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Fair enough.

Two additional places added so that there would be Polish competitors at the final, otherwise there would not be any.

I think teachers should discourage them, and they can do so at these competitions, since most of the jurors are eminent teachers. The phenomenon is, without doubt, relatively new, and it's not that close-up camera shots are new. There is plenty of television video coverage of recitals to show what performance standards were like in the previous century. You can find any number of television broadcasts of Artur Rubenstein to compare. I had first row seats on stage for a Horowitz recital, and sat about 20 feet away from him. His expressions were perfectly normal - no pursing of lips, furrowing of the brows, bulging eyes, sideway glances off to the distance, or staring at the ceiling. No four to five minute delays before performing pieces while he fiddled with his handkerchief, calmed his nerves, focused his attention, and communed with St. Cecilia for inspiration. All of these behaviors are learned affectations that are indulged in by the teachers or even taught by them.

Here's Georgy Cziffra warming up for a televised recital, and then the full recital, in 1962. He didn't need any artificial body or facial movements to establish his virtuosity or the high quality of his musical standards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTAfCTcsZq8&ab_channel=ClassicalPianoRarities%F0%9F%8E%B9

Why not if they can find room for 4 pianos on the stage along with the orchestra.

I wonder if all of the Finalists would be sticking with their chosen pianos? I recall from the 2015 edition that most (if not all) Finalists who chose the CFX left it for the Model D--presumably to be able to leverage Steinway's signature powerful sound for the concertos. If they were to stick with their selections, this would be the first final in history where we'd get to see Steinway, Fazioli and Shigeru Kawai all being included.

It's worth pointing out that there is a record-breaking number of 3 (!) seventeen-year-old pianists in the Final this edition. They are, in order from "oldest" to youngest by birth month: Hao Rao, Eva Gevorgyan, and J J Jun Li Bui.

Two additional places added so that there would be Polish competitors at the final, otherwise there would not be any.

I love Shindo’s music. I don’t know where she learned the body movement. One of her teachers from her childhood is the same one as Kobayashi had when she was a child. Their teacher lived in US for a long time and known to discourage students from unnecessary body movements. Shindo went to Russia at the tender age of 15. Speaking of determination, I admire her. For that matter everyone else in the competition too. Thinking of sacrifice they made on top of hours of practice, I wish I could give prizes to all the contestants.

3 finalists will play the F minor: Gadjiev, Garcia Garcia, and Lee.

I thought I read somewhere that Liu would change from Fazioli to Kawai? I think that would be good if true. Maybe it sounded different in the hall, but I was hearing some harsh sounds from his Fazioli in round 3. As compared with, e.g. Armellini, who was getting very mellow tones.

I can't love (or respect) classical and non-classical equally but I have to think some people can. Khatia Buniatishvili is always being quoted saying things like there are no bad genres of music, there's just good music and bad music in general. And you hear lots of people say this. I'm always surprised to find out that at her level of playing there are classical musicians who listen devotedly to pop, rock, rap, etc. I'm going to guess I'm in a minority on this viewpoint though.