Jaeden Izik-Dzurko wins the 2024 Leeds

Following an exciting 10-day contest, the Leeds International Piano Competition announced its 2024 winner: the pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko. 65 pianists from 18 countries had been announced as the participants for the First Round of this year´s competition, selected after a record number of 366 applications, to perform last April in six centres around the world (Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Beijing, Seoul and New York). Out of the 65, twenty-four were invited to play in Leeds and Bradford.

“It has been extraordinary to witness the remarkable artistry showcased at every stage of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition,” said Dame Imogen Cooper in a press release. “The 24 pianists who performed in Leeds and Bradford exemplify the highest standards of musicianship, and it has been an immense privilege for all of us on the jury to experience it.

“Our aim was to find not just the finest pianist, but the most complete musician, and with Jaeden we have achieved that. He demonstrated exceptional artistic maturity and imagination, remarkable technical command, and a profound ability to captivate and transport the audience through his storytelling and poetry throughout the Competition, culminating in a truly unforgettable final performance. We wish him, and all of the competitors, every success in the future, and have no doubt we will hear from many of them again.”

For the first time the Competition implemented blind judging in the shortlisting process to select the pianists for the First Round in April 2024. Already recognised as a trailblazer among music competitions – and for having the highest artistic standards and integrity – the Competition introduced blind selection as a measure towards addressing a prevailing issue of male dominance in the piano world.

“We need to create a more equitable stage and address the gender gap, a longstanding issue in the piano world” says Fiona Sinclair, CEO of The Leeds. “The Leeds’ own record shows that just two women have triumphed in the past 20 Editions of the Competition, only a third of our applications this year have come from women and only 18% of the most recent top 40 international piano competitions have been won by women. The imbalance becomes even more marked at the very top level of the world stage where, across many of the leading festivals and venues around the world, male pianists continue to dominate.”

While the new measures were lauded by many as significant steps towards a better balance of genders, they were also criticized, especially on social media, for creating a new bias against male competitors. 

This year nine women and 15 men reached the quarter-final, and three men and two women performed in the finals. Aiming at gender imbalance in other ways, a new prize instigated by the pianist Alexandra Dariescu rewarded the best performance of a work by a female composer. It was won by Junyan Chen, winner of the Second Prize.

Another surprise was the winner of the medici.tv Audience Prize Tomoharu Ushida, who was selected by the public audience. Ushida did not advance to the finals but convinced with an outstanding performance of Schubert´s B flat Major Sonata in the Semis.

Renowned as one of “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30” by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 2021, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko emerges as a rising star in the classical music scene. Praised for his expressive depth and thoughtful interpretations, Izik-Dzurko’s performances resonate with audiences and critics alike, characterized by a distinctive musical personality that infuses even the most ordinary passages with character and individuality, according to the Calgary Herald. Notable achievements include winning First Prizes at the 2022 Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the 2022 Maria Canals International Music Competition, as well as multiple accolades at the 20th Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition. His exceptional talent has led to engagements as a featured soloist with esteemed orchestras worldwide, including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. Izik-Dzurko’s passion for contemporary music, particularly Canadian compositions, is evident in his performances and recordings. A graduate of The Juilliard School and the University of British Columbia, he continues to refine his craft under the guidance of renowned mentors at prestigious institutions.

©︎ WFIMC / FR 2024