28 October 2025
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Canadian pianist Élisabeth Pion (age 29) has been named Gold Laureate of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition
At the finals, Pion played Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 3 with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Elias Grandy. This final round also included an English-language interview by Canadian arts journalist Katherine Duncan. The two intensive rounds of recitals priopr to the finals included a performance of the César Franck Piano Quintet with the Isidore String Quartet.
Pion during her Semifinals round 1
As Gold Laureate, Pion receives $100,000 (CAD) as well as a comprehensive, three-year Artist Development Program valued at an additional $500,000 (CAD) – one of the world’s largest awards of its kind. Pion also won the Audience Choice Award ($5,000 CAD).
Finalists Carter Johnson (29) and Anastasia Vorotnaya (30) received the Honens Silver Laureate prize of $40,000 (CAD), and the Honens Bronze Laureate prize of $20,000 (CAD), respectively. Johnson performed Prokofiev Concerto No 2 and Vorotnaya Brahms No 2.
Carter Johnson with the Isidore String Quartet
Each Semifinalist received a $2,500 (CAD) award. They are:
- Ádám Balogh, 28
- Elia Cecino, 24
- Giorgio Lazzari, 25
- Sandro Nebieridze, 24
- Chaeyoung Park, 28
- Derek Wang, 27
- Yuanfan Yang, 28
An additional prize was awarded to Anastasia Vorotnaya for the Best Performance of Commissioned Work ($5,000 CAD), Fracture, by Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi.
Anastasia Vorotnaya
The Honens Second Jury – which evaluated the Semifinalists and Finalists – comprised Philippe Bianconi, Jenny Bilfield, Janina Fialkowska, Leila Getz, Anne-Marie McDermott, Roberto Plano and Awadagin Pratt.
‘It has been a thrilling experience to witness the full breadth of each artist during the Semifinal and Final rounds of the Competition,’ said Honens President & CEO Amanda Smith. ‘We are honoured to welcome Élisabeth to the Honens family, who demonstrated artistic excellence and a supreme commitment to Honens’ values. Her integrity and humanistic perspective of what it means to be a Complete Artist are an inspiration, and not only in music.’
‘The Honens International Piano Competition has brought together some of the most gifted pianists of their generation,’ added Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker. ‘They all showed passion, insight, sensitivity, and emotional and intellectual acuity as musicians. Congratulations to all the Semifinalists, and especially to Élisabeth. I, along with the rest of the Honens team, look forward to working with you and watching your career blossom.’
In addition to the cash award, the 2025 Honens Gold Laureate receives a comprehensive three-year artistic development and career accelerator program. Tailored to the Laureate, the program may include debut recitals in such major arts cities as Berlin, London, New York and Toronto; introductions to artist managers; coaching and mentorship; media training; language skills; training on the business of music; opportunities to experiment with programming and collaborations for specific audiences; residencies and special projects; and the production, release, and distribution of professional recordings.
Watch the archived video recordings of the entire 2025 Honens International Piano Competition.
All photos: © Tim Nguyen, Fifth Wall Media