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.