Russian pianist Aleksandr Moutouzkine has received the top award at a competition for pianists, in Panama.

The jury was stunned by his performance of Franz Liszt’s Reminiscences de Norma (from Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “Norma”), and Moment Musicaux op. 16 by Sergey Rakhmaninov.

Second place went to a pianist from Belarus, Aleksandr Belyakovich, and in third place was Takafumi Mori  from Japan. Each received US$20,000, $15,000 and $10,000 accordingly.

The Panama competition has been held every other year, since 2004. Moutouzkine participated in the very first contest and came third. The competition has previously been won by pianists from South Korea, China and Spain.

Aleksandr Moutouzkine, born in 1980, has won many international competitions. He was awarded prizes at several major European piano contests, including the 10th Citta di Sulmona in Italy, the Maria Canals and the Pilar Bayona contests in Spain. He has won several competitions in the US, including,  the Mieczyslav Munz and the 26th Frinna Awerbuch.  He tours the world playing concerts and is already well-known to the international classical music lovers' community.