Steinway Piano Competition 2023
The Swiss branch of the international competition took place in Zurich at the end of June. Alexander Sahatci will take part in the final concert in Hamburg as the main winner.
The Unite Classics association organized this year's Steinway Piano Competition Switzerland together with Musik Hug. Stefan Szypura, Jonathan Ng and Alexander Sahatci were awarded first prizes in the three age groups thanks to their outstanding musical performances. Alexander Sahatci also emerged as the main winner. This gives him the opportunity to perform at the international Steinway final concert in Hamburg in mid-September.
The jury consisted of Jun Kanno (Japan/France), William Fond (England) and Benjamin Engeli (Switzerland). It was chaired by Tamara Kordzadze (Switzerland/Georgia) and praised the high standard of the young participants. The jury president is convinced that the competition motivates young pianists to discover and develop their full potential.
Master classes, during which participants were able to benefit from experienced artists, complemented the competition.
In addition to the main prizes, Unite Classics also awarded special prizes to recognize exceptional achievements in various areas. For example, "The best teacher" prize went to Arta Anricane and Fernando Viani in recognition of the crucial role teachers play in the artistic growth of young talents.
A particular highlight of the competition was the use of the Steinway Spirio-R grand piano, which combines the world of classical music with cutting-edge technology. The Steinway Piano Competition Switzerland was the first piano competition in the world to use this technology in 2020/21 and again this year. High-resolution recordings of the performances were made at the preliminary rounds, allowing the jury to evaluate participants in unprecedented sound quality, whether they were performing live in Zurich or in a digital preliminary round. The recordings, combined with high-resolution video recordings, were transmitted digitally to the jury. This approach can contribute to the modernization of international competitions and has proven to be extremely useful, especially during the pandemic two years ago.
The next Steinway Piano Playing Competition Switzerland will take place in spring 2025. Initial information can be found at https://www.uniteclassics.com/steinway
