Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino was awarded the 2026 Olivier Berggruen Prize during his recital at Saanen Church on Monday evening, becoming the fifth recipient of the award for outstanding young musical talent.

The prize was presented on 10 August by Olivier Berggruen and Menuhin Festival Gstaad Artistic Director Daniel Hope as part of the festival’s 70th anniversary season.

Sumino’s recital ranged from Chopin and Stravinsky to Thomas Adès and Saint-Saëns, alongside several of his own compositions – a programme well suited to a pianist whose career has developed both inside and outside the traditional classical music world.

The Japanese musician first attracted a large following online under the name Cateen, launching his YouTube channel while still a teenager. Today it has more than 1.5 million subscribers. At the same time, Sumino has built an international concert career, performing with orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and NHK Symphony Orchestra.

His breakthrough in Japan came with the Grand Prix at the PTNA Piano Competition in 2018. Three years later, he reached the semi-finals of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, where his performances also drew a large online audience. His recent recordings include Human Universe (2024) and Chopin Orbit (2026).

Five years of the Olivier Berggruen Prize

Sumino follows previous recipients Pallavi Mahidhara (2022), Alexandra Dovgan (2023), Kate Liu (2024) and Yunchan Lim (2025).

The Olivier Berggruen Prize was established to support emerging musicians and includes an appearance at the Menuhin Festival Gstaad as well as a trophy created by contemporary artist Olympia Scarry.

For Berggruen, a New York-based writer, curator and long-time friend and supporter of the festival, the prize also brings together two of his interests: music and contemporary art. Scarry, who was born in Geneva and is now based in Milan, has exhibited internationally, including in Gstaad.

Jeanette Wichmann