Piano 2024
From May 5 to 16, 2024, the piano took centre stage at the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM). This elite-level competition is aimed at pianists of the new generation who are destined for a professional career.
COMPETITORS
24 competitors shared the stage in Montreal, vying for the title of laureate and for prizes and grants worth over $200,000. Between 19 and 29 years of age, these exceptional pianists hail from 12 different countries. Discover them all!
INTERNATIONAL JURY
The internationally renowned jury members brought a unique and invaluable expertise to our competition, attracting candidates of the highest artistic level. At the conclusion of the competition, they had the task of selecting the laureates and winners of special prizes, who will share prizes and grants valued at over $200,000.
The international jury was chaired once again by the cultural manager, Zarin Mehta. The members of the jury are: Dmitri Alexeev, Lydia Artymiw, Louise Bessette, Jan Jiracek von Arnim, Robert Levin, Hélène Mercier, Ronan O’Hora and Minsoo Sohn.
Xian zhang, guest conductor
For the first time at the CMIM, the Guest Conductor of Piano 2024, Xian Zhang, cast a vote in the Final, following the concerto performances with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
preliminary jury
Agnès Grossmann (conductor), David Jalbert (University of Ottawa), Henry Kramer (Université de Montréal), Sara Laimon (McGill University), Angela Park (Western University), Brigitte Poulin (pianist), Richard Raymond (Conservatoire de musique de Montréal) and Serhiy Salov (Grand Laureate Piano 2004 and Improvisation Prize winner, Piano 2014).
The preliminary jury evaluated the applications of 388 pianists hailing from 38 countries. This is the highest number of applicants the CMIM has seen for any edition in its history.
junior jury
For the first time in its history, the CMIM welcomed a Junior Jury, made up of nine students in advanced piano studies in Montreal. With an informed and fresh perspective, they were responsible for evaluating the 24 competing pianists and awarding, at the end of the First Round of the Competition, the “Junior Jury Prize”, valued at $1,000.
The Junior Jury is chaired by Janelle Fung, pianist and professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. The members are students at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal (Joon Oh Kim, Kris Sossoulo, Tu Linh Vu), the Schulich School of Music at McGill University (Dane Ko, Mai Miyagaki, Veola Sun), and at the Faculty of Music at the University of Montréal (Sara Sierra Jaramilla, Fabrizzio Vargas Saavedra, Fiona Wu).
prizes and grants
More than $200,000 in prizes and grants were awarded to the laureates and winners of Piano 2024. The CMIM was proud to contribute to the cultural dynamism of Montreal and to the launch of the careers of emerging international musicians.
Thank you to the many and precious partners who made it possible to award these prizes and awards.
| PRIZES | |
| Sibylla-Hesse First Prize Grand Cash Prize of $30,000 Offered by la Ville de Montréal Joseph-Rouleau Career Development Grant of $50,000 Offered by The Azrieli Foundation Steinway Recording Prize (valued at over $54,000) Offered by Steinway & Sons Steinway Prizewinner Concerts Korean Tour (World Culture Network) in March 2025 and additional concerts to be announced Offered by Steinway & Sons An engagement with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for a concert or recital in a subsequent season Offered by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal A solo recital engagement for the Coast Recital Society's 2025-2026 season Offered by the Coast Recital Society, British Columbia Jaeden IZIK-DZURKO, Canada | More than $140,000 |
| Pierre Péladeau and Raymonde Chopin's Second Prize Offered by Québecor Gabriele STRATA, Italy | $15,000 |
| Third Prize Offered by Stingray Classical Anthony RATINOV, USA | $10,000 |
| SPECIAL PRIZES | |
| Chamber Music Award Cash Prize of $2,500 Offered by Dixi Lambert An engagement for a concert (valued at $3,500 ) with the Festival de musique de chambre de Montréal Offered by Dixi Lambert and the Festival de musique de chambre de Montréal Gabriele STRATA, Italy | More than $6,000 |
| Audience award ICI Musique Offered by ICI Musique Gabriele STRATA, Italy | $5,000 |
| André Bourbeau Award for the Best Canadian Artist Offered by The Fondation Bourbeau Jaeden IZIK-DZURKO, Canada | $5,000 |
| Bita Cattelan Philanthropic Engagement Award Offered by Bita & Paolo Cattelan Cash Prize of $2,500 An engagement for a philanthropic event - valued at $2,500 Élisabeth PION, Canada | $5,000 |
| Best performance of a Sonata in the Semifinal Offered by Anne Stevens Jaeden IZIK-DZURKO, Canada | $3,000 |
| André Bachand Award for the Best performance of an imposed Canadian work Offered by Claudette Hould Jaeden IZIK-DZURKO, Canada | $2,500 |
| Junior Jury Prize Jakub KUSZLIK, Poland | $1,000 |
| 3 CMIM Grants for unranked finalists Offered by Rouleau family, Morris & Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation and Louise Roy Elias ACKERLEY, UK and South Korea ; Jakub KUSLIK, Poland ; Derek WANG, United States | $3,000 each |
rules and repertoire
ELIGIBILITY
Young pianists of all nationalities, born between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2007, could apply for the competition.
Please note that First Prize laureates from previous CMIM editions were not eligible to apply.
All selected competitors were required to be free of all engagements and available to perform in Montreal between May 5 and 16, 2024 (inclusive).
IMPORTANT DATES
Application period: September 1 to October 31, 2023
Invitations to the candidates: December 15, 2023
Submission of final programmes: January 19, 2024
Announcement of the candidates: February 1, 2024
Arrival of the candidates in Montreal: May 3, 2024
First Round: May 5 to 7, 2024
Semifinal: May 10 to 12, 2024
Final: May 15 and 16, 2024
* * *
ROUNDS
Repertoire selected for performance at the competition could include works recorded for the audition videos. No other duplication of repertoire was permitted during the competition rounds.
The jury took into account the difficulty and artistic merit of the programs for each round.
The competitor had to include at least one work from the Classical period and one work from the Romantic period in their programme for the First Round and/or Semifinal.
First Round – May 5, 6 and 7, 2024
The twenty-four (24) competitors selected for the First Round each presented a programme of their choice, consisting of 30 to 35 minutes of music.
The ten (10) pianists who received the highest scores from the international jury advanced to the Semifinal Round.
The fourteen (14) pianists who were not selected presented their Semifinal programme in a concert hall in the greater Montreal region.
Semifinal Round – May 10,11 and 12, 2024
Part I – Recital
The ten (10) Semifinalists had to each perform a program of 45 to 50 minutes of music.
The repertoire for the Semifinal recital had to include a minimum of three (3) works, including the following elements:
- A complete sonata
- The imposed Canadian work
- Another work of the candidates’ choice
Part II – Chamber Music
The ten (10) Semifinalists had to perform the first movement of a Piano Quartet with a CMIM ensemble (violin, viola, cello).
The candidate chose a work from the Piano 2024 selection.
The six (6) pianists who received the highest scores from the international jury advanced to the Final Round.
Final – May 15 and 16, 2024
The six (6) finalists presented a major concerto from the standard repertoire for piano and orchestra. The choice of concerto was subject to approval from the Concours when the candidate’s participation was confirmed.
Each finalist was entitled to a 50-minute rehearsal with the conductor and piano, as well as a 50-minute rehearsal with conductor and orchestra.
The finalists performed their concerto with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the official orchestra of the CMIM.
Chamber Music
The Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) marked a first in its history: the inclusion of a Chamber Music round as the first part of the Semifinal round of Piano 2024, which took place on Friday, May 10 at 7:30 pm at Salle Bourgie. This exciting new element of the competition required the candidates to perform a Piano Quartet with three principal strings players of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal: Andrew Wan (violin), Victor Fournelle-Blain (viola), and Brian Manker (cello).
the cmim on the road
THE CMIM BROADENS ITS HORIZONS
For Piano 2024, the CMIM ventured beyond the city’s borders to offer an unprecedented musical experience with the launch of CMIM On the Road. In collaboration with a selection of presenting partners, this initiative invited music lovers to experience the magic of performances by exceptional young international pianists in unexpected venues.
Thanks to strategic partnerships with these presenters outside Montreal, the 14 pianists eliminated after the Competition’s First Round had the opportunity to captivate other audiences with their Semifinal programmes. This new feature promised benefits for all, enriching accessible cultural programming throughout the province.
La Maison de la musique de Sorel-Tracy
Wednesday, May 8 at at 6:00 PM
JJ Jun Li Bui (Canada)
Rachel Breen (USA)
Adrian Herpe (France, Ukraine)
Thursday, May 9 at 6:00 PM
Dina Ivanova (Russia)
Deawon Kim (South Korea)
Adam Kalduński (Poland)
Saeyoon Chon (South Korea)
La Maison de la musique de Sorel-Tracy
124 George Street, Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 1C6
Concerts sur le fleuve, Nun’s Island
Thursday, May 9 at 7:30 PM
Élisabeth Pion (Canada)
Seungmin Shin (South Korea)
Xiaoxuan Li (China)
Hudson Chamber Music Series
Sunday, May 12 at 2:00 PM
Angie Zhang (USA)
Muzi Li (China)
Yungyung Guo (China)
St Thomas Aquinas Church
413 Main Street, Hudson, QC J0P 1H0
Thank you to all the donors and partners of CMIM and its Piano 2024 Edition et to all the volunteers and friends and to all those not named here.
