Honens has recently revealed the ten exceptional pianists who have advanced to the Semifinals of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition. These talented individuals, aged between 24 and 30, hail from various countries like Canada, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Semifinals, to be held from October 16 to 20, will feature solo and chamber recitals at Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, Rozsa Centre.
Following the Semifinals, three Finalists will be selected to showcase their skills at the Werklund Centre on October 23 and 24. These Finalists will vie for the prestigious title of 2025 Honens Gold Laureate, which comes with a substantial award of $100,000 (CAD) and a comprehensive three-year artistic development and career accelerator program.
The distinguished Semifinalists include Ádám Balogh, Elia Cecino, Carter Johnson, Giorgio Lazzari, Sandro Nebieridze, Chaeyoung Park, Élisabeth Pion, Anastasia Vorotnaya, Derek Wang, and Yuanfan Yang. These pianists were selected by the First Jury after rigorous evaluation of their Quarterfinal performances and interviews.
Each Semifinalist will present two recitals – a self-curated solo performance featuring a newly commissioned piece by composer Iman Habibi, and a collaborative recital with cellist Rachel Mercer. The Finals will see the chosen three participants perform with the Isidore String Quartet and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Elias Grandy.
The Semifinalists and Finalists will be judged by a panel of esteemed musicians and industry experts, including Sara Davis Buechner, Nicolas Namoradze, Marianne Perron, Robert Roux, Philippe Bianconi, Jenny Bilfield, Janina Fialkowska, Leila Getz, Anne-Marie McDermott, Roberto Plano, and Awadagin Pratt.
In addition to the competition, Honens will honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts with the 2025 Honens Honours awards. This celebration, scheduled for October 21, recognizes the efforts of those who have enriched the cultural landscape and supported the vision of fostering a love of the piano.
As the competition progresses, the world eagerly anticipates the performances of these talented pianists and looks forward to witnessing the crowning of the 2025 Honens Gold Laureate, who will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the classical music world.
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