City of residence : Hannover
American pianist Rachel Breen is a student of the late Lars Vogt at Hannover’s Hochschule für Musik. Previously, she completed degrees at Yale University and the Juilliard School under, respectively, Boris Slutsky and Julian Martin. Breen was self-taught until age 10, when she began lessons with Dr. Sharon Mann at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Breen has enjoyed an active competition career, having been awarded top prizes at Premi Iturbi (2023), the Hans von Bülow International Competition (2023), the Bösendorfer International Competition (2023), the Honens International Piano Competition (2022), Concorso Internazionale Palma D’Oro (2022), the Beethoven International Competition in Vienna (2021), the Georges Cziffra International Competition (2019), and the Nuova Coppa Pianisti International Competition (2019), among others. She was selected as the 2021-23 National Federation of Music Clubs’ Young Artist in the US and received the 2021 Kurt Alten Prize at her university in Germany.
She has performed and taught masterclasses around the United States and in many other countries. Her most recent concert seasons have featured guest artist appearances at the Chautauqua Institution, The San Francisco International Piano Festival, the Beethovenfest in Bonn, Merkin Hall for IKIF, Festival Liszt en Provence, and Fazioli Hall’s Concert Series.
Principal teachers
- Lars Vogt 2019-2022
- Boris Slutsky 2021-2022
- Julian Martin 2014-2018
- Sharon Mann 2007-2014
Major Competitions
- 3rd prize and Special Prize for best performance of a work by Mozart, Premi Iturbi, 2023
- 1st prize, Internationaler Hans-von-Bülow-Wettbewerb, 2023
- 1st prize, Bösendorfer International Competition, 2023
- Finalist, Honens International Piano Competition, 2022
- 1st prize, Concorso Internazionale Pianistico Palma D’Oro, 2022
- 4th prize, Internationaler Beethoven Klavierwettbewerb Wien, 2021
- 2nd prize, Livorno International Piano Competition, 2020
- 1st prize, Nuova Coppa Pianisti, 2019
- 1st prize, Georges Cziffra International Competition, 2019
Program
FIRST ROUND: RECITAL
Sergei Prokofiev
March and Scherzo from The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33ter
No. 1 March
György Kurtág
Játékok (Games), volume 1
No. 4 Prelude and Waltz in C
Alexander Scriabin
24 Preludes, Op. 11
No. 23 in F major
Sergei Prokofiev
Three Pieces from Cinderella, Op. 95
No. 1 Intermezzo
Ludwig van Beethoven
Bagatelles, Op. 126
No. 3 E-flat major
Frédéric Chopin
Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 29
Luciano Berio
‘Wasserklavier’ (Six Encores : No. 3)
Frédéric Chopin
Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp major, Op. 36
Nikolai Medtner
6 Skazki (Fairy Tales), Op. 51
No. 5 F-sharp minor
Sergei Rachmaninov
Études-tableaux, Op. 39
No. 4 in B minor
Leonid Desyatnikov
The Songs of Bukovina (24 Preludes)
No. 4 in E minor
SEMIFINAL: CHAMBER MUSIC
Johannes Brahms
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Allegro
SEMIFINAL: RECITAL
Nikolai Medtner
Sonata in G minor, Op. 22
Tenebroso, sempre affrettando — Allegro assai — Interludium (Andante lugubre)
Barbara Assiginaak
Mzizaakok Miiniwaa Mzizaakoonsak (Horseflies and Deerflies)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata in C minor, Op. 111
Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato • Arietta (Adagio molto, semplice e cantabile)
FINAL: CONCERTO
Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Allegro moderato • Andante con moto • Rondo (Vivace)
Adopt a Musician
The presence of Rachel Breen in Montreal
is generously supported by Ann Birks
