Japan's Sendai International Music Competition Announces Piano Finalists

Six finalists will perform two concerti with the Sendai Philharmonic

The ninth edition of the triennial Sendai International Music Competition (SIMC) is currently underway for pianists.

The finals of the piano edition will take place between June 26 and 28, and six candidates have been selected to proceed to this round, where they will perform two concerti alongside the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Ken Takaseki. Each candidate must present a concerto by Mozart.

The selected players are:

• Kaoru Amano (Japan)
• Julian Gast (Germany)
• Aleksandr Kliuchko (Russia)
• Jan Nikovich (Croatia)
• Riito Shimata (Japan)
• Elizaveta Ukrainskaia (Russia)

First Prize (the Gold Medal) is valued at JPY 3,000,000, Second Prize is worth JPY 2,000,000, and Third Prize will receive JPY 1,000,000.

The winners of fourth, fifth, and sixth prizes will receive JPY 800,000, JPY 700,000, and JPY 600,000, respectively.

In 2025, the jury comprises Ichiro Nodaira (chair), Akiko Ebi and Jacques Rouvier (vice-chairs), Josep Colom, Thai Son Dang, Kevin Kenner, Vadym Kholodenko, Daejin Kim, Matthias Kirschnereit, Shigeo Neriki, and Rena Shereshevskaya.

Past winners of the Sendai Competition include Alena Baeva, Clara-Jumi Kang, and VC Artists Richard Lin and Yoojin Jang.