The Gurwitz 2024 International Piano Competition: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano chosen as the official piano for the competition

The Gurwitz 2024 International Piano Competition was held in San Antonio, Texas, USA, from January 26 to February 4, and the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano was chosen as the official piano for the competition.

Two Shigeru Kawai SK-EX pianos were brought to the competition, and the rule was for pianists to choose one of them to use until the final stage.

Kawai’s most esteemed piano technicians, also known as MPA (Master Piano Artisans), participated in the competition as piano tuners. Nick Ichikawa from Kawai America Corporation and Yoshifumi Sato from Kawai Japan worked diligently late into the night to ensure that the pianos were finely tuned, striving to maximize the pianists’ performance capabilities.

Left: Nick Ichikawa　Right: Yoshifumi Sato

The Gurwitz International Piano Competition 2024: Final Results

Comments from prize winners

■ Yungyung Guo

© Robert Michaelson

– How did you feel about being a finalist and playing the piano concerto at the end?

Actually, it was very exciting because I could play in a big hall like Tobin center, it is one of the biggest halls that I have seen. And collaborating with the scholars and such a wonderful orchestra of Mexico (The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra), I felt very honoured and happy to work with them.

– What are your impressions of the SK-EX full concert grand piano?

Kawai has good sounds. For example, if I want to place the contrast sound, Kawai piano helps me to do that. So I like it.

■ Tatiana Dorokhova

© Robert Michaelson

– How did you feel about being a finalist and playing the piano concerto at the end?

I just enjoyed playing. There was nothing else to do.

– What are your impressions of the SK-EX full concert grand piano?

I liked the depth of sound and its colorfulness, and also the power from the sound and the big dynamic range. And good quality of the sound in each venue.

■ Young Sun Choi

© Robert Michaelson

– How did you feel about being a finalist and playing the piano concerto at the end?

Being a finalist in this big competition is an honor for me. I was really grateful. And the piano always really helped me to be calm because I felt so comfortable playing on that piano.

– What are your impressions of the SK-EX full concert grand piano?

I loved how the two piano technicians worked for all day long for the competitors. And the piano itself is just so high quality, and I don’t need to make any extra efforts to make diverse colors because it’s so comfortable. It feels so good. I really enjoyed playing on Shigeru Kawai.

© Robert Michaelson

(From left) Young Sun Choi, Tatiana Dorokhova and Yungyung Guo

About the Gurwitz International Piano Competition

The Gurwitz International Piano Competition (formerly known as The San Antonio International Piano Competition) was founded in 1983 by Dr. Richard Ferguson, Ruth Jean Gurwitz and a group of fellow music lovers, some of whom are still involved today, with the very first competition being held in October 1984 at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, USA.

This competition seeks to discover the next generation of top young pianists from around the globe while bridging the art of classical piano with world music and culture.

Each competition occurs every four years in San Antonio, TX, USA. Along with standard concert repertoire, pianists demonstrate their versatility by performing music rooted in their native cultures, works by Spanish and Latin composers celebrating San Antonio’s cultural makeup, and a commissioned work with chamber ensemble. A final piano concerto round with full symphony orchestra concludes each competition.

Expanding the contestants’ view beyond a traditional classical mindset connects this next generation of award-winning pianists to a global audience as they develop their career and take the world stage. Today’s world is more interconnected than ever before.  By exposing pianists to world music, The Gurwitz reflects the very tapestry of this inspired art form.

Official website: https://musicalbridges.org/gurwitz/

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.