The competition finals are set to take place in Calgary, Canada from 16-24 October 2025
Details of the 11th edition of the Honens International Piano Competition have been released... and the prize packages are bigger and better than ever.
The Competition Quarterfinals are set to take place in Berlin and New York in March 2025, and the advancing Semifinalists and Finalists will perform in Calgary that October. The Competition culminates with the announcement of the three 2025 Honens Laureates (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) on October 24, 2025.
Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker comments, "We’re delighted to announce our 2025 Competition. This Competition, in particular, brings exciting new changes and growth to Honens through its expansion to three Laureates, the cash prizes they receive, and the holistic scope of the artistic development and career accelerator programme."
Prizes
The Gold Medal winner will receive a cash prize of $100,000 CAD, with Silver taking $40,000 CAD and Bronze $20,000 CAD.
All three finalists will additionally receive a comprehensive, three-year Artist Development Programme. The programme based on a needs assessment and tailored to each artist, may include debut recitals in career-building markets; assistance in securing worldwide artist management; coaching and mentorship; media training; opportunities to experiment with programming and collaborations for specific audiences; residencies and special projects; and the production, release, and distribution of professional recordings.
Jury
The jury for the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition includes Janina Fialkowska, Awadagin Pratt, Philippe Bianconi, Pavel Kolesnikov, and Tanya Bannister, among others.
Each Competition year, Honens appoints an internationally renowned, active concert pianist as its Mentor-in-Residence, who provides a one-hour feedback session to each Semifinalist and Finalist in the days following their performances. The British classical pianist and composer Sir Stephen Hough, one of the most distinctive artists of his generation, will be the 2025 Mentor-in-Residence.
Important Dates
- March 26, 2024: Application submissions open
- October 30, 2024: Application submission deadline
- March 2 to 4, 2025: Quarterfinals: Berlin
- March 17 to 19, 2025: Quarterfinals: New York
- October 16 to 20, 2025: Semifinals I / Semifinals II
- October 20, 2025: Announcement of the three Finalists
- October 23, 2025: Finals I
- October 24, 2025: Finals II & Announcement of the Honens Laureates
The competition has also announced that applications are now open. Applicants must be between 20 and 30 years of age. The deadline to apply is October 30, 2024 (23:59 GMT-07:00).
Find out more about the Honens Competition here.