Chopin Competition 2025: Stage 3, Day 3 Review
The third day of Stage 3 at the Chopin Competition 2025 had its ups and downs.
Jed Distler shares his thoughts on the performances, starting with Tomoharu Ushida, whom he had liked in the 2021 competition.
Ushida has formidable fingers and a huge sound, and he never lets you forget it.
However, Distler was underwhelmed by Ushida's performances of the F minor Fantasy and B minor Sonata, finding them loud and undifferentiated.
Zitong Wang's recital provided a more nuanced perspective, but Distler found her loud playing to be hollow and aggressive, while her soft passagework lacked body and definition.
Author's summary: Mixed impressions on Day 3 of Stage 3.
- Tomoharu Ushida's performances were loud and undifferentiated.
- Zitong Wang's recital showed a lack of nuance in her playing.