Japanese Pianists Win 2nd, 5th Prizes in Brussels Contest

Jiji Press

17:10 JST, June 1, 2025

BRUSSELS (Jiji Press) — Japan’s Wataru Hisasue and Masaya Kamei won the second and fifth prize, respectively, in the piano category of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, a prestigious international music contest, on Sunday.

“I thought this competition, which emphasizes modern songs, would suit my character,” Hisasue, 30, said at the venue. “I was really tired because it was a long competition that lasted for a month, but I focused on it and gained valuable experience.”

After graduating from high school, Hisasue went to Europe to study at the Freiburg University of Music, the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2017, he won third place at the International Music Competition in Munich. He is currently based in Berlin and is also actively performing in Japan.

Kamei, 23, said, “It is an honor to receive an award at one of the world’s top competitions.”

Of the 12 finalists of the Brussels competition, four were Japanese. The first-place finisher was Nikola Meeuwsen of the Netherlands.