Ukrainian pianist wins top prize at Portugal's Santa Cecília competition
Lopatynskyi performed Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in the final and claimed the top prize, finishing ahead of two Chinese pianists.
In addition to first prize, Lopatynskyi received several special awards, including:
Competition organizers also published a video of his final performance on the event's YouTube channel.
The Santa Cecília International Piano Competition is an annual classical music competition held in Porto, Portugal. It is organized by the Curso de Música Silva Monteiro music academy and features several rounds that culminate in a final performance at Casa da Música.
The top division is open to pianists up to age 32. The competition includes a video selection round, solo qualifying rounds, a semifinal with a string quartet, and a final concert with the renowned Casa da Música Symphony Orchestra in the Sala Suggia concert hall.
Who is Roman Lopatynskyi?
Roman Lopatynskyi is a Ukrainian pianist from Kyiv. He began studying piano at age five at the Mykola Lysenko Kyiv State Music Lyceum. In 2009, at age 16, he enrolled at the Incontri con il Maestro International Piano Academy in Imola, Italy. He graduated from the National Music Academy of Ukraine in 2016.
Since 2017, Lopatynskyi has received grant support from the Vere Music Fund and has participated in its special projects.
In 2024, the Ukrainian pianist earned a Ph.D. in Musical Arts. In 2025, he became a soloist with the National Philharmonic of Ukraine.
Lopatynskyi has performed across Europe, Asia, and the United States, including Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Japan, Morocco, and Israel.
He has also appeared at major international festivals, including MITO in Turin and Milan, the Newport Festival in the United States, The Next Generation Festival in Switzerland, Heidelberger Frühling in Germany, and Animato in France. In Ukraine, he has performed at GogolFest, Bouquet Kyiv Stage, and LvivMozArt.
- Last
News by day
1 of July 2026
