Japanese wins 1st Young Tchaikovsky International Online Piano Competition

Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory Rector Alexander Sokolov, back row fifth from left, Shin Il Educational Foundation and Seoul Cyber University Chairman Lee Sang-kyun, sixth from left, and Association of Tchaikovsky Competition Stars General Director Andrey Scherbak, seventh from left, pose with other jurors of the first International Tchaikovsky Online Piano Competition for Young Musicians, after the award ceremony at Tchaikovsky Hall at Seoul Cyber University in Seoul, Friday. The first prize went to Akito Tani, front row center. / Courtesy of Seoul Cyber University

By Kim Jae-heun

A 15-year-old Japanese boy, Akito Tani, has won the first International Tchaikovsky Online Piano Competition for Young Musicians, co-hosted by Seoul Cyber University (SCU) and the Association of Tchaikovsky Competition Stars and sponsored by the Korea-Russia Arts and Culture Society.

A total of 163 young musicians from 17 countries participated in the online contest, with 30 making it through the first round.

Seven young pianists advanced to compete in the final round, which was held at SCU's Tchaikovsky Hall on Thursday. Tani came in first place, followed by 11-year-old Korean Kim Sae-hyun in second and 16-year-old Russian Aleksandr Doronin in the third.

Tani, Kim and Doronin received prize money worth $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000, respectively, while the remaining four finalists won $2,000. The award ceremony took place on Friday.

It is the first Tchaikovsky competition where performers participate online. “It was designed to provide young pianists with a chance to master classical music and get assessment from renowned professional musicians,” a school official said.

Nine esteemed global musicians took part as jurors: Andrey Scherbak, general director of the Association of Tchaikovsky Competition Stars; Alexander Sokolov, the rector of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory; and pianists Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Tamas Ungar, Yasuo Watanabe, Pascal Nemirovsk, Liu Shin Kun, Lee Kyung-sook and Yoon So-young.

The award ceremony and a gala show were held at the university's Tchaikovsky Hall on Friday along with the Korean Symphony Orchestra.

“It is a meaningful event for Seoul to host the first Young Tchaikovsky International Online Piano Competition. I hope young pianists make their way to the bigger world stage through this opportunity,” SCU President Lee Eun-jo said.

Seoul Cyber University is the first school to establish a classical piano music major among local cyber institutions and it runs online lectures taught by professors from Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music.