Which pianists on the competition seem to grab your attention? After the Cliburn, I thought Gillham and Rana, as well as Kholodenko, brought original senses of artistry in an event that does to an extent (not as much as the Chopin) reward note-perfect standardisations, but was most convinced by Steven Lin. I felt he brought much energy and control, but also exquisite phrasing and sensitivity where required (his Haydn was truly refreshing). Lin reminded me of another competing pianist, the Korean Da Sol Kim, who similarly impressed me with energy and sensitivity at the Geza Anda competition.
Which pianists do you find most exciting and/or artistic in such events and would recommend to everyone else to watch out for?
Here's Da Sol. His Kreisleriana is solid, what really brings the house down is the Gaspard (around 35:00)
Topic: Favourite (currently) 'competing' pianists?