The future of music, made here.

Pianist JJ Bui ’26 MM Wins Fourth Prize at Hamamatsu Competition

December 2, 2024

JJ Bui Photo

Pianist JJ Bui ’26 MM won Fourth Prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan last month. He performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in the final round. “It’s such a fun piece to play,” Bui said, adding that after four rounds, it was “good to end on a high note.” 

“It was really important to me to do well in this competition,” Bui said, explaining that Japan has become a geographic focus of his career. The pianist, who’s from Toronto, Canada, won Sixth Prize at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, in 2018. He was just 17. At that competition, Bui played on a Kawai piano. Afterward, the company facilitated opportunities for him across Japan.

Bui said having success in Hamamatsu “was a good way for me to build good relationships in Japan.”

Beyond his performance and achievement in Japan, Bui said he “learned how to handle everything that is thrown at me,” to “keep things in perspective,” and to enjoy and have fun performing. That outlook is one that his teacher, Dang Thai Son, has helped shape. 

Now back in Boston, Bui said he’s eager to return to his studies. With the Hamamatsu Competition behind him and the rest of his career ahead, Bui plans to learn new repertoire and focus on growing as a musician.

recent news
Andy Messier

March 31, 2025

Singer-songwriter Andy Messier ’27, On Life’s Influence

Read More
ICA Showcase

March 27, 2025

Institute for Concert Artists Showcase Features Extraordinary Collaborations and Clear Camaraderie

Read More
Scott Nickrenz

March 24, 2025

NEC Community Mourns the Passing of Scott Nickrenz

Read More
  • Andy Messier

    March 31, 2025

    Singer-songwriter Andy Messier ’27, On Life’s Influence

  • ICA Showcase

    March 27, 2025

    Institute for Concert Artists Showcase Features Extraordinary Collaborations and Clear Camaraderie

  • Scott Nickrenz

    March 24, 2025

    NEC Community Mourns the Passing of Scott Nickrenz

  • Melissa Reardon

    March 24, 2025

    For Faculty Member and Borromeo String Quartet Violist Melissa Reardon, NEC Has Long Been Home 

  • Joshua Brown

    March 18, 2025

    New England Conservatory Applauds 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant Recipients

  • Tamara Acosta

    March 14, 2025

    NEC Alumna Tamara Acosta ’92 MM Co-Produces Grammy-Winning Album of Songs by Florence Price