Hayato Sumino

“I have always idolised Chopin, and ever since I was a child, his music has been very special to me. Over the years, as I developed as a musician, I began to realise how much he influenced my own compositions”. With this declaration of admiration, pianist Hayato Sumino shows just how strongly Chopin’s romantic music shaped his own career as an artist. It was Sumino’s performances of the Polish composer’s works that gained him international recognition and brought him success as a semi-finalist at the renowned Chopin Piano Competition in 2021. Since then, he has toured many major concert halls, impressing audiences with his unique way of infusing the music of the past with a modern touch. His latest album Chopin Orbit, released in January 2026, is testimony to his rare talent as he combines the composer’s music with his own works and those of other musical visionaries.