Shunta Morimoto wins Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition

Japanese pianist Shunta Morimoto has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition. Morimoto won a cash prize of £15,000 as well as the competition’s Molly Townson Memorial Trophy.

Morimoto, aged 17, gave a performance of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor Op.54 accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Hastings’ White Rock Theatre. He beat 5 other finalists to win first prize in the competition's two-day final last weekend (4 and 5 March).

Ian Roberts, managing director of Hastings International Piano said: ‘The competition has discovered a number of hugely talented artists and their trailblazing performances, especially during the final with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, have enthralled our town and will be remembered for many years to come.’

Despite Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, the competition opened with a show of solidarity between competitors from both countries, who performed alongside each other. Roberts commented: ‘I am delighted that this was our best ever competition, with new friendships forged and solidarity shown by competitors to each other throughout the past two weeks.’

The competition’s second prize was awarded to British pianist Thomas Kelly, and third and fourth prizes were awarded to Mariamna Sherling and Aleksandr Kliuchko, both from Russia. Kliuchko also won the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Prize, voted for by members of the orchestra.

Fifth prize was awarded to Fedor Orlov from Russia and sixth prize was awarded to Sandro Nebieridze from Georgia.

The competition jury, led by Professor Vanessa Latarche, head of Piano at the Royal College of Music, included:

• Paul Hughes - BBC Symphony Orchestra director
• Aisa Ijiri - Pianist and Steinway Artist
• Stanislav Ioudenitch - Van Cliburn Piano Competition gold medalist
• Diana Ketler - Professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music
• Scott Dunn - Conductor, pianist and composer
• Anthony Byrne - Professor of piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music

This year’s competition received a record 360 entries. Contestants entered by video audition only, to improve the competitions’ environmental sustainability and the entire competition was streamed live for the first time.

The competition’s semi-final also saw the debut of the organisation’s latest collaboration with the Royal College of Music, the Royal College of Music Prince Consort Orchestra.

You can find out more about the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition here.