Honens Reveals Semifinalists of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition and 2025 Honens Honours Award Recipients

Honens announced the 10 pianists who have advanced to the Semifinals rounds of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition. The pianists, aged 24 to 30, come from eight countries: Canada, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

From October 16 to 20, these competitive young pianists will participate in both solo and chamber recitals at Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, Rozsa Centre (please see below for details). Three Finalists will then be chosen to perform at the two Finals rounds, which take place at Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons), on October 23 and 24.

Out of them, one pianist who best demonstrates the ideal of Honens' Complete Artist, will be named the 2025 Honens Gold Laureate, winning one of the world's largest awards of its kind-$100,000 (CAD) and a comprehensive, three-year artistic development and career accelerator program.

The 10 distinguished Semifinalists, in alphabetical order and followed by age (as of October 24, 2025), are:

• Ádám Balogh, 28

• Elia Cecino, 24

• Carter Johnson, 29

• Giorgio Lazzari, 25

• Sandro Nebieridze, 24

• Chaeyoung Park, 28

• Élisabeth Pion, 29

• Anastasia Vorotnaya, 30

• Derek Wang, 27

• Yuanfan Yang, 28

The First Jury, composed of Sara Davis Buechner, Nicolas Namoradze, Marianne Perron, and Robert Roux, reviewed the Quarterfinal recitals and interviews recorded in Berlin and New York in March of this year. Under the guidance of Honens Official Mathematician Moshe Renert, the four jurors chose these 10 exceptional pianists to be invited to Calgary in October.

"Congratulations to these pianists for making it to the Semifinals round," says Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker. "The Jury has narrowed down the participants from 51 Quarterfinalists to an exceptionally talented group of 10. It is always a difficult task for our Jurors, and the level of proficiency this year was truly remarkable. Our jurors brought extraordinary care and insight, as well as deep listening and dedication to the process. We are now a step closer to naming the 2025 Honens Gold Laureate, that one truly special pianist who embodies what we call the Complete Artist. The performances in October will be thrilling."

Each Semifinalist performs two recitals: a self-programmed solo recital, carefully crafted to reflect his or her unique musical voice, including a newly commissioned work by the Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi; and a recital that weaves solo performance with a collaborative musical dialogue between the pianist and the Edmonton-born cellist Rachel Mercer.

The three selected Finalists go on to perform a piano quintet with the Isidore String Quartet on October 23, including a solo encore announced from the stage. In the second Finals round, the following day, each participant performs a concerto composed after 1791 with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Elias Grandy. They also take part in a 30-minute interview with an arts journalist. The members of the Second Jury, who will evaluate the Semifinalists and Finalists, are Philippe Bianconi, Jenny Bilfield, Janina Fialkowska, Leila Getz, Anne-Marie McDermott, Roberto Plano, and Awadagin Pratt. They will select the 2025 Honens Gold Laureate, who will be announced following the conclusion of the Finals on October 24.

The Awards Show, following Finals II, will be hosted by Katherine Duncan, retired CBC host and producer; and Paolo Pietropaolo, host of "In Concert," the award-winning classical music program on CBC.

Honens also announces today the 2025 Honens Honours award recipients. Honens Honours is a signature celebration that pays tribute to individuals and organizations whose passion for the arts has profoundly shaped our cultural landscape. Inspired by the visionary spirit of Esther Honens, this event shines a spotlight on those whose extraordinary contributions have enriched our city, province, and country. The honourees are Heather Edwards, Helen Graham, and Clarice Siebens. The Honens Honours gala, on October 21, will be an elegant evening celebrating the generosity of the honourees in an inspiring tribute to the philanthropic spirit that fuels Honens' vision to foster a love of the piano.

Running simultaneously with the Competition in Calgary, The Honens Lab is an innovative program for emerging pianists, curated and led by 2018 Honens Prize Laureate Nicolas Namoradze. Six selected participants will receive personalized feedback in masterclasses and take part in seminars based on Honens' philosophy of the Complete Artist, including performance psychology, mental training, practice optimization, and mindfulness. Applications open June 17 to pianists residing in Canada.

Other events during the Competition include a Neurorecital performance by 2018 Honens Prize Laureate Nicolas Namoradze (October 15), masterclasses led by Anne-Marie McDermott and Janina Fialkowska (October 18 and 19, respectively), and a recital by 2022 Honens Prize Laureate Illia Ovcharenko before he passes the torch to the 2025 Laureate, followed by a late-night Bison Noir performance by Sir Stephen Hough (October 22). In addition, Honens will host more than 1,200 school children for an educational concert celebrating the life and legacy of the legendary Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. Please see below for details.