by the numbers

193 works · 42 composers · 31 competitors

Spot an error? Email theboringpianist@gmail.com

Chopin, obviously50%

Unsurprisingly, 97 of the 193 works on offer are Chopin. The other 96 are spread across 41 composers.

4 competitors go further and play nothing else: Jim Chou, Robert Finley, Hiko Sakamoto, Max Sung.

Most-played works27

Every piece more than one competitor chose. Titles were submitted freely, so these are grouped by composer, opus and key rather than by spelling.

Chopin Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 527

first roundJim Chou · Charl de Wet · Michael Slavin

finalBenjamin Alwes · William Bloomquist · Hiko Sakamoto · Max Sung

Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 234

first roundShinhye Kim

finalSandra Baumgarten · Michael Slavin · Max Sung

Chopin Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 604

first roundWilliam Bloomquist · Max Sung

finalGrant Gayle · Jim Lees

Chopin Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27 No. 24

finalWen-Yee Ho · Shinhye Kim · Vincent C. Phillips · Ian Roy

Chopin Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 584

first roundChia Ying Lee

finalMark Cannon · Jim Chou · Carl Di Casoli

Brahms Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 23

first roundAaron Miller

finalWilliam Bloomquist · Yuki Kitayama

Chopin Étude in A-flat major, Op. 25 No. 13

first roundBenjamin Alwes · Ian Roy

Chopin Nocturne No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 13

finalVivian Ku · Kate Lo · Wei Ling Wang

Ravel Une barque sur l'océan (Miroirs No. 3)3

finalGrant Gayle · Nicole Lee · Michael Slavin

Scriabin Fantasie in B minor, Op. 283

finalCharl de Wet · Nicole Lee · Abraham Wilson

Chopin Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 382

first roundHiko Sakamoto

finalRobert Finley

Chopin Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 472

first roundYuchao Zhou

finalAaron Miller

Chopin Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 122

first roundGrant Gayle · J. Rándal Ortiz

Chopin Étude in C minor, Op. 25 No. 12, "Ocean"2

first roundJim Lees

finalVincent C. Phillips

Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 5 in G-flat major “Black Keys”2

first roundCarl Di Casoli

finalShinhye Kim

Chopin Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp major, Op. 362

first roundJonathan Shih

finalAbraham Wilson

Chopin Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67 No. 42

first roundBenjamin Alwes · Wen-Yee Ho

Chopin Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 12

first roundHiko Sakamoto · Abraham Wilson

Chopin Nocturne No. 5 in F-sharp major, Op. 15 No. 22

first roundVivian Ku · Michael Slavin

Chopin Polonaise in A-flat major Op. 532

first roundSandra Baumgarten

finalGorden Cheng

Chopin Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26 No. 12

first roundKate Lo

finalWen-Yee Ho

Chopin Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 612

finalCharl de Wet · Robert Finley

Chopin Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 392

first roundMax Sung

finalSandra Baumgarten

Chopin Waltz No. 5 in A-flat major, Op. 422

first roundJim Chou

finalHiko Sakamoto

Chopin Waltz Op. 34 No. 1 in A-flat major2

first roundGorden Cheng · Robert Finley

Kapustin Concert Étude in C major, Op. 40 No. 12

first roundGorden Cheng · Shinhye Kim

Ravel Jeux d'eau2

first roundIan Roy

Composers by works played

Chopin97

Beethoven8

Rachmaninoff8

Debussy7

Liszt6

Bach5

Ravel5

Scarlatti5

And a long tail of 24 composers heard exactly once: Babajanian, Bortkiewicz, Boulanger, Chasins, Cochran, Decaux, Dutilleux, Elgar, Fauré, Ginastera, Gottschalk, Gubaidulina, Janáček, Lecuona, Liadov, Mompou, Paderewski, Picker, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Rautavaara, Shih, Sibelius, Weinberg.

Where they come from19

Massachusetts 4 · New York 4 · California 3 · Texas 3 · Japan 2 · Michigan 2 · Colombia · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Kentucky · Maryland · Missouri · North Carolina · Oregon · South Korea · Tennessee · United Kingdom · Washington

What they do the rest of the time29

The competition is for amateurs in the older sense — people who play for love of it. The field includes a pastor, a waiter, a stay-at-home mom and two anesthesiologists.

William BloomquistPastorRiva, Maryland

Mark CannonpsychiatristLarchmont, New York

Gorden ChengDigital Asset ManagerSan Diego, CA

Jim ChouPhysicianNew York

Diana CusanoEpidemiologist and MomLouisville, Kentucky

Charl de WetAnesthesiologist and Critical Care PhysicianSt Louis, Missouri

Carl Di CasoliHead of biometrics for Chinese pharmaceutical companySudbury, Massachusetts (Boston area)

Robert FinleyRetired elecronics engineerNorthborough Massachusetts

Grant Gayleenvironmental engineerFort Worth, Texas

Wen-Yee Horetired university lecturerConcord, Massachusetts

Shinhye KimPsychologistDaegu, South Korea

Yuki KitayamaData ScientistNiigata, Japan

Vivian Kustay-at-home momAnn Arbor, Michigan

Chia Ying LeeAI Research ScientistBoston, MA and Singapore

Nicole LeeParent and Community VolunteerPortland, Oregon, USA

Jim LeesWaiterChattanooga, Tennessee

Yun LiangProfessorMichigan

Kate LoRetired engineerAustin, Texas

Aaron Milleracademic administratorLos Angeles, California

J. Rándal OrtizSchool Discipline Coordinator and Business DirectorBucaramanga, Colombia

Vincent C. Phillipsretired AnesthesiologistCharlotte, NC

Ian RoyEngineer AnalystNuneaton

Hiko Sakamotosoftware engineerNishinomiya, Japan

Jonathan Shihproduct designerSeattle, Washington

Michael SlavinRetired neuro-ophthalmologistManhasset, New York

Max SungPhysicianNew York, New York

Wei Ling WangEngineerDallas, Texas

Abraham WilsonProduct ManagerIndianapolis, Indiana

Yuchao ZhouSoftware EngineerRedwood City, California

Shigeru or Steinway31

Each competitor chose which piano to play. Counted from the 31 choices known so far.

Shigeru Kawai20

5 of 20 reached the final · 2 on the podium

Steinway11

4 of 11 reached the final · 1 on the podium

counted from the programmes each competitor submitted · ↗ official competition page