The 25th International Chopin Piano Competition in ASIA
Feedback from the Jury
Final Round of Concerto B●Jury A-- (e minor) With the regard to the tempo of the first and second themes, care should betaken not to give the impression that the tempo of the second theme drops off endlessly.
In the quartet version, the pianist’s discretion is particularly required.
-- (e minor) In some performances, the final note was not placed well in the exposition,
development, and recapitulation sections. This is caused not due to omission (cut) ofthe accompaniment part, but because the pulse was not felt properly and also
because the final note was not reached.
-- There were many performances with initiative, and even in the lyrical sections thedirection was clearly maintained and always interesting to listen to, but I would have
liked to have heard for moments of pianissimo beauty.
●Jury B
Unlike the two pianos at the 2nd round, the final was ensemble with a string quartet that
had only one rehearsal, but all eight participants brought out their individual talents
making the final round a very rewarding competition. There may have been little
happenings along the way, but I was impressed by the way you concentrated on yourperformance until the very end.
●Jury C--I would like you to seek out attractive sounds.
--The pianist is the leading role, so I want the energy and the personality to lead thestring quartet.
--As an ensemble, it is important to ensure that the breathing/waves are conveyed tothe members of the string quartet, unlike when playing solo pieces.
●Jury D
When you play a concerto, you have to create a climax that can be heard more thanwhen you play a solo. It would be important to listen to each other with quartet andmake music together rather than settling things within yourself.

●Jury E
When performing Chopin’s works, first find out in which period they were written. Theperiod can be divided into three main periods, and one has different styles andcharacteristics of Chopin’s music from the other. The early period includes works fromthe Warsaw period, many of which require brilliant light tone, known as brillante style.
The middle period is the period after he left Warsaw, when Chopin’s distinctive style wasdeveloped. The mature period of his later years is not only a period of summation of hiscreative activity, but also the appearance of harmonies that foreshadow the music of thefuture impressionism.
Once you are aware of these, think about what it really takes to perform the piece, whatis the truth written on the score, Chopin’s intention and the meaning of the music, andpatiently explore how you can realise this by playing the piece.
I have referred to various points in my comments in the past competitions. I felt thesame way about this competition. When pedalling, look carefully at the score andunderstand Chopin’s original instructions. Your body should be relaxed, never stiff at theshoulders, elbows or wrists, and your fingertips should fit firmly on the keyboard. Always
listen carefully to the balance between the right and left hands, play the melody with richresonant sound, and play the accompaniment modestly and gently. Look carefully at thearticulations (slurs, staccato, tenuto, long accents, etc.) and expressive notes (sostenuto,sotto voce, etc.) and consider which expressions and techniques are appropriate. In
terms of tempo, do not suddenly slow down or suddenly play fast without specificinstructions. Dynamic markings should not just be strong or soft, but should be createdwith an image appropriate to the place. Be imaginative with contrasts of light and shade
and duality, etc., so that a variety of expressions can be realised.
Finally to the teachers: It is very valuable for students to enjoy music in these difficult
times, and I thank you for helping them to do so. Education is about identifying whatskills each student has, and what they lack, and what they need. The environment
around our students is changing dramatically, so we must try to teach them in a way thatis appropriate to the times. And in order to develop the talents of each student, whose
inner (mental) life is different from the others, it is essential to be flexible, to have abroad perspective and to improve the skills of the teachers themselves on a daily basis.

●Jury F
As for my comments and suggestions to the pianists - those I had the opportunity tolisten to during this year's Competition, I must admit that they do not differ from thecomments I made earlier, in the previous many years of my contact with theCompetition.
The pianist, or rather I prefer to say - a real artist, does not play the piano, but tells hisstory not with his fingers, but with his artistic imagination. Single notes are words, aphrase is a sentence, a piece is a whole story. Only with this understanding andtransmission of music can we reach the soul of the listener and convey all the emotions
and expressions of music.
Of course, I could write - as I have done many times before, about the importance ofChopin's "legato cantabile" - legato done with the fingers and not with the pedal, about
the sense of harmonic structure, about articulation, precise pedalisation, about
naturalness of playing which Chopin paid so much attention to, about playing without
any artificial "gadgets" often only aiming at arousing the applause of the audience, about
a sense of time in the music and flexible narration not subjected to excessive pressureof the metronome, which often disturbs the artistic imagination in favour of correct but
mechanical playing.
Please remember, the important purpose of participation in competitions are not theawards! Competitions help us to consciously increase our repertoire, they give us
specific and deadline tasks, they have a positive influence on our ambition andconcentration at work. Competitions are the important and positive element in thedevelopment of every musician.
To conclude my comments, let me convey from the bottom of my heart, my best wishes
to all participants of the Competition, also to their teachers and parents. I wish you allmuch of joy from the artistic achievements of their children and students.