Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

1 Article：
Kyohei Sorita, Aimi Kobayashi among 8 Winners of 18th International
Chopin Competition
Directions: Read the following article aloud.
This is the first time two Japanese pianists have been named among the top winners. The top price is awarded
to Canadian pianist Mr Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu.
JUST ANNOUNCED: The 17-member jury of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition announced
the winners of the competition in the wee hours of the morning on October 21 in Warsaw, Poland. They are:1st Prize – Mr Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu, Canada
2nd Prize ex aequo – Mr Alexander Gadjiev, Italy/Slovenia
2nd Prize ex aequo – Mr Kyohei Sorita, Japan
3rd Prize – Mr Martin Garcia Garcia, Spain
4th Prize ex aequo – Ms Aimi Kobayashi, Japan
4th Prize ex aequo – Mr Jakub Kuszlik, Poland
5th Prize – Ms Leonora Armellini, Italy
6th Prize – Mr J J Jun Li Bui, Canada
Eight pianists share the spotlight in being awarded the six top prizes by the international jury. This is the firsttime two Japanese artists are represented among the top prize winners.
An interesting fact in the current competition is that four of the eight winners of the six prizes are Asian,including Sorita and Kobayashi. In addition, the winner of the previous competition was Seong-Jin Cho, thefirst Korean pianist to win first place, with Aimi Kobayashi winning the 2nd prize in that competition. It seems
an Asian wind is blowing in the world of classical music.
Auditions for the famed International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition began on October 2, 2021,, with 87
participants representing 17 countries. After three rounds of auditions, the 12 best pianists qualified toaudition in the Finals. Kyohei Sorita of Japan, who shares the 2nd prize, and Aimi Kobayashi who shares the4th prize, were among them. All of the finalists performed one of Fryderyk Chopin’s two piano concertos,accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andrzej Boreyko. Nine pianist selected theConcerto in E minor Op. 11, and the remaining three – the Concerto in F minor Op. 21.
The competition awards six prizes, and this time two were shared, for eight winners from five countries.

Kyohei Sorita, Aimi Kobayashi among 8 Winners of 18th International Chopin Competition
https://japan-forward.com/kyohei-sorita-aimi-kobayashi-among-8-winners-of-18th-international-chopin-competition/
本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
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Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

1 Article：
Kyohei Sorita, Aimi Kobayashi among 8 Winners of 18th International
Chopin Competition
Directions: Read the following article aloud.
This was an unusual number of prizes, as Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, member of the jury, explained in a press
event following the ceremony:“It was a very difficult competition for everyone, for the participants of course, but also for the jury. We had toextend the list of participants at every level of the competition, and then later at the awards, because the level
was exceptionally high.”
Popowa-Zydron concluded: “We, like the participants, asked ourselves what kind of Chopin do we want? We
always thought that Chopin would rather be moved than dazzled. But I have a strong feeling that among thelaureates of this year’s competition we have pianists who can at the same time move, amaze, and dazzle us.”
Director of the competition, Artur Szklener, echoed her sentiment, as he directed his thanks to thecompetitors: “We know Chopin music very well, we know it by heart, from a very young age. But because ofyou, the participants but especially the laureates, we were finding some new aspects, some new perspectives,and I wanted to thank you for that.”
Kyohei Sorita shares his 2nd prize with Alexander Gadjiev, of Italy and Slovenia. Aimi Kobayashi shared the 4th
prize with Jakub Kuszlik of Poland. In addition to the two pianists from Japan, the top eight prizes included twofrom Canada, 1st prize winner Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu and 6th prize winner J J Jun Li Bui, Canada. There were also
two winners from Italy, and one each from Spain and Poland.
Reacting immediately after receiving the award, 1st prize winner Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu said with a stunned face:“(I am) full of emotions of course, we all have been dreaming with all these people for this prestigious stage,
and being able to play Chopin in Warsaw is one of the best things you can imagine. I am truly honored for thisaward.”
In a press event following the event, Gadjiev also reflected on the particular environment of the competition:“I want to thank everyone who has been involved in this incredible event, my family that was able to be withme during this time, the incredible audience that was able to listen with such attention that I have probably
never found anywhere else. The care and attention they listened helped us to also listen to ourselves evenmore intensely. For me it’s been a great privilege to share my journey and my views on this music, and I am
just extremely happy this happened, and let’s see what happens next.”
Japan’s Kyohei Sorita, shared in a short yet moving statement of his excitement to having been awarded theprize of the competition:“I am very very happy. I don’t have many words, of course the Chopin competition is very famous in Japan,
and there are so many people that watched on YouTube. And I’ve finally done it, so really, I just want to sleep(laughs). Thank you so very much.”

Kyohei Sorita, Aimi Kobayashi among 8 Winners of 18th International Chopin Competition
https://japan-forward.com/kyohei-sorita-aimi-kobayashi-among-8-winners-of-18th-international-chopin-competition/
本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。

Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

2Key phrases and vocabulary

Directions: First repeat after your tutor and then read aloud by yourself.
1. In addition それに加えて、その上、さらにThere were more than 100 food stalls, and in addition we saw a number of retail vendors
and workshops at the event.
2. represent 代表する、象徴する、意味するThe 49 teams that represent 45 prefectures and 4 regions take part in
the national high school baseball championship.
3. accompanied by ～を伴って、～と同時に起こる、～が付属している
In France, meals are usually accompanied by wine.
4. laureate 受賞者、栄誉・名誉を受けた人、栄誉ある
Hideki Yukawa was the first Japanese Nobel laureate.
5. moving 感動的な、心を打つThis is a deeply moving story from the author of “12 Years a Slave”.

3

Questions
Directions: Read the questions aloud and answer them.
1. How many participants made it to the final?
2. Who shares the 2nd prize with Kyohei Sorita?
3. Why were 8 pianists were rewarded for 6 prizes according toa member of the jury, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron?
4. What kind of music do you enjoy to play and/or listen?

本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。

Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

4日本語関連記事：
ショパンコンクールに日本人２人入賞

反田さん２位、小林さん４位

ポーランドの首都、ワルシャワで開かれた「第１８回ショパン国際ピアノ・コンクール」の最終審査の結果が２１日未明（日本時間同日午前）に発表され、東京都出身の反田恭平（２７）が２位に、山口県出身の小林愛実（２６）が４位にそれぞれ入賞した。本選に出場した日本人２人がともに入賞したしたのは初めて。１位はブルース・リウ（カナダ）。２、４位にそれぞれ２人ずつ、計８人が入賞した。入賞８人のうち４人がアジア系となった。

同コンクールは、第一次世界大戦後間もない1927年に始まり、第２次世界大戦の空白期を経て、戦後もマルタ・アルゲリッチ、マウリツィオ・ポリーニ、スタニスラフ・ブーニン等のスターピアニストを数多く輩出してきた不動の地位を持つ。これまでの日本人の最高位は1970年の内田光子による２位入賞。

本選は、日本から小林、反田の２人のほか、地元のポーランドやイタリア、カナダ、スロベニア、スペイン、アルメニア、韓国、中国のピアニスト計１２人で争われた。小林は前回2015年も本選に進んだが、入賞を逃していた。
１位：ブルース（シャオユー）・リウ（カナダ）
２位：アレクサンデル・ガジェヴ（イタリア／スロベニア）
２位：反田恭平（日本）
３位：マルティン・ガルシア・ガルシア（スペイン）
４位：小林愛実（日本）
４位：ヤクブ・クシュリク（ポーランド）
５位：レオノーラ・アルメリーニ（イタリア）
６位：Ｊ・Ｊ・ジュン・リ・ブイ（カナダ）

出典：ショパンコンクールに日本人２人入賞 反田さん２位、小林さん４位
https://japanforward.com/japanese/%e3%82%b7%e3%83%a7%e3%83%91%e3%83%b3%e3%82%b3%e3%83%b3%e3%82%af%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab%e3%81%ab%e6%97%a5%e6%9c%ac%e4%ba%ba%ef%bc%92%e4%ba%ba%e5%85%a5%e8%b3%9e/
本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。