Behind the scenes notes. 5th day

The first stage of the Competition concluded on Tuesday. Sixteen young pianists from Japan, China, Poland, the U.S.A., Italy, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Czech Republic performed that day.

The jurors, despite having listened to dozens of hours of often repetitive musical programs over the past few days, appeared as alert and attentive as they had been at the beginning of the Competition. Kevin Kenner occasionally jotted down his comments on his tablet. Piotr Paleczny often took notes and sometimes reacted vividly to accents and phrases in the music, while Dang Thai Son focused solely on listening to each performance. Several jurors occasionally jotted down notes almost simultaneously: was this good or bad?

A few hours after the auditions concluded, everyone’s attention focused on the jury’s decisions regarding the pianists advancing to the next round.

Beforehand, however, avid listeners and bloggers were analysing their impressions and predicting their own candidates for the next round. ‘I liked this morning’s session – including the Malaysian participant [Vincent Ong] – although I think there were better ones earlier,’ commented 14-year-old Adam Muszyński, a piano student who often attended the Competition auditions. He believes that Shiori Kuwahara from Japan – a darling of many listeners – should advance to the next round, along with Yang (Jack) Gao from China and Kevin Chen from Canada. Jacky Zhang from the UK is also Adam’s favourite.

Josh McKinney, an industrial mechanic and amateur musician from Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., joined the long line for tickets, which has become a regular feature of the Competition. He flew in specifically to attend the auditions throughout the Competition. ‘I have a list in my head of people I think will advance, so I’m curious if it aligns with the jury’s list,’ he said with a laugh. ‘I’m definitely picking Eric Lu; I heard him perform live, and William Yang. I know I’m probably a little biased because they’re both from the States. But Eric’s ballad was simply amazing; I really liked it, and so was William’s ballad.’ Josh also noted the performance of Tiankun Ma from China. 

Among the pianists who played on Tuesday was Viet Trung Nguyen from Vietnam. He confessed that he was very nervous and found it rather difficult to maintain a joyful and light sound in the waltz, especially on an unfamiliar piano. However, he admitted that this is a challenge for all participants.

Yuya Nishimoto of Japan said: ‘I am very satisfied and [I was] happy during the performance. I truly appreciate the efforts of all those who kept their fingers crossed for me around the world. Thank you.’ He noted that both the packed concert hall and the huge number of viewers watching the live broadcast were a great source of support.

His unique shoes caught everyone’s attention – he explained that they were designed for piano playing and had a specially contoured heel.

Monika Ścisłowska-Sakowicz