Canadian pianist Chen wins Rubinstein crown in Israel

Kevin Chen from Canada is the winner of the Arthur Rubinstein International Master Piano Competition.

In second place came Giorgi Gigashvili from Georgia and in the third place Kuroki Yukin from Japan.

The winners were announced at the conclusion of the 17-day competition in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

Chen received $50,000 while Gigashvili won $20,000 and Yukin $10,000.

What was said after the 17-day competition ended?

President Isaac Herzog who was present at the event said, “Dear competitors, each and every one of you are an inspiration to us. You inspire us with your talent but also with your determination and discipline – the mighty path you have chosen. Above all, you inspire us by pointing to something that is greater than each of us but common to all of us together: the realms of beauty and grace – the true power of our humanity.”

Ariel Cohen, the artistic director of the competition said, “Every competition is always accompanied by a concern: Is the time that has passed since the last competition enough to produce a sufficient amount of exceptional candidates for the new competition? The fear this time was greater than ever due to the proximity of the Covid epidemic and due to the short period, only two years, that has passed since the last competition. Happily, all fears vanished. I don’t remember a competition where the quality of the pianists who submitted nominations was so high.”

In this year’s competition, 32 competitors from 18 countries competed.

The jury was once again chaired by veteran pianist and teacher Prof. Aryeh Verdi, along with 10 judges from around the world.

The Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition was inaugurated in 1974 at the initiative of Jacob (Yasha) Bistritzky after Rubinstein agreed to give the competition his name.

The competition sets particularly high standards and provides an international stage for nurturing the careers of young, talented pianists.