Honens International Piano Competition

Founding

In 1991, Esther Honens, a Canadian philanthropist, entrepreneur, and amateur pianist, created a $5 million endowment to host an international piano competition in her hometown of Calgary. Terminally, ill, she was nonetheless able to watch the inaugaral competition in 1992 from a specially built box in the Jack Singer Concert Hall. She died shortly afterwards.

Competition Format

Fifty quarterfinalists are chosen from a pool of international applicants. The quarterfinals are held in New York and Germany; ten pianists are selected to move on to semifinals in Calgary. These are then narrowed down to three finalists who complete for a monetary awards and a three-year career development program that includes artist management, international orchestral performances, production of professional recordings, and mentorship opportunities.

During the competition, contestants collaborate in performances with other musicians in chamber and vocal settings and concerto performances, in addition to playing self-programmed solo recitals, and participate in individual filmed interviews. Juries have typically mostly included active concert pianists, as well as representatives of music management. Competitors are encouraged to showcase themselves and their own artistry.

The competition has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions since 1998. Steinway & Sons is the official sponsor of the competition, and in recent years has become the sole provider of instruments to the competition stage, offering a selection of Model D (concert grand pianos) from both the company's New York and Hamburg factories.

Festival

Since 2014 the Competition has expanded to include a festival taking place in a variety of indoor and outdoor Calgary venues each year. The Honens Festival and Piano Competition earned a White Hat of the Year award from Tourism Calgary in 2015.

Laureates

The Honens International Piano Competition named between three and five Laureates up to and including its 2009 competition. In 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2022, the competition used a sole Prize Laureate system. Starting in 2025, the three finalists were named as Gold, Silver, and Bronze Laureates.

1992

• Yi Wu (pianist)|Yi Wu, Argentina/China
• Krzysztof Jablonski (musician)|Krzysztof Jablonski, Poland
• Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, France
• Sergei Babayan, Armenia
• Dmitry Nesterov, Russia

1996

• Maxim Philippov, Russia
• Albert Tiu, Philippines
• Eugene Watanabe, United States

2000

• Katherine Chi, Canada
• Marko Martin, Estonia
• Alessandra Maria Ammara, Italy

2003

• Xiang Zou, China
• Winston Choi, Canada
• Roberto Plano, Italy

2006

• Minsoo Sohn, South Korea
• Hinrich Alpers, Germany
• Hong Xu, China

2009

• Georgy Tchaidze, Russia
• Evgeny Starodubtsev, Russia
• Gilles Vonsattel, Switzerland

2012

• Pavel Kolesnikov, Russia

2015

• Luca Buratto, Italy

2018

• Nicolas Namoradze, Georgia

2021

• The 2021 Honens International Piano Competition was postponed until 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022

• Illia Ovcharenko, Ukraine{{cite news |access-date=2022-11-22 |archive-date=2022-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122235742/https://www.honens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/102822_HONENS_2022-Prize-Laureate-Announcement.pdf |url-status=dead

2025

• Élisabeth Pion, Canada - Gold Laureate{{cite news |access-date=2025-11-01
• Carter Johnson, Canada - Silver Laureate
• Anastasia Vorotnaya, Russia - Bronze Laureate

References

References

1. Hilary Stroh. (12 September 2018). "Georgian pianist Nicolas Namoradze wins 2018 Honens International Piano Competition". Pianist Magazine.
2. William Littler. (14 September 2018). "Winning a major music competition doesn't guarantee a career". Toronto Star.
3. William Littler. (14 September 2018). "Winning a major music competition doesn't guarantee a career". Toronto Star.
4. Stephen Cera. (29 August 2018). "Honens International Piano Competition brings the world to Calgary". The Whole Note.
5. Nowell, Iris. (1996). "Women who Give Away Millions: Portraits of Canadian Philanthropists". Anthony Hawke.
6. Vivien Schweitzer. (9 October 2012). "Riding Into Carnegie Hall on a Masterpiece by Bach". New York Times.
7. (15 December 2020). "50 quarter-finalists chosen for the 2021 Honens International Piano Competition". Pianist Magazine.
8. "Honens announces semi-finalists for renowned piano competition {{!".
9. (28 January 2019). "Exclusive Interview: Pianist-Composer and Honens Winner Nicolas Namoradze on His Carnegie Hall Debut".
10. William Littler. (14 September 2018). "Winning a major music competition doesn't guarantee a career". Toronto Star.
11. William Littler. (17 September 2015). "Winning isn't everything at Honens piano competition". The Toronto Star.
12. Holly Harris. (31 March 2021). "PROFILE: Nicolas Namoradze: 'Life Is Full Of Surprises'". Ludwig Van.
13. "Calgary – Honens Piano Competition".
14. Monique de St. Croix. (1 December 2018). "Sponsorship feud strikes a sour note at Honens International Piano Competition". The Globe and Mail.
15. Simon MacLeod. (4 September 2019). "The 2019 Honens Festival offers a spectacular balance of piano classics — both near and far". The YY Scene.
16. Kenneth DeLong. (13 September 2021). "Review: Honens Festival adapts, excels with the conditions". Calgary Herald.
17. damienwood. (18 May 2016). "Tourism Calgary celebrates Calgary's best and brightest with 54th annual White Hat Awards". Calgary Herald.
18. (10 September 2018). "Unparalleled Georgian pianist takes top honours at Honens competition". Calgary Herald.
19. Michael Vincent. (3 March 2021). "Honens International Piano Competition Moves To 2022". Ludwig Van.