Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (piano) – Paloma O’Shea Santander Competition Winner

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Pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has made monumental strides in his musical career this past year. Alongside winning the Paloma O’Shea Santander Competition, he recently completed his Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of British Columbia, studying with Corey Hamm.

Izik-Dzurko also spent the year performing in renowned concert halls the world over (Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, to name a few). Playing for international audiences is one of Izik-Dzurko’s professional goals, which he is well on his way to achieving. During his time in Spain, he premièred a piece written for and dedicated to him by Spanish Catalan composer Elisenda Fábregas entitled Somnis Radiants. “I consider it a sacred duty to faithfully transmit the intentions and the musical spirit of a great composer to contemporary audiences,” he said.

This intention extends into Izik-Dzurko’s program choices. At the competition, he tactfully combined cornerstones of the Western classical canon with lesser known works. The contrast between Beethoven and Scriabin’s final piano sonatas (Op. 111 and 70, respectively) depicted two different approaches to creating an end-of-career musical statement. Izik-Dzurko has devoted substantial time to Scriabin’s works this year, performing his complete sonatas both at home and abroad in Barcelona.

Despite feeling more pressure in competition than in performance, Izik-Dzurko uses the environment at competitions to listen to other musicians. The inspiration he gains from these events makes the many hours of practice, rehearsals, and performances worthwhile. At the end of the day, Izik-Dzurko is happy to simply be playing. “I love to share the depth and beauty of music with others,” he said. “It is always incredibly rewarding to receive sincere and profound responses to my playing.”

As he establishes himself as a performer, Izik-Dzurko seeks to embody the statement of his musical idol, Marc-André Hamelin (whose Étude No. 12, “Prelude and Fugue,” he performed at the competition): “Performing is not an exhibition, but an offering.” This young pianist is certainly motivated, and poised to continue appearing on the largest stages in the world, sharing his musical endeavours with a wide audience.