Last night in Calgary, 23-year-old Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov was named laureate of the 2012 Honens International Piano Competition. The title comes with a $100,000 cash prize and a comprehensive artistic and career development program valued at $500,000, the largest award in the world of international music competitions.
Speaking to the audience at Jack Singer Concert Hall, Stephen McHolm, president and artistic director of the Honens Competition, said, "the jury’s choice of Pavel Kolesnikov—a thoughtful and inquisitive young musician—is a testament to Honens’ commitment to discover musicians with an original voice.”
Kolesnikov played a solo recital and a chamber music concert to advance from the semifinal to the final round of the competition. His performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Calgary Philharmonic under Roberto Minczuk clinched the first prize.
You can view Kolesnikov's $100,000 prize-winning performance, along with the performances of the other four finalists, at the website of Medici.tv.
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Letter from London: Honens quarter-final update
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