Zarin Mehta – President of the jury
Piano 2021
Zarin Mehta will once again preside over a prestigious jury that will also carry out its duties remotely, on three continents.
When the finest talents come to you
From April 26 to May 14, 2021, 27 of the world’s finest young pianists will take part in the 19th edition of the CMIM (www.concoursmontreal.ca/en/piano-2021). Modern technology and the generous support of our loyal partners will allow us to realize an entirely online competition where emotion is guaranteed to transcend the screen.
The CMIM has never been so international
Hailing from eleven different countries and currently confined in thirteen different cities, the competitors, selected over a year ago, are eager to take the plunge into this great digital adventure.
The pianists will compete in two rounds. The twenty-seven recitals of the semifinal round and the eight recitals of the final round will be professionally recorded around the world.
Zarin Mehta returns as jury president and will oversee a prestigious international jury spread out over three continents: Arnaldo Cohen, Martin Engstroem, Mari Kodama, Hélène Mercier, Costa Pilavachi, Rena Shereshevskaya and Susan Wadsworth.
Piano 2021 event summary
Semifinal Round
• Twenty-seven 45-minutes recitals, recorded in 13 cities.
• Webcast over nine sessions (three recitals per session) from April 26 to 29 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and April 30 at 10 a.m. (ET).
• All recitals will also be available for on-demand listening.
• Announcement on Friday, April 30, 2 p.m. (ET) of the semifinal results and the names of the eight finalists.
Final Round
• Eight 60-minute recitals.
• Webcast over four sessions (two recitals per session) from May 10 to 13 at 10 a.m. (ET).
• All recitals will also be available for on-demand listening.
• Announcement of the final results and closing ceremony on Friday, May 14, at 10 a.m.
Concerto with the OSM
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, longstanding partner of the CMIM, will contribute to Piano 2021, despite being unable to perform with our finalists as they normally would. Our official orchestra has graciously agreed to invite this year’s first prize winner to come to Montréal to perform a concerto in a future season.
Zarin Mehta will once again preside over a prestigious jury that will also carry out its duties remotely, on three continents.
For the Piano 2021 edition, more than $160,000 in prizes and awards will be given.
First Prize
Value of $105,000
$ 30,000 – Cash Prize offered by the Ville de Montréal
$ 50,000 – Joseph Rouleau Career Development Grant offered by the Azrieli Foundation
$ 15,000 – Winner’s concert Tour in three North American cities, offered by Sarah Beauchamp
$ 7,500 – Concerto with the CMIM’s official orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
$ 2,500 – Artist Residency at Canada’s Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Pierre-Péladeau et Raymonde Chopin Second Prize
$ 15,000 – offered by Quebecor
Third Prize
$ 10,000 – offered by Stingray Classica
Radio-Canada Audience Award
$ 5,000 – offered by Radio-Canada
André Bourbeau Award for the best Canadian artist
$ 5,000 – offered by the Fondation Bourbeau
Bita Cattelan Philanthropic Engagement Award
$ 5,000 – offered by Bita Cattelan
André Bachand Award for the best performance of the compulsory Canadian work
$ 2,000 – offered by Claudette Hould
Festival Bach Montréal Award for the best performance of a work by J. S. Bach
$ 1,500 – offered by the Festival Bach Montréal
Finalist Grants
$ 15,000 – 5 grants of $ 3,000 to unranked finalists
1. Semifinal
In this round, selected pianists will each perform a 45-minute solo recital recorded in one take and presented online.
An international jury will evaluate the performances and select eight (8) pianists for the final round.
2. Final
In this round, finalists will perform an hour-long solo recital recorded in one take and presented online.
An international jury will evaluate the performances and select the laureates and award winners.
Note:
Competitors who enter a work by J. S. Bach in one of the two programs will be eligible for the J. S. Bach PrizeIt is compulsory to perform the imposed work by Canadian composer John Burge (Three Preludes: Allegro energico; Spring Thaw; Off-beat Waltz) in the final round, and to include a work by J.S. Bach in either the semifinal or final round.
Rules and conditions of participation of the CMIM – PDF