Early this morning, Calgary’s Honens International Piano Competition declared 23-year-old Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov its 2012 Laureate.
The award, the richest in the world, marked the culmination of the competition’s long and involved process, one which assesses competitors in collaboration and attitude as well as artistry.
Kolesnikov was given a $100,000 cheque and will benefit from a career development program valued at $500,000. Finalists Lorenzo Cossi (Italy), Maria Mazo (Russia), Jong-Hai Park (South Korea) and Eric Zuber (United States) each received $10,000 prizes and semifinalist Zenan Yu of China was awarded the $2,500 Raeburn Prize for Artist of Special Promise.
Thanks to the extensive nurturing and follow-up to its triennial competition, we will hopefully see and hear a lot more of Kolesnikov in Canada.
His final performance was a thrilling interpretation of Peter Ilytch Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Calgary Philharmonic and conductor Roberto Minczuk.
That performance, as well as all the semifinal recitals are available for free streaming on medici.tv now.
Here is Kolesnikov as 19-year-old Moscow Conservatory student doing a wonderfully musical job with Bach’s B-minor French Suite No. 3:
John Terauds