Honens Piano Podcast

Roman Rabinovich performs Chopin's Ballade No. 4 Op. 52.

Today we'll hear from 2009 Honens Laureate Gilles Vonsattel. In this episode, Gilles performs Louise Farrenc's Air russe Varié Op. 17.  Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn could be counted among Farrenc's admirers and for good reason; Farrenc wrote in an imaginative and knowledgeable international style, prizing transparency and clear forms. Enjoy!

Today is the final episode of the Honens @ Home: Meet the Quarterfinalists series. In this episode, we meet Dominic Muzzi. Dominic is no stranger to winning competitions—he started winning when he was only a teenager. He is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at Indiana University, where his teacher, 2003 Honens Laureate Roberto Plano, might have put the Honens bug in his ear.In this video, Dominic shares the third movement, Vivo, from Grażyna Bacewicz's Piano Sonata No. 2. Let's listen.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

You might recognize today's featured Quarterfinalist from the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition—Austrian pianist and 2018 Semifinalist Philipp Scheucher has returned for the 2022 Competition.Today, Philipp shares with us his own arrangement of Radetzky March by Johann Strauss. Philipp says: "We are exposed to so much negative news, the joy of music and music making can be healing." We couldn't agree more. Enjoy. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Today, we hear from Honens Quarterfinalist Zhora Sargsyan with a performance of Rachmaninov's Étude-tableau Op. 39 No. 5. Zhora poetically describes this piece as very dramatic and a little bit Wagnerian: symphonic and polyphonic. He suggests listening for the single melodic line pitted against the mass of chords. The melody has to overcome the heaviness and insist on its existence. In the end, Zhora says the drama resolves and through the storm the spot of light can be seen, symbolizing hope for survival.Let's listen.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

This week, we are pleased to feature KaJeng Wong. KaJeng, born in Hong Kong, has studied in the US, UK, and Sweden. He is the Artistic Director of Music Lab (a non-profit organization in Hong Kong that believes in the value of performance and its power to connect with people), and is interested in collaborative projects involving dance and theatre. He's also the subject of an award-winning documentary about his growth as a young musician called KJ: Music & Life.Today we hear KaJeng perform an arrangement of J.S. Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring by Dame Myra Hess.Enjoy.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

In this episode, enjoy J.S. Bach's theatrical Toccata in D Major BWV 912 performed by Italian pianist and Honens Quarterfinalist Danilo Mascetti. Since 2014, Danilo has been the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Arte Solidate Festival at Lake Como, an annual international classical music festival and charity in Italy. In addition to supporting young artists, the festival collaborates with local social organizations to support minors in need, a cause close to Danilo's heart. Let's listen. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Today we meet 2022 Honens Quarterfinalist Lorenzo Soulès. Lorenzo, born in Lyon, France, completed his studies in Cologne.Lorenzo has chosen a selection from Isaac Albéniz's Iberia to share with us. Iberia is one of the great masterpieces for piano, evoking the colours and atmosphere of Spain. It's a suite divided into four books, each made up of three pieces. Lorenzo performs El Albaicin, named for a district in Granada, in this podcast.Let's listen.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Today, we are pleased to feature a pianist all the way from Australia! Honens Quarterfinalist Alexander Yau is a multi-talented musician. He's a skilled clarinetist, a classical tenor, and additionally, he composes and arranges his own pieces. In this podcast, Alexander makes his debut as a conductor from the keyboard. Enjoy this performance of the slow movement from Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major K. 488.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

This week, 2022 Honens Quarterfinalist Timofey Dolya invites us into his living room in Austria for a performance of Scriabin's Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor. This piece takes us from a quiet night on the seashore to the turbulence of a stormy ocean. Enjoy!-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

This week, we are pleased to share two miniatures from Russian pianist and 2022 Honens Quarterfinalist Dmitry Yudin. The first piece is a familiar work by Mendelssohn, transcribed by Rachmaninov, and the second is a work by the less well-known early 20th century composer Sergei Lyapunov.These two pieces are ones Dmitry never tires of playing. He says each has "its own unique character: a mysterious, elegant, and ironic scherzo, and a very temperamental and virtuosic Russian dance, the Lezghinka."Let's listen.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

In this episode, enjoy a performance of Chopin's Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39. Italian pianist and 2022 Honens Quarterfinalist Federico Gad Crema began playing piano at nine years old. The first piece he learned was by Chopin, a composer whose music Federico continues to learn, perform, and love. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Today we feature 2022 Quarterfinalist Minkyu Kim. Born in South Korea and a graduate of Seoul National University, Minkyu continues his studies in Scotland, where he's enjoyed many performances with Scottish ensembles. Enjoy!- Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

If you follow piano competitions around the world, you may have already heard about this week's featured Quarterfinalist. Ukrainian pianist Dmytro Choni has won prizes at numerous competitions throughout his career. Most recently, he was named a Finalist in the 2021 Leeds Competition.Enjoy this video from Dmytro, performing one of his favourite works, Claude Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse (The Joyous Isle).-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Welcome back to Honens @ Home.Today we are pleased to feature 2022 Quarterfinalist George Fu. George, a Chinese-American pianist and composer, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Harvard University before beginning music studies at the Curtis Institute and the Royal Academy.  In this performance, with two works inspired by J.S. Bach, you will experience George's talents as both a pianist and composer—Rachmaninov's transcription of the Gavotte from Violin Partita No. 3 followed by George's own reimagined transcription, Transformation, based on the Gigue from Violin Partita No. 2.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

In this episode of Open Lid, Catherine McClelland, Honens Director, Artistic Planning catches up with Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann, also known as the Bergmann Duo. Hear about how they met and started playing together, the impact competitions have had on their career, the different challenges of playing piano duet versus piano duo, what each of them brings to the duo, their relationship with contemporary composer William Bolcom, Marcel's compositions, and more! Learn more about the Bergmann Duo here.

What a year it has been.It's hard to believe that it's already the end of 2021. But as we look back, we're grateful to have continued to share the joy of music with you.This is the last edition of Honens @ Home for the year. We will be back with more music in January. We are looking forward to 2022 (and the Competition!) with great anticipation. Until then, enjoy this special Holiday Edition of Honens @ Home from Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker. On behalf of all of us at Honens, we wish you and yours a very happy holiday season.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Many of the 2022 Quarterfinalists have participated in previous competitions, but today's featured pianist, Elizaveta Kliuchereva, has a different and unique perspective. In 2017, Elizaveta served on the Junior Jury of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In this excerpt, you'll hear Elizaveta perform Scherzo from Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique” by Tchaikovsky arr. Feinberg. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

This week, we are pleased to share a 2022 Quarterfinalist with an interesting Calgary connection. Chinese pianist Yangrui Cai participated in Morningside Music Bridge, the prestigious international training academy for young musicians that was hosted by Mount Royal University until 2015, then was administered by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.In this excerpt, you'll hear Yangrui perform the first two movements—Russian Dance and Petrouchka's Room—from Stravinsky's Petrouchka.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

This week, we're pleased to share Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest ("What the west wind saw") from Préludes Book 1 by Debussy, performed by Canadian pianist Jean-Luc Therrien.As you'll hear from Jon Kimura Parker, one of Jean-Luc's recent projects has been recording Debussy's complete first book of Préludes on the Orpheus Classical label. This debut solo album, which also includes his own transcription of Liszt's Symphonic Poem No. 3 ''Les Préludes,'' was recently released on Spotify, and will be released on other platforms soon.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

American pianist and composer Robert Fleitz is today's featured Quarterfinalist. Robert was a Quarterfinalist in 2018 and looks back on it as a wonderful experience. We're glad he chose to reapply for 2022!In this excerpt, enjoy Robert performing Pathmarks composed by Krists Auznieks. About this piece, Auzniek's wrote: "The journey truly begins after one stops excavating holy grails from dead ears and listens to what has become of the musical signs that, once distant, have become our own."-Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

Today, we are pleased to share Élisabeth Pion performing Gretchen am Spinnrade, Liszt's arrangement of a Schubert lied.Élisabeth, a 26-year-old Canadian pianist who is currently studying in the UK, is also very interested in Tai Chi. In fact, she has been training at Wu's Tai Chi Chuan Academy in London for about a year and is loving it. Élisabeth believes that the deep and rich heritage that sustains the practice of Tai Chi is similar to music—poetic and supple, yet powerful and strong—with an endless journey of learning. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

In this episode of Open Lid, Catherine McClelland, Honens Director, Artistic Planning catches up with  2003 Honens Laureate Roberto Plano to discuss all things competitions. Throughout the interview, you'll also hear Roberto performing works by Chopin, Respighi, Brahms, and Schumann. Follow Roberto on YouTube here and his family's YouTube here. 

We hope you enjoyed our first episode of Honens @ Home: Meet the Quarterfinalists. We're thrilled to give you a chance to get to know our 2022 Competitors and experience their artistry.Today, we're pleased to share a performance of Nikolai Kapustin's Concert Etude Op. 40 No. 4 "Reminiscence" by Quarterfinalist Xander Benham. Xander, a 26-year-old pianist from the United Kingdom, is also an avid cook who works as a chef part-time and has a special interest in cooking Italian, Asian, and Turkish cuisines.- Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

We're delighted to introduce an exciting new series  ... Honens @ Home: Meet the Quarterfinalists. Over the next several weeks, you'll hear from many of the 2022 Quarterfinalists, who were selected by our Applicant Screening Jury in December 2020.We invited the Quarterfinalists to share a video performance with us to give you a chance to hear their artistry and learn more about them before the Quarterfinal rounds, which take place in New York and Frankfurt in March of next year.Participation is optional. These videos will not be evaluated by the jury and are not, in any way, part of the 2022 Competition. For our first episode, enjoy Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-sharp minor performed by Honens Quarterfinalist Giovanni Bertolazzi. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt here. 

In this episode of Honens @ Home, we want to share a video of 2009 Honens Laureate Gilles Vonsattel's performance of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111. This work, Beethoven's last sonata, is a great concluding climax to his piano sonata output.  - Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

At the Honens International Piano Competition, competitors are encouraged to perform music composed within the last 50 years as well as pivotal works of the piano literature in their self-programmed recitals. In 2018, Semifinalist Stefano Andreatta did just that when he performed ...just as the sun is always... (2006) by British composer Christian Mason. While it was composed for another piano competition, this work is not the virtuosic showpiece you might expect, perhaps because it was commissioned by a generous couple in memory of their daughter, Heidi, who passed when she was only 30. Let's listen now to this quiet and introspective work. - Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Composed in 1953 and translated from Gaelic or Latin poems, Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs Op. 29 ranks among the great song cycles of the twentieth century. Barber was naturally drawn to vocal expression in his compositions. Upon discovering the verses, he said: "I have come across some poems of the 10th century, translated into Modern English by various people, and am making a song cycle of them. These were extraordinary men, monks or hermits or what not and they wrote these little poems. I find them very direct, unspoiled, and often curiously contemporaneous in feeling."In this excerpt you hear two songs from the cycle, The Monk and His Cat and The Desire for Hermitage, performed at the 2015 Honens International Piano Competition by Semifinalist Yoon-Jee Kim and soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian. - Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Franz Schubert's last three piano sonatas, composed near the end of his life, are sometimes compared to Mozart's final trilogy of Symphonies 39 to 41. In both cases, each piece differs in character, was written in a period of despair, and is almost epic in scale. Today, we'll hear the first of the three final piano works from Schubert and the stormiest in mood, Piano Sonata No. 19 in C minor D. 958, performed by Finalist Han Chen in his Semifinals Solo Round of the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition. - Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

At the 2015 Honens International Piano Competition, Semifinalist Karim Said performed Theme and Variations in D minor Op. 18b by Joannes Brahms, an arrangement of his first string sextet.  Brahms was joined by Clara Schumann at the premiere of his String Sextet No. 1 in B-sharp Major Op. 18. She loved it and asked him to arrange the slow movement for solo piano. He obliged, and gave it to her in time for her birthday in 1860. This arrangement is "full of Brahms' typical subtleties of structure and melodic and harmonic beauty," (Steven Coburn, AllMusic) so it isn't surprising that Brahms, himself, was very fond of the piece.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Today, enjoy three works by Franz Liszt from the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition. As you'll hear from Jon Kimura Parker, Liszt is well represented at Honens Competitions. After all, he wrote some of the most virtuosic and monumental music for pianists! These three miniatures, however, you probably haven't heard often. During her Semifinals Solo Round, Tzu-Yin Huang performed Bagatelle sans tonalité S. 216a, Valse oubliée No. 1 S. 215/1, and Romance oubliée No. 1 S. 527. - Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Joseph Haydn was one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. Unfortunately for pianists of his time, it wasn't always easy to get one of his scores. Prior to his publishing deal in 1774, pianists looking to play Haydn's compositions would have had to search for a handwritten, bootlegged copy.The work we are sharing with you today is one of his first sonatas ever published, from a collection of six, and is still one of his most popular. We hope you enjoy Haydn's Sonata in F Major Hob. XVI/23, performed live at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity by 2009 Honens Prize Laureate Georgy Tchaidze. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

This week, we're pleased to share Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op. 24 by Johannes Brahms, performed live by Semifinalist Aristo Sham at the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition.Composed in 1861 and dedicated to Clara Schumann, this is a work of "massive scope and dazzling variety." As Jon Kimura Parker explains, Brahms stuck with classical forms after many of his contemporaries moved on. In this piece, Brahms used a "Baroque theme, strict variations, and richness and scope of the piano technique, showcasing him as a preserver and representative of tradition."According to Hyperion, "even Wagner saw its significance when Brahms played it to him, commenting grandly that it showed what could still be done with the old forms by someone who knew how to use them."- Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

This week we're pleased to share two songs from Dvořák's Op. 55, "The String is Taut" and "Songs my Mother Taught Me."The second song in this excerpt is one you may recognize. As you'll hear from Jon Kimura Parker, it took off in popularity and has achieved widespread fame. The song's lovely melodies and chromatic harmonies are a shining example of the Romantic period, of which Dvořák was a member, also making it a perfect song to share with Mother's Day just around the corner. Enjoy the two songs, performed by 2015 Honens Semifinalist Yoon-Jee Kim accompanied by soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian. - Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

We've got a masterpiece to share with you this week: Frédéric Chopin's Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52, performed by Semifinalist Tzu-Yin Huang. Ballade No. 4 is often considered the pinnacle of Chopin's music for solo piano. You'll hear a wide range of emotions from pathos to heroism, all wrapped up in beautiful melodies, dramatic key changes, and some of the finest writing for the piano. When you listen, it might be helpful to think about the ballade form in romantic literature—a dramatic narrative often based on legend or history. Chopin tells a story in this music, he just doesn't tell us what it is! For that, you'll need to use your imagination.- Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

This week, we are headed to the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition for a performance from Semifinalist Aristo Sham. Beethoven's Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp Major Op. 78 is a rare, two-movement sonata that poses a challenge to the performer because it demands clarity and lightness as well as powerful and fast playing. Like Moonlight and Waldstein, this is a Beethoven piano sonata with a nickname. Let's listen as Jon Kimura Parker tells us more. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

In this episode,  you'll hear a masterwork—Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor Op. 36, performed by 2018 Honens Semifinalist Stefano Andreatta. Rachmaninov composed his piano music for himself. He was an amazing virtuoso with a secret weapon ... enormous hands! With his fingers spread, his reach was 12 notes wide, or an octave and a half. Those big intervals are an extra challenge for other pianists learning his work. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

This week, we head back to the 2015 Honens International Piano Competition to a performance from Semifinalist Yoon-Jee Kim. In her Semifinals Solo Round, Yoon-Jee played Charles-Valentin Alkan's arrangement of Haydn's Symphony No. 94 in G Major.There has been lots of speculation about how this piece got its nickname, "Surprise Symphony." According to one colourful account, it was during a performance when Haydn, serving as conductor, impulsively altered the dynamics in the second movement. "Haydn had already given the downbeat to begin the movement when the gentle snores of a front-row patron piqued his sense of humour. He and his musicians forged ahead with the little theme until reaching its final chord, for which Haydn cued an immense fortissimo (loud tone) bringing the drowsy patron to his feet."Enjoy, but beware of listening while drowsy!-Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Today, we are pleased to feature 2015 Honens Semifinalist Samson Tsoy's performance of C.P.E. Bach's Sonata in G minor Wq. 65/17. Carl Philipp Emmanuel (C.P.E.) Bach and three of this brothers all became professional musicians, each trained almost entirely by their famous father, Johann Sebastian. Like many fathers, J.S. wanted his sons to have careers to fall back on, especially since, at the time, uneducated musicians were often treated as servants. Before taking on music full-time, C.P.E. obtained a degree in law. As it turned out, he never needed his law degree as he went on to become a very famous musician in his own right. A well-respected keyboardist and composer, C.P.E. Bach is known for bridging the gap between the Baroque and Classical eras. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

In this episode of Open Lid, Catherine McClelland, Honens Director, Artistic Planning catches up with  2000 Honens Laureates Katherine Chi and Alessandra Ammara. The three discuss memories from the 2000 Honens International Piano Competition,  adventures from past tours,  how they stayed connected during the pandemic, and their appreciation for each other. Katherine and Alessandra perform a program of Claude Debussy,  Alexina Louie, and Sergei Rachmaninov. 

At the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition, Finalist Han Chen performed Roussel's Divertissement Op. 6 with the Azahar Ensemble. Described by AllMusic's Adrian Corleonis as "rhythmically alive with every bar," the piece is "pithy without being complex, harmonically fresh without system, robust but never knockabout, sensuous rather than sensual." What a perfect sentiment to carry with us for the remainder of the week.-Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

This week, we'll hear 2009 Honens Prize Laureate Georgy Tchaidze perform Haydn's Andante con variazioni in F minor Hob. XVII/6. The two themes in this work—one major, one minor—create a dialogue that BBC Radio 3's Stephen Johnson said alternates "melancholy with joyous exuberance without any real transition."-Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

We are thrilled to share this special performance today, recorded by the Chicago-based Canadian pianist and 2003 Honens Laureate, Winston Choi. A few months ago, Winston was part of a Laureate Circle Goes Online event, where he shared a thoughtful program with works by Franz Schubert, Amy Beach, and William Grant Still. In this episode, you'll hear two of those pieces, both romantic and lyrical. The first is Schubert's Impromptu No. 3 in B-flat Major Op. 142, which Winston describes as, "perhaps one of the most delightful and positive pieces one can find," and Beach's Ballade Op. 6. Winston describes Beach as "a composer that should be considered one of the greats," whose music is "rich, thick, complex, and yet, speaks organically."-Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Today, we are pleased to share 2006 Honens Laureate Hinrich Alpers performing the third movement of Franz Liszt's transcription of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125, recorded at his summer home in  Berlin. Widely considered the latter's greatest work, ‘Beethoven 9’ was composed between 1822 and 1824 and first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. Liszt's transcription for solo piano is meticulous in its accurate reproduction and requires much from the pianist (technique, stamina, and musicianship) to fully realize an entire orchestra with only 10 fingers. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Today, we are pleased to feature part two, the last six miniatures, of 2012 Honens Prize Laureate Pavel Kolesnikov's performance from R. Schumann's Kinderszenen "Scenes from Childhood." The work was originally called Leichte Stücke "Easy Pieces." Schumann added the movement titles after he had completed the composition and described them as "nothing more than delicate hints for execution and interpretation." -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

In this episode of Open Lid, 2009 Honens Laureate Gilles Vonsattel discusses his  preparation to record Sir George Benjamin's  Shadowlines, including working with the composer himself, with Catherine McClelland,  Honens Director, Artistic Planning. Learn more about Gilles on his website: gillesvonsattel.com

This week, we are pleased to share the first seven minatures of R. Schumann's Kinderszenen "Scenes from Childhood," performed live by 2012 Honens Prize Laureate Pavel Kolesnikov. Composed in 1838, this work represents Schumann's interest in the idealism and innocence of childhood. He described the works as "more cheerful, gentler, and more melodic" than his earlier works. -Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.

Today's excerpt comes all the way from Italy, from 2000 Honens Laureate Alessandra Ammara performing Maurice Ravel's Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit. Composed in 1908, Gaspard de la nuit is considered one of the most difficult pieces in Ravel's repertoire. The work is a window into Ravel's lively imagination and musical inventiveness. It is a triathlon for a pianist, with a moderately fast opening movement, a slow movement in the middle, and Scarbo, a fast, impressive finale. Scarbo jumps intensely from theme to theme, using jagged and highly advanced piano techniques, and is fiendishly difficult.Jon Kimura Parker shares why this particular ex-Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.cerpt is so special to some patients in Italian hospitals.