Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

The 28th Santa Cecília International Piano Competition took place in Porto, Portugal, from June 19th to 27th, with the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano selected as the official piano for the competition.

Kawai has provided instruments for official selection in the Santa Cecília International Piano Competition.

One of Kawai's most esteemed piano technicians, MPA (Master Piano Artisan) Shinya Kurata from Kawai Europe, served as the official piano technician at the 28th Santa Cecília International Piano Competition. Throughout the competition, Shinya Kurata carefully prepared and refined the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX to meet the artistic demands of each stage, ensuring that the instrument performed at its highest potential in the renowned acoustics of Casa da Música. Naoto Ichikawa, MPA of Kawai Europe, also supported the event as Artist Services, assisting competitors throughout the competition.

Mr. Kurata Shinya (MPA)

■ Santa Cecília International Piano Competition 2026: Final Results

1st prize winner: Roman Lopatynskyi

■ Final Round Performance

■ About the Santa Cecília International Piano Competition

The Santa Cecília International Piano Competition (Concurso Internacional de Piano de Santa Cecília) is one of Portugal's most prestigious annual piano competitions. Held in Porto for more than 50 years, the competition has established itself as an important platform for young pianists seeking international careers. It is recognized as a member of both the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) and the Alink-Argerich Foundation.

Hosted by Curso de Música Silva Monteiro, the competition concludes at the internationally acclaimed Casa da Música concert hall. The main competition consists of four rounds, requiring competitors to demonstrate exceptional versatility through performances of Baroque, Classical, 20th-century, and contemporary repertoire, as well as chamber music in the semifinal and a concerto performance in the final.

For the 2026 edition, more than 188 pianists from over 35 countries applied. Following a pre-selection process, 36 competitors ultimately took part in the competition. The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano, supplied by Kawai Europe, served as the official instrument throughout the event.

Official website: https://www.santaceciliapianofestival.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 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.

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