- Ustvolskaya
- George William John Benjamin
- Alexander Binns
- Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel
- Yuri Bryars
- Eric Coates: Four Ways Suite
- Kristian Bezuidenhout
- Mozart: Jupiter Symphony
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko
A young Canadian pianist has won the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition
Twenty-four-year old Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko won the twenty-first edition of the Leeds International Piano Competition on Saturday 21 September 2024. Performing with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and its chief conductor Domingo Hindoyan at St George's Hall in Bradford, UK, Izik-Dzurko was chosen as the winner by the jury after a performance of Brahms' Piano Concerto No 2.
In addition to the £30,000 cash prize and the Fanny Waterman Gold Medal, Izik-Dzurko also receives a career-changing prize package which includes concerto engagements with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, a Wigmore Hall debut and recitals across the UK, international tours with Steinway Prize Winner Concerts Network and Global Music Network, and more.
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko wins 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition.
Photo © 2024 Frances Marshall
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has been praised for his expressive depth and thoughtful interpretations by audiences and critics alike, characterized by a distinctive musical personality that infuses even the most ordinary passages with character and individuality, according to the Calgary Herald. He won first prizes at the 2022 Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the 2022 Maria Canals International Music Competition, as well as multiple accolades at the twentieth Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition.
His talent has led to engagements as a featured soloist with orchestras worldwide, including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. Izik-Dzurko's passion for contemporary music, particularly Canadian compositions, is evident in his performances and recordings. A graduate of The Juilliard School and the University of British Columbia, he continues to refine his craft.
As the winner in Leeds, Izik-Dzurko performed again with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music on Sunday 22 September 2024, reprising his winning concerto.
Imogen Cooper, chair of the jury, commented:
It has been extraordinary to witness the remarkable artistry showcased at every stage of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition. The twenty-four pianists who performed in Leeds and Bradford exemplify the highest standards of musicianship, and it has been an immense privilege for all of us on the jury to experience it.
Our aim was to find not just the finest pianist, but the most complete musician, and with Jaeden we have achieved that. He demonstrated exceptional artistic maturity and imagination, remarkable technical command, and a profound ability to captivate and transport the audience through his storytelling and poetry throughout the competition, culminating in a truly unforgettable final performance. We wish him, and all of the competitors, every success in the future, and have no doubt we will hear from many of them again.
Second Prize and the Marion Thorpe Silver Medal was awarded to Junyan Chen from China, followed by Khanh Nhi Luong from Vietnam who received Third Prize and the Roslyn Lyons Bronze Medal. Both are awarded cash prizes - £18,000 and £12,000 respectively - as well as concert engagements with Wigmore Hall, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Lunchtime Concert Series on 23 & 24 September, University of Leeds concert series and more.
Junyan Chen was also the winner of the inaugural Alexandra Dariescu Award, presented for an outstanding performance of a work by a woman composer. She receives a £3,000 cash prize, a concerto performance with the Romanian Radio Orchestra in Bucharest which will be broadcast on national radio, and a solo evening recital at Music in Lyddington. Chen was also presented with the Yaltah Menuhin Award for an outstanding performance of chamber music, receiving £3,000 and performance opportunities with the Leeds International Chamber Music Series and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Chamber Music Series.
A live EP with a selection of works from the winner's performance will be released on Warner Classics on Friday 11 October 2024, with a studio recording to follow.
Fourth Prize was awarded to Kai-Min Chang (from Taiwan), and Fifth Prize to Julian Trevelyan (from the United Kingdom).
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Award, awarded to the best communicator of contemporary music, was given to finalist Kai-Min Chang, who will now receive a commission of a brand-new work to perform at a future Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society series.
The results were decided by an international, artist-led jury chaired by Imogen Cooper; the other jurors included Adam Gatehouse, Eleanor Alberga, Ingrid Fliter, Mariam Batsashvili, Pavel Kolesnikov, Sa Chen, Till Fellner and Adrian Brendel.
The medici.tv Audience Prize - the only prize to be decided by the public - was awarded to semi-finalist Tomoharu Ushida from Japan. Selected by online public vote via medici.tv, Ushida will receive a future broadcast performance on the platform.
The finals can be heard on BBC Sounds, and a two-hour programme featuring highlights from the finals and coverage from previous rounds will be broadcast on the TV station BBC Four later this autumn.
The next competition will take place in 2027. Further information: leedspiano.com (where Jaeden Izik-Dzurko's winning performance can also be watched).
Posted 23 September 2024 by Keith Bramich
