Chopin 2025: Tomoharu Ushida - Japanese spirit, Polish sentiment
Japanese pianist Tomoharu Ushida inaugurated the third and final day of auditions of the third stage of the Chopin Competition on Thursday. After his performance, he said he had tried to portray Chopin's many facets and that he saw both the Japanese spirit and Polish sentiment in his playing.
"The entire special nature and attraction of the Chopin Competition lies in the fact that you can meet with different facets of Chopin, experience the character of individual compositions, and see subtle details. When we are talking about other composers, like Beethoven or Mozart, one can only say, for example, 'Beethoven was strong.' But with Chopin, it's different," said Tomoharu Ushida after his performance.
"I tried to show Chopin's different facets in the programme I performed and in my interpretations of the his compositions. I hope I have succeeded," he added.
The pianist brilliantly performed the challenging programme: from the Sonata in B minor, Opus 58, through the mazurkas from Opus 56, the Prelude in C-sharp minor, Opus 45, to the Fantasy in F minor, Opus 49.
"I see both the Japanese spirit and Polish sentiment in my performance," he said when asked whether his interpretations of Chopin's works stem from the climate of Japanese culture or whether they are more universal.
"Poles have many Asian features. Polishness and Japanese influences have merged," the pianist said, adding that "for two years, I have been closely connected to Poland thanks to my professor Piotr Paleczny, and I also have friends and acquaintances here."
The pianist is currently studying at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, with Professor Piotr Paleczny being his tutor, but is also being tutored by Koji Shimoda in Tokyo.
"Both of my teachers have different ideas, both value different types of sensitiveness but they share a common goal – to play very well, to play at their best," Ushida added.
Tomoharu Ushida was born in 1999. Before Paleczny and Shimoda, he was being tutored by Mikhail Pletnev. He has won numerous awards, including at the Hamamatsu and Leeds piano competitions. He has performed with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, among others.
Twenty pianists from eight countries are competing in the third stage of the Chopin Competition. The auditions run through Thursday, when the names of the finalists will be announced.
The 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, organised by Poland's Fryderyk Chopin Institute, runs from October 2 to 23.
The Polish Press Agency is a media partner of the competition. (PAP)
at/mf
