Israel’s Rubinstein Piano Competition Announces 2023 Winners

Canadian pianist Kevin Chen took home first place and $50,000 in prizes

Founded in 1974, the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition in Tel Aviv, Israel, is held every three years. This year’s participants performed with the Camerata Jerusalem and conductor Avner Biron, as well as the Israel Philharmonic with Yoel Levi.

First prize winner, 18-year-old Kevin Chen impressed the jury with a selection of works including Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and a Brahms piano trio. 

His award included the Gold Medal of $40,000 and an additional $10,000 to go toward his career advancement fund. He also received the Advanced Studies Grant, which involves $1,000 a year for three consecutive years. His winning performance can be viewed below. 

Chen is familiar with the competition stage, having recently won the Concours de Genève in 2022.

The second prize and $20,000 went to 23-year-old Georgian pianist Giorgi Gigashvili. He was also the recipient of the $6,000 Chamber Music Prize; the $3,000 Audience Favorite Prize; the Junior Jury Prize of $2,000; and the Israeli Piece Prize of $3,000 — which was also received by Chinese pianist Jiacheng Xiong.

Japanese pianist Yukine Kuroki, 24, won the third prize and Bronze Medal of $10,000. She also won the Classical Concerto Prize of $5,000 and an additional $1,000 for her career advancement fund.

Other awards involved finalists' prizes of $6,000 each to Elia Cecino, Caheyoung Park, and Alberto Ferro. The $2,500 Israeli Performer Prize went to Jonathan Senik, and the $1,000 Junior Jury Encouragement Grant was awarded to Giuseppe Guarrera.

Senick, Itamat Prag, Almog Segal, Tom Zalmanov, and Mariamna Sherling were awarded the encouragement prize for Israeli competitors and won $800 each.

After receiving hundreds of applications, the 2023 edition of the competition featured 36 participants, aged between 18 and 32, from 18 countries. 

Chaired by Arie Vardi, the jury comprised Asaf Zohar, Émile Naoumoff, Janina Fialkowska, Kataryna Popowa-Zydron, Noriko Ogawa, Robert Levin, Ronan O´Hora, Taiseer Elias, Xiaohan Wang, and Yoheved Kaplinsky.

Across more than 40 years of the competition’s history, its former winners have included Gerhard Oppitz, Angela Cheng, Alexander Korsantia, Kirill Gerstein, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Igor Levit, Khatia Buniatishvili, Boris Giltburg, Daniil Trifonov, and many others.