CALGARY, AB, May 18, 2022—Ten pianists have been chosen to advance to the Semifinals of Canada’s Honens International Piano Competition. The pianists (aged 21 to 31) come from seven countries: Austria, Hungary, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States. Only one pianist will be named the 2022 Honens Prize Laureate and win one of the world’s largest awards of its kind—$100,000 (CAD) and a comprehensive, three-year artistic and career development program. The Semifinals and Finals of the Honens International Piano Competition take place in Calgary from October 20 to 28, 2022.
The First Jury, comprised of Louise Bessette, Loie Fallis, Roman Rabinovich, and Gilles Vonsattel, reviewed the Quarterfinal recitals and interviews that were recorded in Frankfurt and New York in March. The four jurors, under the guidance of Honens Official Mathematician Moshe Renert, chose ten pianists who would be invited to Calgary in October.
The ten Semifinalists are:
- Ádám Balogh (Hungary)
- Rachel Breen (United States)
- Łukasz Byrdy (Poland)
- Sae Yoon Chon (South Korea)
- Dmytro Choni (Ukraine)
- George Fu (United States)
- Simon Karakulidi (Russia)
- Aleksandra Kasman (United States)
- Illia Ovcharenko (Ukraine)
- Philipp Scheucher (Austria)
“We’re thrilled to welcome these ten outstanding Semifinalists to our Calgary and online audiences this October,” says Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker. “The First Jury had a difficult task in selecting just ten pianists to advance from our 50 chosen Quarterfinalists, but each juror offered unique expertise based on their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.”
Each Semifinalist performs two recitals (October 20 to 24): a 65-minute, self-programmed, solo recital including a newly commissioned 8-minute work by Canadian pianist-composer Stewart Goodyear and a 60-minute solo / collaborative recital with violinist Martin Beaver. Three pianists will advance to the Finals (October 27 and 28) for a performance of a Mozart concerto with the Viano String Quartet, a set of Schubert lieder with mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, a 30-minute interview with an arts journalist, and a concerto of their choosing with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Jeffrey Kahane. The 2022 Honens Prize Laureate will be announced following the conclusion of the Finals on 28 October.
The members of the Second Jury, who evaluate the Semifinals and Finals, and ultimately, name the 2022 Honens Prize Laureate, are Michel Béroff, Earl Blackburn, Katherine Chi, Imogen Cooper, Stewart Goodyear, Ick-Choo Moon, and Orli Shaham. Additional cash prizes to be awarded include: two Raeburn (Finalist) Prizes, seven Semifinalist Awards, Best Performance of the Commissioned Work, Best Performance of a Beethoven Violin Sonata, and an Audience Award, all supported through the generosity of Judith Kilbourne.
Honens also presents other events during the Competition including, Rachmaninov Refracted, a farewell recital by 2018 Honens Prize Laureate Nicolas Namoradze, masterclasses by Imogen Cooper and Orli Shaham, and a recital by Mentor-in-Residence, Jeremy Denk.
Competition Passes—offering significant discounts—and single tickets, ranging from $10 to $102, are available now at honens.com. Honens is also proud to continue presenting a free livestream of the Competition to its global audience in partnership with IDAGIO.
