Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Turkish pianist Can Cakmur has been awarded the 1^st prize by a panel of judges at the 10^th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (held in the city of Hamamatsu, Japan, from 8^th until 25^th November), following a series of performances playing the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano. The SK-EX was also selected by a number of other prize-winning contestants and finalists.

Kawai has provided instruments for official selection in the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition since the inaugural event was held in 1991, with top prize winner Victor Liadov selecting the Kawai EX concert grand piano at the 2^nd competition held in 1994, and top prize winner Alexander Gadjiev selecting the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano at the 9^th competition held in 2015.

A total of 382 pianists from around the world applied to compete at this year’s 10^th competition, with 88 participants selected to perform.  Following three stages of qualifying, the final round was contested by 6 participants, with the first prize awarded to Turkish pianist Can Cakmur, who selected the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano throughout the competition.  Fifth place prize winner Keigo Mukawa (Japan) and Sixth place prize winner Takashi Yasunami (Japan) also selected the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX throughout each round of the competition.

10^th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition: Final Results

As one of three piano manufacturers' instruments available for official selection, the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX proved popular among contestants throughout the competition. In the first round, 28 of the 88 participants selected Kawai, followed by 6 out of 24 contestants in the second round. Of the remaining 12 participants that reached the third round, 4 pianists selected Kawai, while the final was contested by 6 individuals, 3 of whom performed using the SK-EX.

About the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition

Established in 1991 to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of Hamamatsu’s inauguration as a city, the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition is held every three years, and seeks to promote the unique musical history and tradition of the region. The competition provides an opportunity for young pianists from all corners of the globe to exhibit their technical skill and artistic ability, while advancing international exchange through world music culture.

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.