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The 28th Beijing Music Festival presents an electrifying evening of pianistic brilliance featuring the sensational Hayato Sumino, a visionary artist renowned for his innovative interpretations and virtuosic flair. Weaving together timeless masterpieces and contemporary creations, this captivating program features music by Chopin, Bach, Gulda and Kapustin. The evening concludes with Sumino’s daring arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, reimagined for solo piano. Join us for an unforgettable journey through musical innovation and timeless artistry at the BMF.

“As a laureate of the International Chopin Competition, Hayato Sumino brings a fresh and innovative approach to the music, captivating audiences with his distinctive style.”—Chicago Symphony Orchestra 

“Pianist Hayato Sumino is bringing classical music to younger generations.”—Digital Journal  

“Cross-genre pianist Hayato Sumino seamlessly integrates classical virtuosity and contemporary improvisation.”—The Strad

 “Cateen”

Known as “Cateen” on YouTube, the dynamic pianist Hayato Sumino has captivated audiences with his virtuosic performances. Blending classical mastery with modern accessibility, Sumino has amassed well over one million subscribers. Starting piano at age 3, Sumino balanced his musical passion with academic excellence, earning an advanced degree in science and engineering from the University of Tokyo.

Sumino’s accolades include the 2018 Grand Prix at the 42nd PTNA Piano Competition and third prize at the 2019 Lyon International Piano Competition. In 2021, he reached the semifinals at Warsaw’s XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition, drawing a record-breaking 45,000 online viewers for his second-round performance.

Hayato Sumino’s unique approach to classical music delivers a seamless blend of technical virtuosity, emotional expressiveness and innovative reinterpretation bridging the traditional classical repertoire with modern and cross-genre elements. A Steinway Artist, he continues to push boundaries, captivating global audiences with his innovative artistry.

Chopin to Ravel Reimagined

This spellbinding evening of pianist brilliance features visionary Hayato Sumino opening with two selections by Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 and Nocturne No. 1. Sumino then presents his own Three Nocturnes, a contemporary homage to Chopin blending lyrical elegance with modern harmonic twists, revealing his compositional voice and inventive spirit. The first half concludes with Bach’s Partita No. 2, a masterpiece of intricate counterpoint and expressive depth.

In Two Pieces of Chopin’s Recompositions, Sumino reimagines Chopin’s melodies with bold, jazzy inspirations, while a serene prelude and intricate fugue showcases the pianist’s precision and sensitivity to Baroque structure. Friedrich Gulda’s Prelude and Fugue pulses with jazz rhythms and playful energy, and the Kapustin Concert Etudes explodes in virtuosic jazz-classical fusion.

The evening culminates in Sumino’s audacious solo arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, transforming the iconic orchestral crescendo into a tour de force of rhythmic intensity and pianistic color. Join us at the Beijing Music Festival for an unforgettable performance bridging classical tradition with bold innovation, delivered by a pianist whose artistry knows no bounds.

Hayato Sumino

Hayato Sumino burst onto the classical music scene with his Grand Prix win at the 2018 PTNA Piano Competition. However, it was his captivating and characterful performances as a semi-finalist at the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw that truly established him as a rising star. His profound artistry and impeccable technique left both audiences and critics in awe.

Renowned for his vibrant stage presence and technical brilliance, Hayato has performed with some of the world's top orchestras, including the Hamburg Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, The Boston Pops, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His performances have mesmerized audiences across North America, Europe, and Asia, both in concert halls and through his dynamic online presence.

In 2025, Hayato was honored with the prestigious Leonard Bernstein Award from the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, recognizing his exceptional artistry and growing impact on the international music scene.

Following a successful 2024/2025 season—including an 11-concert tour across Japan with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop, recital debuts at the Berlin Philharmonie and Tonhalle Zürich, and performances of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie with the New Japan Philharmonic under Joe Hisaishi—Hayato also toured with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under Jakub Hrůša.

Looking ahead to the 2025/2026 season, Hayato continues to reach new career milestones with major debuts and international tours. He will debut with the BBC Philharmonic at the Beijing Music Festival, performing Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 under John Storgårds, and with the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin at the Berlin Philharmonie. His highly anticipated recital debuts include Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium) and the Vienna Konzerthaus. He will also return to the Main Hall of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Basel Stadtcasino.

Further highlights of the season include an orchestra debut at Carnegie Hall with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Marin Alsop, as well as his first European tour with the Aurora Orchestra, performing in Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Rotterdam, Zurich, Bern, and Geneva. He will also debut with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the Vienna Konzerthaus, followed by a tour in Japan under chief conductor Petr Popelka.

A significant milestone in his career was his signing as an exclusive Sony Classical artist in March 2024, a partnership that further elevates his international profile. In addition to his musical achievements, Hayato holds a Master of Engineering from The University of Tokyo and was honored with the university’s President's Award in 2020 for his exceptional contributions to both music and academia.

Hayato’s unique style—melding classical virtuosity with innovative arrangements and improvisation—has also made him a digital sensation. His YouTube channel “Cateen,” with over 1.4 million subscribers and 200 million views, showcases his original compositions and arrangements, further cementing his influence in the modern music landscape.

In 2025, Hayato received both the Young Talent of the Year and Solo Live-Performance of the Year awards from Germany’s prestigious Opus Klassik Awards. He was the first musician ever to win both distinctions in the same year. Named to Forbes Japan's "30 Under 30" list in 2023, Hayato Sumino has been a Steinway Artist since 2021 and serves as an Ambassador for both Apple Music Classical and CASIO. With his fresh and innovative approach to piano music, Hayato continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.

Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20 10′
Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 48 7′
Hayato Sumino: Three Nocturnes  15′
Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826 22′

——Intermission——
Hayato Sumino: Two Pieces of Chopin’s Recompositions 10′
Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 870 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II  5′
Friedrich Gulda: Prelude and Fugue 8′
Nikolai Kapustin: Concert Etudes, Op. 40 Nos. 1, 2 & 3 14′
Maurice Ravel: Boléro (arr. Hayato Sumino) 12′

Hayato Sumino, piano

The program is subject to change.