Concours
international DE PIANO 2028
This second edition of our international competition in Sorel-Tracy will introduce you to the most promising pianists from around the world.
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
Contest results
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
pictures Archives
Crédits photos : Philippe Manning
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
Our Great Finalists
Jihyung Youn
South Korea
In-Ae Ha
South Korea
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Born in Seoul in 1999, she graduated from Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School of Music with top honors, and graduated summa cum laude from Yonsei University. She is currently studying at the Juilliard School, where she is the recipient of L.&M. Burle, The Kamiya Sisters, Susan W.Rose Scholarship. Also she won the first prize in the Juilliard Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship competition.
She has won in a number of competitions, including Korea’s two biggest and most recognized competitions, namely the Busan Music Competition and Joongang Music Concours. In addition, she was selected as a semi-finalist at the 62nd and 63rd Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, 70th Viotti International Music Competition, and 16th Seoul International Music Competition.
She has participated in a number of concerts such as the Kumho Young Artist Recital, Gyeonggi Young Artist Recital, Yonsei Symphony Orchestra Subscription Concert, Seoul Arts High School Subscription Concert, Seongnam Philharmonic Subscription Concert, Seoul Arts High School Young Artist Concert, Kukmin Daily Debut Concert, and Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum Akademiekonzert, YAS Concert in Bowdoin Festival. Additionally, she has performed with the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Philharmonic Orchestra, Hankyung Philharmonic Orchestra, and Gumnansae Youth Orchestra.
Alongside her performance career, she obtained her secondary school teacher’s certification in 2022 and completed teaching practice at Yewon School. She is currently studying with Professor Soyeon Kate Lee.
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Pianist In-Ae Ha won 3rd Prize at the Epinal International Piano Competition, the Janáček International Music Competition, and was Finalist at the Wideman International Piano Competition. She began her musical studies at the age of four and was recognized for her talent when she appeared on the NPR’s classical music program “From the Top” at the age of 10. In-Ae made her debut in Korea at the age of 14 at Kumho Art Hall and won first place at the International Piano Competition of Korea. She has been invited to prestigious festivals such as Piano Texas, Gilmore Festival Fellows and Banff Centre, Art of Piano. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Degree under the tutelage of pianist Arthur Greene. In Spring of 2024, In-Ae will perform recitals at the Detroit Steinway Gallery, JCC Art Hall in Seoul, and for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series produced by Classical Music Chicago.
Our four finalists from the 2024 piano competition will perform this Sunday, October 20. The winner will have the opportunity to perform with the Trois-Rivières Symphony Orchestra at the end of the evening.
Kevin Ahfat
Canada
Jonathan Mak
Canada
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An artist that “leaves no question about his riveting presentation and technical finesse” (Seattle Times), Canadian pianist Kevin Ahfat is acclaimed to be “poised to become one of the young heirs of the classical piano realm, with a bold, boundary-pushing, millennial style matched by refined execution” (Vanguard Seattle). Possessing “a balanced mix of expressiveness and virtuosity” (Musical America), he “summons plenty of thunderpower in the big moments, but clearly values musicianship over mere showmanship” (American Record Guide). He is First Prize winner of the Seattle Symphony International Piano Competition, NFMC Biennial, and Kaleidoscope International Competition. He was named one of the 2018 CBC Music “30 Canadian classical musicians under 30” and won the Second Prize and Prize for Best Performance of Canadian Work at the 2018 Concours OSM-Manuvie. A two-time winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition, Kevin studied at the Juilliard School with Joseph Kalichstein and Stephen Hough, and was in-residence as a Rebanks Fellow at the Royal Conservatory.
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Winner of the 2023 inaugural Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition, pianist Jonathan Mak first made his orchestra debut at the age of four. Since then, he has been a guest soloist with numerous orchestras, most notably the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Jonathan’s recent accomplishments include the First Prize at the 2024 San Antonio Tuesday Musical Club Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2023 Plowman Chamber Music Competition with Trio Menil, and the Third Prize in the 2022 OSM Competition. Named as one of CBC’s 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, Jonathan is a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts-Michael Measures award and the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award, along with the 2023 Walter Prystawski Prize. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Rice University with Jon Kimura Parker, Mr. Jonathan also holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music
Tickets
Competition
Attend the 2024 International Piano Competition to be held on October 14, 15, 16 and 17, 2024 at Salle Georges-Codling at the Marché des arts Desjardins. Be the first to discover the finalists! Patronage passport available.
Finale
Attend the grand finale of the 2024 International Piano Competition on October 20, 2024 at Théâtre Massueville. Discover the competition's grand finalists in concert with an orchestra. Patronage passport available.
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
officials COMPETITORS
Grégoire Abadie
Canada
Alexander Lee Agate
USA
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Originally from Sorel-Tracy, the young pianist Grégoire Abadie has stood out in several provincial and national competitions. Now aged 18, he won, among others, the Desjardins grand prize at the Concours du Choeur de la montagne in 2022, 1st prize in the 12-16 year old final at the Sherbrooke Music Festival-Contest in 2023, the 2nd prize in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Associations competition in 2023 and 1st prize in the Piano category at the Lanaudière Sinfonia Festival with which he played in April 2024. In 2022, he is also the recipient of the Alice Ste Prize. -Marie, awarded by the Conservatory Foundation for the best pianist under 25 years old. He started playing piano at the age of 6 and took private lessons with Marie-Andrée Ostiguy until he returned to the Montreal Conservatory of Music in 2021, with Suzanne Goyette. Since 2022, he has continued his studies in Richard Raymond's class. Grégoire is also interested in musical composition, having won several prizes in this discipline.
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Dr. Alexander Agate began studying piano at 11 years old under Mona Wu DeCesare in his hometown of Moorpark, CA. While he participated in child acting, practiced Tae Kwon Do, writing, and violin and viola, at 16 he decided to pursue classical piano performance and studied with Robert Thies before beginning his collegiate journey at California State University, Northridge under Dmitry Rachmanov. Following CSUN, Alexander received a full-tuition scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music under Andre-Michel Schub, where he completed his Master’s and Doctorate Degrees. Alexander participated in various summer festivals, including the Music Academy of the West summer festival for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021 as one of eight fellows working under Jeremy Denk and Conor Hanick among other guest artists. He also frequents international competitions, having most recently won 2nd Prize at both the 2023 Sicily International Piano Competition, the 2022 American International Paderewski Competition, and 3rd prize at the 2022 Dallas International Piano Competition in June 2022.
Kevin Ahfat
Canada
Eden Chen
USA
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An artist that “leaves no question about his riveting presentation and technical finesse” (Seattle Times), Canadian pianist Kevin Ahfat is acclaimed to be “poised to become one of the young heirs of the classical piano realm, with a bold, boundary-pushing, millennial style matched by refined execution” (Vanguard Seattle). Possessing “a balanced mix of expressiveness and virtuosity” (Musical America), he “summons plenty of thunderpower in the big moments, but clearly values musicianship over mere showmanship” (American Record Guide). He is First Prize winner of the Seattle Symphony International Piano Competition, NFMC Biennial, and Kaleidoscope International Competition. He was named one of the 2018 CBC Music “30 Canadian classical musicians under 30” and won the Second Prize and Prize for Best Performance of Canadian Work at the 2018 Concours OSM-Manuvie. A two-time winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition, Kevin studied at the Juilliard School with Joseph Kalichstein and Stephen Hough, and was in-residence as a Rebanks Fellow at the Royal Conservatory.
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Pianist Eden Chen has appeared in concert halls worldwide, “enthralling audiences with fluid performances and fingers that dance upon, rather than play, the piano” (Leeds International Piano Competition Festival). Under Hung-Kuan Chen, Eden earned both Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, graduating with Juilliard’s largest Commencement prize. He was finalist at the 2024 ArsClassica International Competition, finalist at the 2023 New York Concert Artists International Auditions, recipient of the Gina Bachauer Grant and two full scholarships to Aspen Music Festival and School. In the highlight of his 2024-2025, Eden presents a program on the transmutation of Baroque elements into Russian romanticism in a 9-city solo recital tour of China, with notable stops in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. His past performance highlights include concerts at Wigmore Hall, Pritzker Pavilion, and both Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, including the Grammy Salute to Classical concert.
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Toronto born pianist Aaron Chow, has performed in major concert venues across North America and Europe. He has performed with the Koffler Chamber Orchestra, the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and with the Tokai Quartet. Aaron has been a winner in many competitions, nationally and internationally. He has been first prize winner at the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, second prize winner at the Artist Series Competition in Sarasota, Florida, Finalist at the Canadian Chopin Competition, Semifinalist at the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Spain, Semifinalist at the International Bach Piano Competition. Additionally, he was first prize winner at the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra competition, Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition, and DMA Recital Competition in Toronto. Aaron is currently pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance under the tutelage of James Parker. Aaron had previously studied at the Glenn Gould School and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music with John O’Conor.
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Johann graduated with his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Honours) and is currently completing his Artist’s Diploma Program, both with full scholarship, at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He has attended and performed in many masterclasses conducted by John Perry, Ronan O’Hora and Stewart Goodyear. He has attended and performed at several local and international music festivals. He was a former student of Sergei Pavlov. He currently studies under acclaimed pianist and pedagogue John O’Conor. He is a consistent winner in both provincial and national competitions in Canada and these gained him invitations to play solo, chamber and with orchestra in several countries in Europe. Johann debuted playing with an orchestra in Ontario when he was 13 years old and has since been invited regularly. He frequently performs in solo and chamber recitals.
In-Ae Ha
South Korea
Rixiang Huang
China
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Pianist In-Ae Ha won 3rd Prize at the Epinal International Piano Competition, the Janáček International Music Competition, and was Finalist at the Wideman International Piano Competition. She began her musical studies at the age of four and was recognized for her talent when she appeared on the NPR’s classical music program “From the Top” at the age of 10. In-Ae made her debut in Korea at the age of 14 at Kumho Art Hall and won first place at the International Piano Competition of Korea. She has been invited to prestigious festivals such as Piano Texas, Gilmore Festival Fellows and Banff Centre, Art of Piano. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Degree under the tutelage of pianist Arthur Greene. In Spring of 2024, In-Ae will perform recitals at the Detroit Steinway Gallery, JCC Art Hall in Seoul, and for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series produced by Classical Music Chicago.
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Lauded by the New York Concert Review as "In a word, superb," the accomplished Steinway Artist, Rixiang Huang, has evoked effusive praise from both audiences and critics worldwide. His impeccable artistry and fervent, magnetic performances have captivated audiences across four continents. After clinching the top honors at the 12th Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and the Los Angeles International Liszt Piano Competition back in 2021, Dr. Huang swiftly forged an eminent global standing for himself. As a Naxos recording artist, his discography spans a wide range of repertoire from Scarlatti Sonatas, Chopin Sonatas, Liszt’s transcription works, and Beethoven’s late sonatas. Winner of an impressive array of prizes, Dr. Huang was a top prizewinner of Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition, Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, Dallas International Piano Competition, New York International Artists Piano Competition, International Piano Competition La Palma d'Oro in Italy, along with the WPTA International Piano Competition. With prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center, Universität Mozarteum – Solitär, Palau de la Música Catalana in Spain, Cecília Meireles Hall in Brazil, Hamamatsu ACT Concert Hall, and Beijing Concert Hall to his credit. Dr. Huang has appeared worldwide as a soloist with orchestras including Royal Philharmonic, China National Symphony, Indonesia National Symphony, Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra, USC Thornton Orchestra, as well as under the batons of preeminent conductors such as Carl St. Clair, Jac Van Steen, Joel Smirnoff, Earl Lee, Maurizio Colasanti. His master class credits include working with Dang Thai Son, Sergei Babayan, Stephen Hough, Dimitry Bashkirov, Arie Vardi, Pavel Gililov, among others. Huang is represented by KNS Classical Management. Dr. Huang is the Founder and CEO of Empire Music Academy in California; he is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Pacific Stars International Piano Competition & Festival. His students have won prizes at numerous international, national, and local competitions. Dr. Huang received Doctoral of Musical Arts at the USC Thornton School of Music where he served as Studio Teaching Assistant, studying with Jeffrey Kahane and Ick Choo Moon. Previously, Huang received a Master of Music in Piano Performance at The Juilliard School, studying with Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. Rixiang Huang is a Steinway Artist.
Martin Jacobs
USA
Minji Lee
South Korea
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Martin Jacobs is 31 years old and completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Université de Montréal in May 2023. Martin completed a Masters of Music in piano performance at the Université de Montréal in 2017, studying with Maneli Pirzadeh and Paul Stewart. He received a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School, studying with Julian Martin. Martin first teacher was Dr. Mary Jo Pagano at Third Street Music School Settlement. Martin has performed at the Laeiszhalle Grand Hall in Hamburg, Germany, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Cami Hall, Steinway Hall, the Porter Center at Brevard Music Center, Paul Hall at Juilliard, Salle Claude-Champagne at
the Université de Montréal, Kleines Studio at the Mozarteum in Saltzburg, Austria, Casa da Música in Óbidos, Portugal, Real Collegio in Lucca, Italy, the Gijón International Piano Festival in Gijón, Spain, and the Aspen Music Festival. Martin is currently a quarterfinalist in the 2024 Gina Bachauer International Artists competition. He was the first prize winner at the Université de Montréal Concours de Concerto in 2018 with Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2, as well as in the Association of International Masterclasses, Antena Competition 2022 in Óbidos, Portugal. Martin has been an active chamber musician, performing alongside fellow musicians and former teachers in Germany, Canada, Vermont, New Hampshire, Colorado, and New York. He is on the piano faculty at the Brooklyn Music School in New York City.
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Minji Lee is a dynamic musician who thrives in the world of solo, chamber, and collaborative piano performances. Her musical journey began at the age of eleven when she made an impressive debut, performing Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto in G minor alongside the National Ukraine Symphony Orchestra. Minji made her mark by winning awards in competitions such as the Lennox International Young Artists Competition, International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington DC, and MTNA National Finals. She also participated in prestigious music festivals like the Aspen Music Festival and Honeywell Arts Academy, earning full fellowships and scholarships. Throughout her academic journey, Minji has been the recipient of full scholarships from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and Shenandoah Conservatory. Currently pursuing her Doctoral degree at Shenandoah Conservatory, she has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses and receiving mentorship from esteemed musicians such as Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Pascal Rogé, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Anton Nel, Ann Schein, Jeremy Denk, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Anne-Marie McDermott, Finghin Collins, Susan Starr, Orion Weiss, Peter Dugan, and Alexander Bernstein. Minji's musical foundation has been shaped under the guidance of accomplished teachers, including John O’Conor, Boris Slutsky, and Hyoung Joon Chang. Her dedication to her art and the recognition she has earned highlight Minji Lee's exceptional talent and promising future in the world of classical music.
Brayden Liu
Canada - New Zealand
Qiao Liu
China
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Bo Kun (Brayden) Liu BoKun Liu is a pianist from Vancouver, Canada. He is currently studying under Jerome Lowenthal and Soyeon Kate Lee at the Juilliard School in New York. BoKun Liu debuted at Carnegie Hall in New York at 11 years old. He has since won various international competitions and festivals in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. He has been awarded more than 17 first international prizes including the D - Competition (Russia), Frederic Chopin (Romania), Great Masters (Spain) and Oakridge Park (Canada) International piano competitions. In 2022, BoKun was named one of “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30” by CBC Music. He has been awarded the “Canadian Young Artist Standard of Excellence” Award by Steinway and Sons. BoKun Liu has participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Gary Graffman, Jonathan Biss, Antonio Pompa - Baldi, Alexander Kobrin, and others. BoKun is an active member of the community. He co-founded a Vancouver based non-profit that helps the homeless. BoKun is a Gluck performance fellow at Juilliard, and performs in hospitals, senior centers, and schools.
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Chinese pianist, Qiao Liu, began her piano studies at the age of five, her talent for music showed at an early age. Making her solo debut at age eleven, as a soloist, she has distinguished herself in numerous international competitions throughout the United States as well as in Europe and Asian, including the top prize at the New York Artist International Competition, The Singapore International Piano Competition, the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, IAFM Cologne International Piano Competition, etc. In 2023, she was invited to take part in the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Over the seasons, Ms. Liu has performed concerts at the most prestigious venues for performing arts including the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, The I.J Paderewski Philharmonic Hall, The Great Hall of Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Meininger Court Theater, etc. She made her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2017. She graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes School of Music, where she was a student of Jerome Rose, Victor Rosenbaum and Alexandre Moutouzkine. She is currently continuing her studies under the attelage of Matti Raekallio.
Alexander Merpaw
Canada
Hidemi Minagawa
Japan
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Alexander Merpaw studies at the University of Ottawa with David Jalbert. Amongst Alexander’s many concerts and accolades are the first prize at the University of Ottawa concerto competition (allowing him to perform the Chopin e minor piano concerto with the University of Ottawa symphony orchestra), second prize in his category in the Canadian Music competition, competing in the quarterfinals of the New Tang Dynasty international piano competition, solo and chamber recitals at the Ottawa National Arts Center, and solo concerts at the DOMS concert series in Ottawa. Alexander also won alternate first place in the Hill international concerto competition. He was also the 2024 recipient of the Nicole Senécal emerging artist grant allowing him to make his solo recital debut with the Ottawa ChamberFest. Other notable experiences include performances at the Gilles-Lefebvre Concert Hall at Orford Musique and studying with pianists Andre Laplante and Kevin Kenner during his past residencies at the Orford Musique summer academy. Masterclasses include performances for Charles-Richard Hamelin, Andre Laplante, and Jamie Parker.
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Highly praised for her performances of uncommon communicative ability and exciting stage presence, Hidemi “Mimi” Minagawa has established herself as a singularly gifted musical poet. Mimi has been acclaimed for her performances deftly conveying the drama and core emotional essence of a piece, described as having "music in her soul." Since her debut with the SAR Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007, Mimi has won top prizes in multiple international competitions, including the New York International Piano Competition, the Seattle International Piano Competition, and the Jacob Flier International Piano Competition. As a fullscholarship recipient, she holds degrees from the University of Michigan, the Peabody Institute, and Shenandoah University. Her prodigious teachers include Robert Roux, Logan Skelton, Boris Slutsky, and John O’Conor.
Quanzhou Yan
China
Fangzhou Ye
China
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After completing his Bachelor's degree from Rostov State Rachmaninoff Conservatory in Russia with Rimma Skolohodova, Quanzhou Yan continued with an MM degree from Texas Christian University, with a full scholarship mentored by Dr. Tamás Ungár. Mr. Yan was accepted into the Artist Diploma program at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel-Aviv, where he is currently studying with Professor Arie Vardi. Concurrently, he is working on his DMA dissertation. Mr. Yan has been awarded top awards in several competitions, including the Bakhchiyeva Piano Competition, the 10th “A Step Towards Mastery” International Piano Competition, and the Semper Music International Competition in Italy. As a collaborative pianist, Quanzhou has performed with many vocalists, instrumentalists, ensembles, and choirs. He holds a graduate assistantship in accompanying at the TCU School of Music and was honored with the Solomon Award in Accompanying.
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Fangzhou Ye began learning the piano at the age of six, and is currently a student of Yoheved Kaplinsky at the Juilliard School College Division. In 2016, he won the first prize at the Beijing International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, and a third prize winner of the Ettlingen Piano Competition for Young Pianists. He is a laureate of the 2017/19 Nordmann Scholarship Competition at Juilliard Pre-College. He won the Juilliard Piano Concerto Competition in 2023 where he played the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor and collaborated with the Juilliard Orchestra and Maestro Tito Munoz in Alice Tully Hall in 2024.
Jihyung Youn
South Korea
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Born in Seoul in 1999, she graduated from Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School of Music with top honors, and graduated summa cum laude from Yonsei University. She is currently studying at the Juilliard School, where she is the recipient of L.&M. Burle, The Kamiya Sisters, Susan W.Rose Scholarship. Also she won the first prize in the Juilliard Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship competition.
She has won in a number of competitions, including Korea’s two biggest and most recognized competitions, namely the Busan Music Competition and Joongang Music Concours. In addition, she was selected as a semi-finalist at the 62nd and 63rd Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, 70th Viotti International Music Competition, and 16th Seoul International Music Competition.
She has participated in a number of concerts such as the Kumho Young Artist Recital, Gyeonggi Young Artist Recital, Yonsei Symphony Orchestra Subscription Concert, Seoul Arts High School Subscription Concert, Seongnam Philharmonic Subscription Concert, Seoul Arts High School Young Artist Concert, Kukmin Daily Debut Concert, and Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum Akademiekonzert, YAS Concert in Bowdoin Festival. Additionally, she has performed with the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Philharmonic Orchestra, Hankyung Philharmonic Orchestra, and Gumnansae Youth Orchestra.
Alongside her performance career, she obtained her secondary school teacher’s certification in 2022 and completed teaching practice at Yewon School. She is currently studying with Professor Soyeon Kate Lee.
Christian Johann Derecho
Canada
Aaron chow
Canada
Gregory Martin
USA
Jonathan Mak
Canada
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Gregory Martin, an American pianist, has graced global stages with his musical prowess. He's performed 10 piano concertos with more than 10 renowned orchestras like the Ft. Worth Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, and the Russian State Academic Orchestra “Evgeny Svetlanov”. A laureate of prestigious competitions, including diploma for best performance of Tchaikovsky at the 8th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Grand Prize at the Jackie McGehee competition, and 2nd Prize at the Metropolitan International Piano Competition. Gregory is celebrated for his "disciplined, controlled approach to his music making, and yet at the same time, a fiery musical temperament". Besides his solo work, he's an active chamber musician, having performed over 5 major piano quintets amongst other chamber ensembles. Currently, Gregory is immersed in recording his 2nd solo album, a testament to his ongoing musical journey.
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Winner of the 2023 inaugural Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition, pianist Jonathan Mak first made his orchestra debut at the age of four. Since then, he has been a guest soloist with numerous orchestras, most notably the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Jonathan’s recent accomplishments include the First Prize at the 2024 San Antonio Tuesday Musical Club Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2023 Plowman Chamber Music Competition with Trio Menil, and the Third Prize in the 2022 OSM Competition. Named as one of CBC’s 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, Jonathan is a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts-Michael Measures award and the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award, along with the 2023 Walter Prystawski Prize. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Rice University with Jon Kimura Parker, Mr. Jonathan also holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Imposed Canadian work
Ana Sokolović
A key figure in contemporary music, composer Ana Sokolović was born in Belgrade, Serbia and is based in Montreal since 1992. With a background in the rhythmic universe of Balkan folklore, her music is coloured with playful images and inspired by differing artistic disciplines.
Her vast repertoire is regularly performed both in Canada and internationally. Fourth most performed female opera composer in the world in the last decade (according to Operabase), Sokolović’s hears her works performed throughout Europe and North America. Her opera, Svadba, which “seems to invent a universal phonetics of the human heart” (Le Monde), has been performed more than fifty times.
Her career as a composer has been marked by numerous awards and recognitions, including two consecutive JUNOs in the category of “Classical Composition of the Year”. Sokolović’s works have been recorded on more than twenty discs.
In 2020, she joined the prestigious publishing house Boosey & Hawkes. The following year, she was appointed composer-in-residence at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for three seasons. In 2022, Ana Sokolović was awarded the first Canada Research Chair in Opera Creation at l’Université de Montréal where she is also a professor of composition.
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
Official orchestra
The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières is the official orchestra of the Concours international de musique de Sorel-Tracy (CIMST) - Piano 2024, under the direction of Maestro Alain Trudel. It accompanies the competitors during the final round at the Théâtre de Massueville.
official orchestra
L’Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières
Founded in 1978, the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières (OSTR) comprises 54 professional musicians and is led by conductor Alain Trudel. The OSTR stands out for the quality and refinement of its interpretations, which have won numerous awards, including Opus, Félix and Juno prizes, as well as two gold discs. Its programming gives pride of place to masterpieces from the great repertoire and to renowned soloists. Each season, over twenty musical events are presented to the general public, including the seven concerts in the main series, plus the Matinées en musique and Paysages musicaux series, as well as projects for young audiences (Matinées scolaires) and educational activities.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND RESIDENT CHEF
Alain Trudel
At the helm of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (USA), Alain Trudel is hailed by La Presse for his "immense talent as a conductor, musician and performer". Artistic Director of the Brott Music Festival and the National Academy of Canada Orchestra, he was also Principal Conductor of the CBC Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Victoria Symphony, Principal Conductor of the National Arts Centre Family Concerts in Ottawa, and Artistic Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Laval.
Alain Trudel has conducted every major orchestra in Canada, as well as orchestras in the UK, USA, Italy, Sweden, Brazil, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Latin America. In 2009, he made his debut with Opéra de Montréal in Mozart's Magic Flute and the live recording of the 30th Anniversary Gala. He has since been a regular guest with the house, and in March 2017 he conducted the world premiere of the operatic version of The Wall to great acclaim ("The Wall Triumphs in Montreal." Le Figaro, Paris, "The whole hall suddenly rose to its feet for another standing ovation, shouting "wow" and "bravo." Rolling Stone Magazine). He also conducted the American premiere at the Cincinnati Opera in July 2018.
Highly committed to new generations of musicians, Mr. Trudel was conductor of the Toronto Youth Orchestra from 2004 to 2012, and has been invited several times to conduct the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Now a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa, Mr. Trudel also taught opera and orchestral studies at the University of Western Ontario from 2011 to 2015.
First known to the public as "the Jascha Heifetz of the trombone" (Le monde de la musique), he has appeared as soloist with orchestras around the world, including the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Austrian Radio Orchestra, the Festival Musica de Strasbourg (France), the Klangbogen Festival (Vienna), and the Akiyoshidai and Hamamatsu Festivals (Japan). A respected composer, his works have been performed throughout North America and Asia.
Alain Trudel was the first Canadian to be named Yamaha International Artist. He has won numerous awards, including the Virginia Parker, Charles Cros (France), Opus and Heinz Unger prizes. The Canadian Music Centre named him "Ambassador of Canadian Music", and he was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Photo credit: Bob Hatcher, Brott Music Festival
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
JURY
international
PrEsident OF THE jury
Richard Raymond
Prize winner of the prestigious Vianna da Motta International Piano Competition (Macau, 1999), William Kapell (United States, 1998) and Van Cliburn (1993), Richard Raymond has also won numerous prizes in Canada, including the prestigious Montreal International Competition, getting First Prize over more than 49 competitors from various countries. He is also the recipient of the Virginia Parker Award (1998) from the Canada Council for the Arts in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the music community.
Mr. Raymond's concerts are always received with great enthusiasm. In Canada, he has performed with all the major Canadian orchestras. Internationally, he has performed in Germany, China, the United States, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, Georgia, Italy and France.
Mr. Raymond is currently teaching and chair the keyboard area at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. Several of his students have won major international prizes, including Bruce Liu, grand prize winner at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. He has worked with masters such as Leon Fleisher, John Perry, Marc Durand, Lise Boucher and Antoine Reboulot.
MEMBer OF THE jury
Stephen Prutsman
Stephen Prutsman has been described as one of the most innovative musicians of his time. Moving easily from classical to jazz to world music styles as a pianist and composer, Prutsman continues to explore and seek common ground and relationships in the music of all cultures and languages.
In the early 2000s Stephen was Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he wrote several new works for the orchestra, led performances of other composers as a conductor and pianist, and developed the orchestra's contemporary and world music series. Later he was the Artistic Director of the Cartagena International Festival of Music, South America’s largest festival of its kind, programming and curating concerts with themes ranging from Mozart celebrations, to eclectic evenings of folk and popular music of the Americas, to hybrid programs fusing art and dance music of multiple musical dimensions.
In the early 90’s he was a medal winner at the Tchaikovsky and Queen Elisabeth Piano Competitions, and received the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then Stephen has performed the classical concerto repertoire as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and his classical discography includes acclaimed recordings of the Barber and McDowell concerti with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, recordings of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, and a solo jazz album entitled "Passengers".
Born in Los Angeles, Stephen first began playing the piano by ear at age 3 before moving on to more formal music studies. In his teens and early 20s he was the keyboard player for several art rock groups including Cerberus and Vysion (and was a winner of television’s “The Gong Show”!) During those years, he worked regularly as a solo jazz pianist playing in many southern California clubs and lounges and was the music arranger for a nationally syndicated televangelist program.
As a composer, Stephen’s long collaboration with Grammy Award winning Kronos Quartet has resulted in over 40 arrangements and compositions for them. Other leading artists and ensembles who have performed Stephen’s compositions and arrangements include Leon Fleisher, Dawn Upshaw, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma, Spoleto USA, and the Silk Road Project. In 2010, his song cycle “Piano Lessons” was premiered by Ms. Upshaw and Emanuel Ax at Carnegie Hall (New York), the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Disney Hall (Los Angeles) and the Barbican Centre (London). As a pianist or arranger outside of the classical music world he has collaborated with such diverse personalities as Tom Waits, Rokia Traore, Jon Anderson of “YES”, Sigur Rós and Asha Bhosle. He has scored for a variety of ensembles 15 silent films from the 1920s which are regularly presented at various venues throughout the world.
He is a board member of several organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area promoting the well-being of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and regularly produces and curates "Azure Concerts" musical performances tailored for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. He was recently named Creative Director for Phenotypic Recordings, a new company specializing in recordings of contemporary music, and in January of 2023 Prutsman began a 2-year appointment as Visiting Artist at Stanford University.
MEMBer of the jury
John O'Conor
"A pianist of unbounding sensitivity" (Gramophone) ; "He represents a vanishing tradition that favors inner expression and atmosphere over showmanship and bravura" (Chicago Tribune) ; "Impeccable technique and musicality ... it would be hard to imagine better performances" (Sunday Times - London) ; "This artist has the kind of flawless touch that makes an audience gasp" (Washington Post); "Exquisite playing" (New York Times).
The Irish pianist John O'Conor has been gathering wonderful reviews for his masterly playing for over forty years. Having studied in his native Dublin, in Vienna with Dieter Weber and being tutored by the legendary Wilhelm Kempff his unanimous 1st Prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna in 1973 opened the door to a career that has brought him all around the world.
His recordings of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas led CD Review to say that he "by now should be recognised as the world's premier Beethoven interpreter" and his recent recordings of the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra and Andreas Delfs have also been greeted with acclaim. In the past two years he has released three new CDs on the Steinway label, one of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and two of Haydn Sonatas. He has also been featured on tonebase.com with videos on teaching and discussing Beethoven and Haydn Sonatas. Last summer he recorded a CD of the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas with the Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh.
A Steinway Artist, he is Chair of the Piano Division at Shenandoah University in Virginia, Professor of Piano at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Distinguished Visiting Artist at the TU Dublin Conservatoire of Music and Visiting Professor at Showa University in Japan.
For his services to music he has been decorated "Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Government, awarded the "Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst" by the Austrian Government, the "Order of the Rising Sun" by the Emperor of Japan, and has received many other awards.
MEMBer of the jury
Mari Kodama
Mari Kodama is consistently praised for her virtuosity in a wide range of repertoire, including orchestral, chamber and solo works by composers of all periods. She is also known for her natural musicality, tonal expressiveness with a clear form, and as a benchmark Beethoven interpreter.
In the 2023/24 Season, Mari Kodama showcases her diverse talents with various international concert appearances, such as an open-air concert with Philharmonischen Staatsorchesters Hamburg (Kent Nagano), three season opening concerts with National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan (Lan Shui), debut concerts with Orchestra Haydn of Bolzano and Trento and a return to Japan Philharmonic (Kahchung Wong). She will give a solo recital for Festival Louvre Lance as well as duo recitals with Momo Kodama in Japan and at Salle Bougie in Montreal. She will also give her first recital at Konzerthaus Blaibach which marks the start of her series with all 32 Beethoven’s piano sonatas and new works written by Rodolphe Bruneau-Boulmier.
As a further demonstration of her versatility, she plays a central part in the hugely successful ballet production ‘Beethoven Projekt II’ (John Neumeier) which re-opened the Staatsoper Hamburg after months of Covid-19 closures and which was revived in 2022/23 with eight performances. In recital, she collaborated with Markus Hinterhäuser featuring Messiaen’s Visions de l’Amen. She also organised the Beethoven Festival ‘A Life in a Day’ in San Francisco, and presented all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas over two days by 14 different soloists.
MEMBer of the jury
François-Frédéric Guy
François-Frédéric Guy enjoys an international career working alongside the greatest conductors, including Philippe Jordan, Kent Nagano, Daniel Harding and Esa-Pekka Salonen, and with prestigious orchestras such as the Wiener Symphoniker, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.
Curious about the music of his time, he is an interpreter of many contemporary composers, and regularly gives world premieres. During the 22-23 season, he gave the world premiere of Tristan Murail's new concerto in Paris (Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France), at London's Barbican (BBCSO), at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie (NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester) and at Tokyo Opera (NHKSO).
Between 2014 and 2017 he is Artist in Residence at the Arsenal de Metz. Between 2017 and 2020, he is Associate Artist as pianist and conductor with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris. Since 2012, François-Frédéric has regularly conducted various ensembles, including the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Sinfonia Varsovia, Orchestre National des Pays de Loire, Orchestre National de Lorraine and Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, with whom he will receive a triumphant welcome at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in January 2020 for the opening of the theater's Beethoven Year.
In September 2022, he takes over the musical direction of the Swiss ensemble Microcosme. He recently appeared in Paris in recital and with orchestra at the Philharmonie, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Châtelet. He has also appeared at London's Wigmore Hall, the Vilnius Philharmonic and the Grange au Lac d'Évian. He reunited with Philippe Jordan in Munich with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO).
A few months ago, he was the guest of La Seine Musicale, the Arsenal de Metz, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux conducted by Roberto Gonzàlez-Monjas, London's Wigmore Hall and Brussels' Salle Flagey, the HRT Symphony Orchestra Zagreb under Pascal Rophé, the NDR Hamburg at the Elbphilharmonie (Stephan Ashbury), the SWR Stuttgart (Brad Lubman) and the Seoul Philharmonic under Marc Albrecht.
His last two recordings (Debussy/Murail and a double album devoted to Chopin) released by La Dolce Volta were warmly received by the critics. His forthcoming concerts will take him across Europe, notably to France, Portugal (where he will conduct Beethoven's 5 concertos from the keyboard), Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, England, Armenia and Japan with the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
MEMBer of the jury
Simon Bertrand
It is only at age 24, after studies at the Montréal Conservatory in clarinet and saxophone performance, that Simon Bertrand decided to commit himself fully to composition, after participating in a life-changing seminar with French master Henri Dutilleux. Since then, after receiving a first price at the conservatory in France with composer Claude Ballif, and then a doctorate in composition with José Evangelista and Denis Gougeon, Simon Bertrand has established himself has one of Quebec’s most prolific and active composers of his generation, in Canada and abroad. His works have been performed in numerous countries by orchestras, ensembles and soloists such as the Montréal and Quebec Symphonies, the Toronto and Edmonton Symphonies, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Orchestra (Hong-Kong), Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Ensemble de la SMCQ, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Quasar, the New Danish Saxophone Quartet, the Utrecht String Quartet (Holland), the Friction Quartet (USA), Pro Musica Nipponia (Japan), flutists Guy Pelletier and Claire Marchand, clarinetists Jean-Guy Boisvert, Simon Aldrich and Lori Freedman, pianist Louise Bessette, soprano Marianne Lambert, mezzo-soprano Marie-Annick Béliveau, violists Brian Bacon and Marina Thibault, and theremin player Thorwald Jorgensen (Holland).
He has been awarded several prizes, most notably the Opus “Composer of the year” prize in 2013. He has also composed several film scores, one of them produced by Zentropa (a company founded by Danish director Lars Von Trier), and more recently the score of Chloé Robichaud’s Pays (2016).
An active composer, he has written numerous articles for the mainstream media and in 2017 edited an issue of the magazine Circuits Musiques Contemporaines devoted to the profession of composer in Québec.
Prescreening audition jury
Hugues Cloutier, Jeanne Amièle, Serhiy Salov, Stéphane Sylvestre, Lana Henchell et Mehdi Ghazi.
Application for the 2024 International Piano Competition
Be part of the history of this brand-new competition and register for the first edition of the Sorel-Tracy International Piano Competition. Before applying, please read the conditions and rules carefully, and consult the repertoire below. Application runs from March 1 to June 7, 2024.
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
Repertoire
To provide the opportunity to express their individuality in their approach to music, competitors in the Sorel-Tracy International Piano Competition can perform the repertoire of their choice. They will need to demonstrate the ability to construct a coherent and balanced repertoire, perform in a variety of musical styles and, above all, to demonstrate the depth of their own musicality, rather than mere technical brilliance.
In the semi-final round, all competitors must play the following piece (duration 8 minutes) by Canadian composer Ana Sokolovic: Trois Études 1997, “no 1 Rythme”, “no 2 Harmony” and “no 3 Melody” published by Boosey & Hawkes. This piece can be performed with the score which will be sent in PDF version to the selected candidates in July 2024.
Strict adherence to time limits must be observed and no piece may be performed twice in the competition except for works from the National Selection and video preliminary selection which may be performed again. The exact duration of each piece must be indicated. The jury reserves the right to interrupt a performance if it exceeds the time limit.
All events will be broadcast live on the CIPST website.
First round – October 14 and 15, 2024
Twenty-four (24) selected competitors will be invited to participate in the competition, including a maximum of four (4) Canadians at the National Selection*. They must each present a program of their choice for a total maximum duration of 30 minutes.
*The National Selection will take place from April 5 to 7, 2024 at the Maison de la Musique in Sorel-Tracy. See the preliminary qualification form for Canadian candidates below.
Semi-final round – October 16 and 17, 2024
Twelve (12) competitors will be selected for the semi-final round and will perform a program of their choice for a maximum duration of 50 minutes. When choosing the program for the semi-final round, the length of the Canadian work of 8 minutes should be factored in.
Final round – October 20, 2024
Four (4) finalists will be invited to perform with orchestra one of the concertos chosen from the list below proposed by the CIPST.
The finalists will have a rehearsal with the conductor followed by a 50-minute rehearsal with the orchestra. Rehearsal with the orchestra will take place on October 19, 2024.
Each finalist will play with the Trois-Rivières Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Alain Trudel.
Concertos
Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B flat major op. 83
Liszt Concerto no. 1 in E flat major, S.124
Liszt Concert no. 2 in A major, S.125
Grieg Concerto in A minor op. 16
Tchaikovsky Concerto no. 1 in B flat minor op. 23
Rachmaninov Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor op.1 (revision 1919)
Rachmaninov Concerto no. 2 in C minor op. 18
Rachmaninov Concerto no. 3 in D minor op. 30
Ravel Concerto in G major
Prokofiev Concerto no. 2 in G minor op. 16
Prokofiev Concerto no. 3 in C major op. 26
Mozart Concerto no. 20 in D minor K466
Mozart Concerto no. 21 in C major K467
Mozart Concerto no. 23 in A major K488
Mozart Concerto no. 24 in C minor K491
Mozart Concerto no. 25 in C major K503
Beethoven Concerto no. 3 in C minor op. 37
Beethoven Concerto no. 4 in G op. 58
Beethoven Concerto no. 5 in E flat op. 73
Chopin Concerto no.1 in E minor op. 11
Chopin Concerto no. 2 in F minor op. 21
Schumann Concerto in A minor op. 54
Brahms Concerto no. 1 in D minor op. 15
Concours international de piano de sorel-Tracy 2024
Rules and CONDITIONS
Date
From October 14 to 20, 2024, the Sorel-Tracy International Piano Competition / Concours International de Piano de Sorel-Tracy; CIPST) will be held for the first time. This brand new international competition presented in this beautiful region of Quebec will introduce you to the most promising pianists from around the world.
Chair of the Jury
The jury for the Sorel-Tracy International Piano Competition will be chaired by internationally renowned pianist Richard Raymond.
Eligibility
The competition is open to competitors of all nationalities, ethnic origins, religions, and gender identities born between April 1, 1990 and April 1, 2006
The winner of the first prize will not be eligible to re-enter a future edition of the competition.
Pieces must be played from memory, with the exception of the compulsory piece (8 minutes) presented in the semi-final.
Competitors who do not show up for the scheduled time will be disqualified.
All selected competitors must be free of any commitment and available to perform in Sorel-Tracy during the period between October 14 and October 20, 2024.
Additional Information
The decisions of the jury are final and without appeal.
Upon the arrival of all competitors, a draw will be carried out to determine performance order. A trial period of the piano will be carried out following the official meeting of the organization planned with the competitors.
A candidate who is a student of one of the members of the jury can participate in the competition. On the other hand, a member of the jury who is the teacher of a candidate in the competition will not be able to give him a mark.
The jury may award or refuse any prize it deems appropriate.
Only the first prize cannot be tied.
The rights to any competition performance, whether broadcast, televised, recorded or filmed, belong to the competition. No rights are due with respect to any recording, broadcast or transmission thereof.
Twenty-four (24) competitors will be admitted to the first round of the competition.
Twelve competitors (12) will be admitted to the semi-final.
Four (4) competitors will be admitted to the final.
Important dates
Registration period: March 1 to June 7, 2024
Confirmation of acceptance of competitors: July 7, 2024
Deadline for modifications to the repertoire : August 7, 2024
Announcement of Piano 2024 competitors: September 1, 2024
Arrival of competitors in Sorel-Tracy: October 11, 2024
First round: October 14 and 15, 2024
Semi-final round: October 16 and 17, 2024
Rehearsals with orchestra: October 19, 2024
Final round: October 20, 2024
Prizes
More than $60,000 CAD in prizes will be awarded among the twenty-four (24) competitors throughout the competition.
Grand Prize: $20,000 Grant from Madeleine & Alain Goulet
Invitation by Maestro Alain Trudel, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, to perform as part of its regular 2024-2025 program, on Friday, October 25, 2024 at Salle J-Antonio-Thompson located in Trois-Rivières (Québec/Canada). - Cachet : 2 000 $
A lifetime subscription to the Tonebase online platform offering a wealth of lessons, masterclasses and more: www.tonebase.co/piano.
Second prize: $12,000 CAD - Madeleine et Alain Goulet
Third prize: $8,000 CAD - Madeleine et Alain Goulet
Fourth prize: $4,000 CAD - Fondation de la Famille Lupien
$1,000 CAD will be awarded to the eight remaining semi-finalists.
Twelve travel grants of $500 CAD will be awarded to competitors who do not reach the semi-final round.
These amounts are intended to assist with transportation costs.
Prize for the best performance of Ana Sokolovic's imposed work
Prize of $1,500 from SMCQ
Prize for best Quebec performance
Invitation to perform a solo recital, March 30, 2025, 3 p.m. at Salle Anaïs-Allard-Rousseau. - Fee: $1,200 (+$100 perdiem + accommodation)
Registration details
Entries must be submitted online via the attached form between March 1, 2024 and June 7, 2024 by 23:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The registration fee is 200$ CAD. No refund is offered whether or not you are selected to participate in the competition.
A complete registration must include:
The completed registration form
Non-refundable registration fee of 200 CAD
Visa fees or other official travel procedures payable by the competitor. (This is not part of the registration process)
Unlisted Youtube links of video recordings for a total duration of 20 to 30 minutes. (See the part on the « Video Recording »)
Two (2) high-resolution color photographs (including a headshot) intended to promote the Sorel-Tracy Piano 2024 international competition
An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae, mentioning the prizes obtained in other national and international competitions
Complete contact details of two (2) references (one of whom must be the most recent professor) able to provide, upon request, a letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant
A detailed list of the repertoire including duration for each work, proposed for the three rounds of the competition.
Video recording
Unlisted YouTube video link for each work, clearly identified, and dating no more than one year.
Ensure that the link is functional. Links that do not work will result in disqualification.
The recording must be made from a fixed camera position, showing the competitor's entire body and legs. It is not permitted to turn off the camera, as there should be no interruption in recording during the performance of each work.
All audition videos must be high quality with excellent sound recording, filmed without zooming, tilting or panorama. The candidate must be visible at all times. Videos may not be edited, enhanced or modified in any way.
Repertoire required for video recording, for a total duration of 20 to 30 minutes:
A work or excerpt of a work from the Baroque period;
Two movements of a sonata including the slow movement or a work in one movement from the classical period;
A virtuoso etude;
A work of your choice.
Host family
The organization of the competition offers competitors the opportunity to be accommodated by host families with breakfast included. In addition, families will provide travel for the competitor between the competition location and the host location. A working piano will be available with the host family. Meal costs other than breakfast and snacks are the competitor’s responsibility.
Selection process
Management will review all applications to ensure they are complete and meet the required technical standards. CIPST reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who has not met the requirements of the application.
A preliminary selection committee appointed by the CIPST will view and evaluate the audition videos. A maximum of twenty-four (24) candidates will be chosen to take part in the Piano 2024 edition; twenty (20) from the video applications and four (4) Canadian pianists from the National Selection.
Applicants, selected or not, will be notified of the results of the preliminary selection no later than June 30, 2024. The competition reserves the right to accept or reject any application.
General
By completing the official registration form for the Sorel-Tracy International Piano Competition (CIPST), the candidate subscribes to the CIPST regulations and conditions of participation and to the decisions of the jury for the duration of the competition.
The CIPST management reserves the right to request any additional information from competitors.
The CIPST will disqualify any candidate who has not responded to its official invitation to participate in the CIPST within the deadlines provided.
In the case of non-compliance with competition rules, such competitor will be disqualified without appeal.
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