From October 2nd to 23rd 2025, one of the most esteemed international piano competitions in the world, the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition was held in Warsaw, Poland.
At this 19th edition competition, three finalists selected the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano, and won the prizes.
We asked Ms. Zitong Wang, the 3rd prize winner of this 19th edition’s competition about her feeling and thoughts for the competition and the Shigeru Kawai piano.
| INTERVIEW
● How did you feel about winning the prize?
I feel great! I feel very honor this is such big honor, because you look up at the other previous all the past prize winners and I’m still just digesting all this. It’s honor for me to receive this Sonata prize as well. Anything beyond my expectation.
I’ve known this Sonata No.2 for a long time since I learned it when I was younger. Every time I play it, it brings me back, especially this time with Mr. Mr. Dang Thai Son’s guidance. I just thought very emotional to include it in first round program, also it made me very meaningful, so I’m very very honored to receive everything.
● What are your impressions of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano?
For me, choosing the Kawai piano in the piano selection was very very easy. First of all, I only tried three pianos including Kawai, and it took me a little bit time to decide between Kawai and the other just like four years ago. Because the other is same one I played in the preliminary round, so I had a sense of familiarly with it, but Kawai sound was so sensitive and every time I was excited to play on it.
My repertoires needed more brilliance in the top resister and darker feeling on the bass, not only just loudness, but character. Top register needed not only just brilliance, but also more fun of lightness and articulation. I felt only the Kawai piano could break out.
Overalls it was the most suitable piano for my program, and also some quality I just loved was that it was able to give me different characters for every octave. That was crazy to me because kind of one piano sounds even, but for some reasons, this piano had this quality where every character felt so easy, I didn’t really have to work for it. My touch while playing was very easy. And after the first round Mr. Dang texted me “I think Kawai was a great choice for you.” And it really suits my way of my playing.
Also the softer side of Kawai - the touch that I needed delicacy and singing tone - was needed for all of slower pieces that I had. Some people choose a piano based on how easy it is to play. Kawai wasn’t the easiest one for me to play, I needed to work hard on it, but I felt like the work was very much with it, because you can get the sound what you imagine. If I wasn’t going to sacrifice, it doesn’t work compare to easiness to play, but I wouldn't have gotten the sound I wanted. But I think the adjustment takes a very little time.
Overall I loved playing on Kawai every situation. The more I play, the more I fell in love with it.
● What are your plans for future activities and further challenges?
I just want to play music. For me, music is something that heals me and it’s my closest friend. Piano is where I can express everything and music in general heals me, not just piano.
I just want to be someone if there is somebody who listens to me online or in the hall. I want them to feel like that they are understood by me, and even just one person. For me, performing is more about a human connection. If I were able to know that I would notice for myself. When you go to a concert, there are moments when you remember maybe one note or one phrase. It’s not entirely possible to process everything at once.
For me, if somebody can feel that moment in the things I play, I will be very very happy.
About Zitong Wang
Born on 3 February 1999, she studied with Dang Thai Son at the New England Conservatory. She has won first prize in international piano competitions: the Rosalyn Tureck Bach in New York City (2010), at Princeton (2020) and in Ferrol (Spain, 2022). In 2023 she won sixth prize in the Busoni Competition in Bolzano. She made her solo recital debut aged 13 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. She has performed at Verizon Hall in Pennsylvania, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Steinway Hall in New York, and in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei, appearing with the Philadelphia, Cleveland, New Jersey and Galicia symphony orchestras under such conductors as Jahja Ling and Xian Zhang. In chamber repertoire, she has performed with Meng-Chieh Liu, Roberto Díaz and Chamber Music Northwest. Official Instagram: @zitong_wang 
About the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition
Established and inaugurated in 1927, the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest music events of its kind in the world. 2025 will see the beginning of a series of special celebrations for its centenary. In the course of the past century, the formal aspects of the competition have constantly evolved, resulting in changing the number of its stages, programme, judging criteria, prizes, and also the media through which audiences have experienced the competition recitals. There have only been two elements of the Competition that have remained unchanged since its inception: Chopin’s music and the fascination of pianists and audiences alike. Another chapter in the hundred-year-long tradition is opening before us. The competition is organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.
Official website: https://www.chopincompetition.pl/en
About the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano
Unveiled in 2001 as the flagship instrument of the Shigeru Kawai line, the SK-EX concert grand piano is hand-crafted in limited numbers following a unique ‘prototyping’ creation process. In order to achieve the supreme range of expression required in a concert piano, each instrument utilises a variety of carefully selected materials, with premium aged spruce soundboards. Shigeru Kawai instruments adopt the advanced Millennium III keyboard action, featuring extended wooden keys and advanced ABS Carbon action parts, providing superior speed and responsiveness than conventional wooden action parts, allowing pianists to express a greater range of feeling and emotion in their performance.
Shigeru Kawai official website: https://www.shigerukawai.jp/en/