Sensational Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino charms the world with the music of Chopin

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated May 25, 2022

Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino performs on stage in the Chamber Hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo: © Darek Golik, NIFC

In October, the famous Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino will perform on the Polish stage of the Warsaw Philharmonic in the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition. Sumino, 26, is causing an internet sensation with 798,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel.

More than 500 pianists from all over the world registered for the musical tournament and submitted their recordings to the international jury in Warsaw. After the preliminary round held from July 12 to 23, 2021, in the Salle de Chambre du Warsaw Philharmonicthe jury made up of world-renowned pianists and pedagogues selected the Sumino, 26 years old and 86 other pianists for this prestigious competition, considered one of the most important musical events in the world.

But it is not surprising that the young pianist obtained this distinction. Hayato recital in Warsaw was his test of musical endurance where he was at his best playing Frédéric Chopin’s cosmic pieces with tenderness and finesse.

Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino performs on stage in the Chamber Hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.
Photo: © Darek Golik, NIFC

Sumino started his concert with Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 n° 1, delivering an extremely moving experience, confirming the power of Chopin’s music.

Then there were two mazurkas, two studies, and at the end he performed a moving ballad in F major, Op. 38, displaying remarkable sonic clarity, skipping the length of the keyboard with scientific precision. There is no doubt that Chopin’s music is deeply rooted in Sumino’s heart.

The enthusiastic audience in Warsaw rewarded Sumino with huge applause, surpassing that of all participants in the qualifying rounds. Several people confirmed this observation during a telephone conversation with the writer.

The First Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition took place in Warsaw in 1927. In addition to his extensive role in popularizing Chopin’s music, he discovered the most extraordinary pianistic talents, opening the doors to the greatest concert halls in the world.

Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino performs on stage in the Chamber Hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.
Photo: © Darek Golik, NIFC

The Chopin Competition has launched the international careers of many former laureates, including Halina Czerny-Stefanska, Adam Harasiewicz, Maurizio Pollini, Marthe Argérich, Garrick Ohlson, Kristian Zimerman, Stanislav Bunin, Daniel Trifonov, Krzysztof JablonskI, Mitsuko Uchida, Yundi Li, Rafal Blechacz, Yulianna Avdeeva and the winner of the last Contest Seong Jin Cho.

A gifted musician Sumino started playing the piano at the age of three, giving concerts to large and enthusiastic audiences in his hometown Tokyo. In addition to music, young people Sumino was interested in science and technologyso after graduating from high school, he entered the University of Tokyo and in March 2020 graduated from the School of Information Science and Engineering with honors, receiving the award Of the president.

He then left for France to carry out research on musical information processing technologies and artificial intelligence at the French Institute of Acoustic Music (IRCAM).

Passionate about all areas of music, Sumino is very active on the jazz scene, often performing at the Tokyo Blue Note, considered one of the most influential jazz clubs in the world. Last April, Sumino was invited to perform in Japan Jazz Auditoriums online2021 where he played Rhapsody in blue. Here again, he illuminated George Gershwin’s composition marked by his pyrotechnic bravery on the keyboard which made his interpretation shine. He is also a member of an avant-garde city soul musical group, “Penthouse.”

But Sumino wanted to test his skills as a classical virtuoso, so he decided to participate in many music competitions. As a result, he has won many prestigious awards, including the first prize, which was awarded to him at National Piano Teachers Competition of Japan (PTNA) and the Gold Medal at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia.

Sumino always finds time to share his skills and knowledge with hundreds of thousands of music lovers and admirers, giving lectures across Japan and regularly streaming his performances live on Youtube. Undoubtedly, he brings classical music to a younger generation.

recent sound solo album HAYATOSMwhich contained the music of Chopin, Franz Liszt and his compositions, achieved worldwide success and was Digital diary choose for the world Best Classical Albums for 2020.

In particular, when performing Chopin’s music, it speaks to the hearts and souls of music lovers eager for the sound of Polish romanticism in these difficult times.

Like no one else, Sumino’s prowess, grace and sensitivity to Chopin’s pioneering music forces us to reflect on daily life full of emotions and unforeseen events. His piano style and the articulation of each note is virtuosic and poetic and demonstrates the exceptional artistry of the piano that draws the listener’s attention to the immortality of Chopin’s music.

The Frederic Chopin Institute is the organizer of the International Chopin Piano Competition. The preliminary auditions were streamed live online to over 4 million music lovers worldwide. The official inauguration of the Chopin Competition will take place at the Warsaw Philharmonic on October 2, 2021.