CMIM Piano 2024 Predictions

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Each year, La Scena Musicale assembles an informal jury whose members listen, grade and evaluate the 24 participants of the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM). For this year’s piano edition, a team consisting of pianist Fiona Wu, musicologist Justin Bernard, and pianist/musicologist Viktor Lazarov have drawn their top predictions for the competition winners.

Fiona Wu’s pick

Seungmin Shin (South Korea)
Seungmin Shin stands out to me as an extremely high-level artist. She excels on all fronts: her sense of style is impeccable, her technique is rock-solid, her listening is razor-sharp, and her musicianship is authentic. Out of all 24 candidates, she spoke to me the most. In other words, she has an incredible way of communicating through the music that is simultaneously true to herself and true to the music. She plays with personality, integrity and soul, three rare qualities that characterize a winner of a major international piano competition. Lastly, while all 24 candidates impressed me, Seungmin Shin also inspired me.

Second: Tom Carré (France)
Third: Rachel Breen (USA)

Justin Bernard’s pick

Élisabeth Pion (Canada)
From one edition to the next, the CMIM candidates seem to be stronger than ever. Some have an exceptional technique that cannot be ignored. This is the case for the Chinese pianist Muzi Li or the South Korean Deawon Kim, both very flexible in their playing. Others have admirable dexterity, but distinguish themselves first and foremost as artists. Jakub Kuszlik (Poland), who placed fourth in the Chopin Competition last year and is already an established concert pianist, impresses with the delicacy of his touch. Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Canadian Élisabeth Pion plays at home. The fact that she already knows the “terrain” could be to her advantage. Her musicality and her sense of phrasing, in the rises and falls, are the best I have heard among the 24.

Second: Deawon Kim (South Korea)
Third: Jakub Kuszlik (Poland)

Viktor Lazarov’s pick

Deawon Kim (South Korea)
Deawon Kim flies through some of the most difficult piano music ever written, such as Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit. Demonstrating breathtaking lightness in his touch, complete technical mastery, and an intuitive musicality, Kim distinguishes himself from other participants. His interpretations tastefully walk the line between predictability and surprise. Kim’s playing does not shock, stir, or provoke; he may not be as spontaneous, poetic, or stylistically distinct as some other contestants. But, he is head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of the whole: a golden middle that characterizes a first-prize winner.