South Korean pianist Young Sun Choi has been awarded the 1st prize at the 3rd American International Paderewski Competition held in Los Angeles, USA, from March 21th~26th, 2022, following a series of performances playing the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano.
The world’s best young pianists have converged on Los Angeles for the 3rd American International Paderewski Piano Competition, and the finals were held at the Loyola Marymount University Murphy Recital Hall in Los Angeles on March 25th, 2022. Five of the eight finalists performed using the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano, and Young Sun Choi was awarded the 1st place prize, Alexander Agate the 2nd place prize and Yanfeng Bai the Best Performance of Paderewski Prize.
3rd American International Paderewski Competition : Final Result
1st Prize | Young Sun Choi | South Korea | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
2nd Prize | Alexander Agate | USA | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
3rd Prize | Andrzej Wiercinski | Poland | |
Best Performance of Paderewski | Yanfeng Bai | China | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
Finalist | Soyeon An | South Korea | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
Finalist | Linda Lee | South Korea | Shigeru Kawai SK-EX |
Finalist | Arsenii Mun | Russia | |
Finalist | Ryota Yamazaki | Japan |
Comments from Young Sun Choi
"My choice of Shigeru Kawai piano contributed to my success in the competition. Not to mention the beautiful sound it produced, I was able to make a lot of colors of sound without extra effort. The piano perfectly responded to my touch and it was such a joy for me to perform on the piano. The organization of the American International Paderewski Piano Competition was excellent. And I was happy that they gave Shigeru Kawai as one of the options for the competitors. It was a pleasure to meet and compete with great musicians in Los Angeles."
About the American International Paderewski Competition
The American International Paderewski Competition has been held since 2010 in honor of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a renowned concert pianist and composer, leader of the Polish independence movement after World War I, and Prime Minister of Poland. Unlike other international competitions, the competition offers a free program that allows the pianists to fully display their artistic individuality.