Honens International Piano Competition

TWENTY-ONE PIANISTS FROM 12 NATIONS TO COMPETE IN THE SIXTH HONENS INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

CALGARY, AB, June 18, 2009 ’Äì Today, Honens announced the names of the 21 Quarterfinalists to compete in the Sixth Honens International Piano Competition, which takes place in Calgary, October 22 to November 6, 2009. The pianists come from 12 nations: Canada, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

"Honens continues to attract some of the top young talent from around the world," says Angela Cheng, Chairwoman of the Honens First Jury. "We have selected an incredibly strong group of pianists to advance to the Quarterfinals."

The Honens First Jury selected the 21 Quarterfinalists after a week of deliberations earlier this month at the Banff Centre. Pianists Angela Cheng, Katherine Chi (2000 Honens First Laureate), Matthias Kirschnereit and Ronan O'Hora reviewed 90-videotaped performances from the Competition's first public stage that took place in Calgary, New York and Munich earlier this spring.

"The 21 pianists are musicians one wants to hear again and again," says Stephen McHolm, Honens Executive Director. "They truly represent the kind of complete artist we aim to discover."

The 21 Quarterfinalists include 17 men and 4 women: Michael Brown (from the United States, residing in New York), Michael Bukhman (from Israel, residing in New York), Yunjie Chen (from China, residing in New York), Yue Chu (from China, residing in Chestnut Hill, MA), Ran Dank (from Israel, residing in New York), Jonathan Floril (from Ecuador/Spain, residing in New York), Stanislav Khristenko (from Russia, residing in Oberlin, Ohio), Sangyoung Kim (from South Korea, residing in Boston), Natacha Kudritskaya (from the Ukraine, residing in France), Alexey Lebedev (from Russia, residing in Germany), Ka-ling Colleen Lee (from Hong Kong, residing in Germany) , Soyeon Lee (from South Korea, residing in Princeton, NJ), Misha Namirovsky (from Israel, residing in Germany), Tom Poster (from the United Kingdom, residing in the United Kingdom), Evgeny Starodubtsev from Russia, residing in Russia), Georgy Tchaidze (from Russia, residing in Russia), Gilles Vonsattel (from Switzerland, residing in New York), Daniel Wnukowski (from Canada, residing in the United Kingdom), Chun-Chieh Yen (from Taiwan, residing in Los Angeles), Feng Zhang (from China, residing in China), and Kirill Zwegintsov (from the Ukraine, residing in Switzerland).

Pianists compete for more than $100,000 CAN in cash prizes and one of the competition world's most lucrative career development programs valued at more than $500,000.

Each pianist will perform two recitals in the Competition Quarterfinals (October 22 to 28): a 50-minute solo recital that includes a new work by Canadian composer Brian Current; and a second 40-minute concert for violin and piano with violinist Tereza Stanislav. Twelve pianists move on to the Semifinals (October 30 to November 1) to perform 65-minute recitals that include ten minutes of art song / lieder with Canadian contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux. Five finalists perform with Austrian conductor Christoph Campestrini and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (November 5 and 6). The prizewinners will be announced on November 6, 2009.

Tickets range from $12 to $85 and are available by calling (403) 299-0140 or online at honens.com.

About Honens

Honens International Piano Competition is among the world's most prestigious events of its kind. It searches the world to discover "Complete Artists" ’Äì 21^st century musicians for 21^st century audiences. The Sixth International Piano Competition, presented by Nexen Inc., and supported by Steinway & Sons, Irene Besse Keyboards Ltd, Macleod Dixon LLP, TransAlta and Enbridge Inc., takes place in Calgary, October 22 to November 6, 2009. For more information visit www.honens.com.