The 6th Fujairah International Piano Competition: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX chosen as official piano for prestigious competition
Kawai has begun to provide support starting from this edition.
One of Kawai’s most esteemed piano technician, MPA (Master Piano Artisan) Kiyotoshi Yokoyama from Kawai Japan, also played a pivotal role at the Fujairah International Piano Competition. He diligently worked on not only crafting the sound, but also contestant support through active communication.
Mr. Kiyotoshi Yokoyama (Kawai’s piano technician, MPA)
[[caption:Mr. Ichiro Matsuda (Kawai Japan) and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah (Chairman of the Academy’s Board of Trustees)]
The 6th Fujairah International Piano Competition: Final Results
Category A (~10 years old)
1st Prize | Elena BATHAIEE | UK |
2nd Prize | Gleb HADRIN | Russia |
3rd Prize | Moyi CHEN | Hong Kong |
[[captipn:Category A 1st Prize winner: Elena BATHAIEE]]
Category B (11~13 years old)
1st Prize | Adriana VASILSKI | Germany |
2nd Prize | Yulianna BEZIAZYCHNA | Ukraine |
3rd Prize | Nguyen Minh VIET | Vietnam |
[[captipn:Category B 1st Prize winner: Adriana VASILSKI]]
Category C (14~17 years old)
1st Prize | Nguyen Duc KIEN | Vietnam |
2nd Prize | Tianyu LI | China |
3rd Prize | Stefan BOUCABEILLE | France |
[[captipn:Category C 1st Prize winner: Nguyen Duc KIEN]]
Category D (18~ years old)
1st Prize | Zhiqiao ZHANG | China |
2nd Prize | Khadizha ISRAPIL | Russia |
3rd Prize | Nikita STETENKO | Russia |
4th Prize | Dominik YODER | USA |
5th Prize | Faruk KALAYCL | Turkey |
6th Prize | Alexander DECLERCQ | Belgium |
[[captipn:Category D 1st Prize winner: Zhiqiao Zhang]]
Comments from 1st Prize winner: Zhiqiao Zhang
– How did you feel about winning the prize?
I am very grateful to being selected as a finalist in this time Fujairah competition. To being a finalist in such an important international competition needed a lot of luck too. This time in Fujairah I met so many great people like a Kawai’s piano technician, I feel so supportive, which influenced my way of playing in good way. To be a finalist, the people you met, how you play, the program you choose are all very important. This time I feel everything that is important for me comes together. For the concerto that I played in the final round (Chopin concerto No.1) is actually my first time to play this piece with the orchestra, so it is a very memorable and fresh experience for me.
– What are your impressions of the SK-EX full concert grand piano?
To be honest, Shigeru Kawai grand piano is always my top choice as a concert grand piano. In the competition, as I expect for Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano, the touches of the keyboard is so sensitive that it can always transfer directly my feeling into the sound. The sound of the Shigeru Kawai grand piano is very singing and projective, even in such a dry acoustic hall, the sound can directly spread to the last raw of the audience. This experience in Fujairah competition reinforces my idea of having Shigeru Kawai as my top choice of the piano.
Kawai staff
About the 6th Fujairah International Piano Competition
The 6th Fujairah International Piano Competition is a prestigious international piano competition for young pianists, organized by the Fujairah Fine Arts Academy in the UAE and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah. The competition was first launched in 2019, and its sixth edition took place at the end of January 2025.