News
Sydney International Piano Competition 2023: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano selected by 1st, 3rd and 4th prize winners
At the Sydney International Piano Competition 2023 held from July 12th to 24th, 2023, in Sydney, Australia, three of the six finalists performed using the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano.
Sydney International Piano Competition 2023 : Final Result
| 1st Prize | Jeonghwan KIM | Germany | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| 2nd Prize | Uladzislau KHANDOHI | Belarus | |
| 3rd Prize | Yungyung GUO | China | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| 4th Prize | Yuanfan YANG | United Kingdom | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
| 5th Prize | Wynona Yinuo WANG | China | |
| 6th Prize | Vitaly STARIKOV | Russia |
1st Prize
Jeonghwan KIM, Germany (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
2nd Prize
Uladzislau KHANDOHI, Belarus
3rd Prize
Yungyung GUO, China (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
4th Prize
Yuanfan YANG, United Kingdom (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX)
5th Prize
Wynona Yinuo WANG, China
6th Prize
Vitaly STARIKOV, Russia
Comments from prize winners
■ Jeonghwan KIM
- How do you feel about winning the 1st prize?
Winning the first prize means a lot to me, it indeed is a great honor to win a prize at such a prestigious competition. But also it is a big responsibility for me to give the best I can, to really able to connect with people and share wonderful moments in the music. So it is a great motivation for me to seek after a deeper meaning of music and performing.
- What are your impressions of the SK-EX full concert grand piano?
On performing on Shigeru Kawai, I was feeling really free especially in Mozart. This instrument let me do all I wanted and it is one of the most beautiful sound you can get from a grand piano.
■ Yungyung GUO
- How do you feel about winning the 3rd prize?
It was my huge honor to be one of the prize winners of the Sydney International Piano Competition. This is an amazing and unique journey because Sydney Competition is one of the most prestigious in the world and I followed in my teacher’s footsteps to win the George Frederick Boyle Prize. I look forward to coming to and performing in Sydney again!
- What are your impressions of the SK-EX full concert grand piano?
In the 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition, the SK-EX concert grand was fully capable of producing impressive sound. Whatever the form is - solo, chamber music or concerto, this instrument can accurately convey the sound which I was pursuing and looking for on the stage.
About the Sydney International Piano Competition
Established in 1977, the Sydney International Piano Competition is one of the world's most prestigious piano competitions, and is held every four years with the final round staged inside Sydney's iconic opera house. This competition provides a platform to showcase outstanding pianists from around the world and assist in developing their careers.
Our colleagues at Kawai Australia have been helping us collaborate with The Sydney International Piano Competition for many years. This has given the competition rare access to our collection of unique Shigeru Kawai concert grand pianos, which have been specially created & reserved for global piano competitions.
Official website: https://www.pianoplus.com.au/
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.