News
Announcement of the 5th Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition
Kawai Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that the 5th Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition will take place in the summer of 2025. The Pre-selection will begin in February 2025, with the Final Round scheduled for August 2, 2025, at the Shibuya Cultural Center Owada "Sakura Hall".
The Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition (SKIPC), established in 2017, aims to discover and nurture the next generation of pianists, promote international exchange, and contribute to the development of global music culture. Since its inception, SKIPC has been held four times, attracting many promising pianists from around the world and concluding each time with enthusiastic responses from audiences and great success.
In the Final Round, as in previous editions of the Competition, piano concertos will be performed on two Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand pianos. The orchestral parts of the concertos will be performed by Andrey Pisarev, professor at the Moscow State Conservatory and world-renowned pianist, and Alexei Melnikov, an internationally acclaimed young pianist, both of whom studied under the late Sergei Dorensky. With their powerful musical support, the finalists will have the opportunity to fully express their artistic abilities.
■ Competition Outline
- Schedule
| Pre-selection (Overseas) | February, 2025 | Video Screening | |
| Pre-selection (Japan) | Osaka | March 2, 2025 | Kawai Umeda Concert Salon “Jouer” |
| Tokyo | March 4 - 7, 2025 | Kawai Omotesando Concert Salon “Pause” | |
| Lottery | July 25, 2025 | Kawai Omotesando Concert Salon “Pause” | |
| 1st Round | July 26 - 28, 2025 | ||
| Semifinal Round | July 29 - 30, 2025 | ||
| Final Round | August 2, 2025 | Shibuya Cultural Center Owada “Sakura Hall” | |
| Prize Winners’ Concert | August 3, 2025 | Kawai Omotesando Concert Salon “Pause” | |
* Shigeru Kawai grand pianos will be used throughout the competition.
- Eligibility
Pianists of all nationalities born on or after January 1, 1996
- Application Deadline
January 15, 2025 at 24:00 (Japan Time)
Applications will open in November, 2024.
- Chairperson of the Jury
Katusmi UEDA (Japan)
- Jury Members (in alphabetical order)
Philippe GIUSIANO (France)
Kevin KENNER (USA)
Kayo MIKI (Japan)
Pavel NERSESSIAN (Russia)
Noriko OGAWA (Japan)
Michiko OKAMOTO (Japan)
For further details, please visit the official website of the Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition, where information will be regularly updated.
▲ Nicolas Giacomelli, 1st prize winner of the 4th SKIPC
■ Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition Official Website
■ Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition Official YouTube Channel