{"id":112570,"date":"2025-03-11T14:36:21","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T18:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=112570"},"modified":"2025-03-11T14:36:21","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T18:36:21","slug":"interview-canadian-pianist-jaeden-izik-dzurko-talks-career-toronto-concert-hughs-room-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/03\/11\/interview-canadian-pianist-jaeden-izik-dzurko-talks-career-toronto-concert-hughs-room-live\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Canadian Pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko Talks Career, And His Toronto Concert At Hugh\u2019s Room Live"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_112572\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112572\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-112572\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/03\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-58.jpg\" alt=\"Pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/03\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-58.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/03\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-58-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/03\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-58-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/03\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-58-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-112572\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Canadian Jaeden Izik-Dzurko was the First Prize winner at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the Maria Canals International Music Competition, and the 20th Paloma O\u2019Shea Santander International Piano Competition \u2014 all in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Two years later, he\u2019d follow up by becoming the first Canadian Grand Prize Laureate in an instrumental edition of the Concours musical international de Montr\u00e9al (CMIM). He\u2019d also garner a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/09\/23\/scoop-canadian-pianist-jaeden-izik-dzurko-wins-prestigious-leeds-international-competition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first prize win at the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition<\/a> in the UK, receiving the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal.<\/p>\n<p>The Leeds prize includes performances across Europe, and a whirlwind of appearances while he\u2019s also studying. In October 2024, his debut EP was released on Warner Classics, consisting of excerpts from his Leeds Competition performance.<\/p>\n<p>Jaeden be performing an intimate recital at Hugh\u2019s Room Live in Toronto on March 23 in a series curated by pianist Angela Hewitt and Eric Friesen. We caught up with him to ask about competitions, career and music.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kEr3iD0GT0o?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Jaeden Izik-Dzurko: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>The Leeds win was a crowning achievement for the BC native. The years of competitions and the preparations for them were formidable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI consider the Leeds one to be my last competition,\u201d he says. \u201cI am a little bit pleased that I can close the book on that chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along with technical skills, naturally, competitions require a great deal of nerve and mental preparation. But, it was time to stop thinking in terms of besting the competition. \u201cAlmost spiritually,\u201d he says, \u201cto have this ceaseless ranking going on \u2014 it\u2019s a little bit perverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, the experience was invaluable in terms of preparing him for a life on international stages. \u201cI think for grooming a performing artist, the piano competitions flex and develop a lot of really indispensable muscles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With various stipulations, competing internationally also tends to involve learning mountains of repertoire. \u201cIt became increasingly difficult,\u201d he says. Juggling a growing performing schedule, along with the travel involved, was prohibitive.<\/p>\n<p>As to his winning form, he says he kept his focus on the music. \u201cI try to take the view that you keep [&#8230;] the jury and their preferences out of your mind as much as possible,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to try to conform to the tastes of someone else, and that\u2019s probably the recipe for disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead of the judges, he kept his mind on the audience, and his essential love of the music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a piece of advice that I would offer to any young artist going into competitions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>As a means to an end, he\u2019s now focusing on performing and continuing his studies. \u201cNow that I\u2019ve concluded my competition experiences, it\u2019s becoming clear to me that it\u2019s only one component of developing a career,\u201d says Izik-Dzurko.<\/p>\n<p>As he points out, while competitions may help you improve technique and broaden repertoire, there are still important matters like developing relationships with collaborators and presenters, and the ongoing concern of making an impression on your audience, to be considered.<\/p>\n<p>These days, his schedule is divided between Germany, Italy, and international travel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI reside in Germany, and I travel to Italy about every month for lessons,\u201d he explains. He\u2019s studying in Germany as well.<\/p>\n<p>His spring agenda includes an extended stay in Rome for lessons and a chamber music exam, and a recital in Arezzo earlier in March before his North American concert dates.<\/p>\n<h3>In Recital: Hugh\u2019s Room Live March 23<\/h3>\n<p>He\u2019ll hit Kelowna on March 21 before his Toronto recital on the 23. Jaeden will be performing a program that includes new arrangements of recital repertoire, some he\u2019s performing for the first time.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>J.S. Bach: Partita for keyboard No. 4, BWV 828<\/li>\n<li>Sergei Rachmaninoff: Preludes, Op. 23<\/li>\n<li>Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s relatively new music,\u201d he says. \u201cI have a lot of love for Rachmaninoff,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my own musical strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He cites performing Bach as one of the luxuries of leaving the competition world behind. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a celebration of no longer being constrained by competition guidelines.\u201d Still, he\u2019s grateful for what the competition repertoire taught him. \u201cSome of the pieces that I\u2019ve played in a lot of competitions I\u2019ve really grown with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After his Toronto gig, he\u2019s heading east to Qu\u00e9bec, then a recital for Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Pro Musica in Montr\u00e9al before dates across South Korea through April and May.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find more information about his Toronto recital [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hughsroomlive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? 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