South Korean pianist Kim Kang-tae won third prize at the Liszt Utrecht Piano Competition 2026, which concluded on Saturday in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
First prize went to Alexander Kashpurin of Russia, with Thomas Kelly of the UK taking second place.
Born in 1997, Kim received a prize of 8,000 euros ($9,460), along with an extensive package of career support awarded to all three laureates, including professional coaching and mentorship, the creation of a personal website, and an opportunity to make a commercial recording.
The prize winners will also take part in a concert tour across major venues in Europe, including the Netherlands’ Royal Concertgebouw, as well as stages in Norway, Italy, Hungary and Belgium.
Eight pianists advanced to the main rounds, presenting six themed recitals before three finalists were selected. In the final, Kim performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Stephane Deneve.
Ahead of the competition, Kim said in an interview with the organizers that he applied because of his deep affinity for Franz Liszt’s music. Noting that Liszt’s works feel natural and intuitive to him, Kim said he strongly relates to both the composer’s life and artistic spirit.
Kim made his debut in 2009 through the Kumho Young Artist Concert series. He has received prizes at major competitions, including the Takamatsu International Piano Competition, the Isang Yun International Music Competition, and the KBS-KEPCO Music Competition. He studied at Seoul National University before completing his master’s degree at the Berlin University of the Arts under Markus Groh, and is currently pursuing the Konzertexamen program at the Munster University of Music with Arnulf von Arnim.
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