Japanese prodigy wins prestigious piano prize

A young Japanese pianist has been awarded the prestigious Clara Haskil Prize, organisers said Sunday.

Mao Fujita, 18, will receive 25,000 Swiss francs (22,000 euros, $26,000) after beating Hong Kong-born Aristo Sham and Italian Alberto Ferro to win the coveted award.

“With him, one forgets the competition and gives in only to music and grace,” a statement on the award’s website said.

Fujita, who began playing when he was three years old, has already won a number of international awards for his performances.

The Clara Haskil Prize, named after the pioneering Romanian pianist, is competed for every two years, but no one managed to win the prize during the last competition in 2015.