50 quarter-finalists chosen for the 2021 Honens International Piano Competition


15 December 2020
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By Ellie Palmer
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The quarter-finals are set to take place in New York (March 11-13) and Berlin (March 22-24)

50 pianists from 18 countries have been chosen to compete in the quarter-finals of Canada’s 10th Honens International Piano Competition, despite the challenges presented by a global pandemic.

The Applicant Screening Jury evaluated 130 candidate submissions based on proposed Competition programming, experience relative to age, and reference letters.

The quarter-finals/International Audition Round is currently scheduled to take place in New York (March 11-13) and Berlin (March 22-24) as long as the Competition can do so safely while maintaining the highest possible artistic standard. The health and safety of those involved in the Competition remains the organisation’s top priority and Honens continues to consider various scenarios given the evolving pandemic.

Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker comments, “We were astounded at the quality of the 130 applicants. Narrowing them down to only 50 was a very difficult task, but the members of the Applicant Screening Jury were up to the challenge.

We are confident in the 50 amazing young artists we chose, and hope to see a number of the other applicants return in 2024 to apply for the next Competition."

For the quarter-finals, each of the 50 pianists performs a 40-minute self-programmed solo recital and completes an interview with an arts journalist. All performances are recorded on video for review by the First Jury, comprised of both pianists and arts professionals:

  • Katherine Chi, chair (2000 Honens Prize Laureate)
  • Loie Fallis (Vice-President of Artistic Planning of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
  • Roman Rabinovich (Prizewinner at the 2008 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition)
  • Gilles Vonsattel (2009 Honens Laureate and recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant)

Ten pianists will be chosen to advance to the semi-finals in Calgary. Semi-finalists will be announced in spring 2021. The Competition culminates with the semi-finals and finals in Calgary, Canada from October 14-22, 2021 with collaborative musicians violinist Martin Beaver, Viano String Quartet, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of celebrated conductor Peter Oundjian.

The triennial Honens International Piano Competition awards its Prize Laureate $100,000 (CAD) and a comprehensive three-year artistic and career development programme.

The prize, awarded to the pianist who most embodies Honens’ philosophy of the Complete Artist, is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

For additional information about the 2021 Honens International Piano Competition, visit www.honens.com/2021.

 

See the full list of quarter-finalists below:

 

Kevin Ahfat - 27 - Canada

Adam Balogh - 23 - Hungary

Nathan Ben-Yehuda - 27 - United States

Xander Benham - 25 - United Kingdom

Giovanni Bertolazzi - 23 - Italy

Rachel Breen - 25 - United States

Łukasz Byrdy - 27 - Poland

Yangrui Cai - 20 - China

SaeYoon Chon - 26 - South Korea

Dmytro Choni - 28 - Ukraine

Federico Gad Crema - 22 - Italy

Minkyu Kim - 26 - South Korea

Ji Yong Kim - 30 - United States

Maxim Kinasov - 28 - Russia

Elizaveta Kliuchereva - 22 - Russia

Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu - 24 - Canada

Danilo Mascetti - 28 - Italy

Dominic Muzzi - 27 - United States

Kyle Orth - 30 - United States

Illia Ovcharenko - 20 - Ukraine

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Élisabeth Pion - 25 - Canada

Zhora Sargsyan - 26 - Armenia

Timofey Dolya - 27 - Russia

Benjamin Dominguez - 23 - United States

Dan Evans - 26 - United Kingdom

Motti Fang Bentov - 23 - Israel

Robert Fleitz - 28 - United States

George Fu - 30 - United States

Umi Garrett - 21 - United States

Anna Geniushene - 30 - Russia

Francesco Granata - 22 - Italy

George Harliono - 20 - United Kingdom

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko - 22 - Canada

Carter Johnson - 25 - Canada

Simon Karakulidi - 24 - Russia

Aleksandra Kasman - 26 - United States

Philipp Scheucher - 28 - Austria

Sophiko Simsive - 29 - Georgia

Lorenzo Soulès - 29 - France

Sergey Tanin - 26 - Russia

Jean-Luc Therrien - 27 - Canada

Arthur Wang - 20 - Canada

Derek Wang - 23 - United States

Yun Wei - 27 - China

Ka Jeng Wong - 30 - Hong Kong

Alexander Yau - 26 - Australia

Gabriel Yeo - 23 - Germany

Joon Yoon - 28 - South Korea

Dmitry Yudin - 20 - Russia

Angie Zhang - 25 - United States

 

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