This new release from the Fryderyk Chopin Institute presents Shigehiko Kawaguchi's performance at the first Chopin International Period Instrument Competition, held in September 2018. Kawaguchi secured second place in the competition with his performance on this recording.

Shigehiko Kawaguchi graduated with Masters' degrees in early music from Tokyo University of the Arts (2014) and the Amsterdam Conservatory (2017). He studied fortepiano with Kikuko Ogura and Richard Egarr.

He is also a laureate of many other competitions, including the 1st Rome Fortepiano International Competition (2013), Yamanashi International Early Music Competition (2014), Geelvinck Piano Competition (2015), 'Musica Antiqua' International Competition in Bruges (2016) and Stanley Hoogland Square Piano Award (2016).

He has given fortepiano recitals at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Wunderkammerin Trieste, Chopin Festival Nohant and Goldberg Festival in Gdansk.

In 2016 he premiered the second edition of Poulenc's Trio for oboe, bassoon and piano with Saxton Rose (bassoon) and Nicholas Daniel (oboe). Two years later, he joined string players from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a concert of piano concertos arranged for chamber ensemble.

Kawaguchi's discography includes recordings of works by Jan Ladislav Dussek (Brilliant Classics) and Franz Schubert (Fuga Libera). With members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra, he has recorded Béla Bartók's Sonata for two pianos and percussion. That disc was released on his own new label Musis.