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Canadian Pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko Wins 21st Leeds International Piano Competition

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko wins LIPC Photo: Frances Marshall©

Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, 24, has won the 21st edition of the Leeds International Piano Competition. Performing with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan at St George’s Hall in Bradford, Izik-Dzurko was chosen as the winner by the jury after a performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2.

In addition to the £30,000 cash prize and the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal, Izik-Dzurko also receives a career-changing prize package which includes concerto engagements with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Wigmore Hall debut and recitals across the UK, international tours with Steinway Prize Winner Concerts Network and Global Music Network, and more.

As the winner, Izik-Dzurko will perform again with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music on Sunday 22 September, reprising his winning concerto.

It has been extraordinary to witness the remarkable artistry showcased at every stage of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition. 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.

Dame Imogen Cooper, Chair of the Jury

Second Prize and the Marion Thorpe Silver Medal was awarded to Junyan Chen from China, followed by Khanh Nhi Luong from Vietnam who received Third Prize and the Lady Roslyn Lyons Bronze Medal. Both are awarded cash prizes (£18,000 and £12,000 respectively), as well as concert engagements with Wigmore Hall, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Lunchtime Concert Series on 23 & 24 September, University of Leeds concert series and more.

Junyan Chen was also the winner of the inaugural Alexandra Dariescu Award, presented for an outstanding performance of a work by a woman composer. She receives a £3,000 cash prize, a concerto performance with the Romanian Radio Orchestra in Bucharest which will be broadcast on national radio, and a solo evening recital at Music in Lyddington. Chen was also presented with the Yaltah Menuhin Award for an outstanding performance of chamber music – she receives £3,000 and performance opportunities with the Leeds International Chamber Music Series and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Chamber Music Series.

A live EP with a selection of works from the winner’s performance will be released on Warner Classics on Friday 11 October, with a studio recording to follow.

Fourth Prize was awarded to Kai-Min Chang (Taiwan), and Fifth Prize to Julian Trevelyan (United Kingdom).

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Award, awarded to the best communicator of contemporary music, was given to finalist Kai-Min Chang, who will now receive a commission of a brand-new work to perform at a future Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society series.

2024 Jury
Dame Imogen Cooper -Chair
Adam Gatehouse – Artistic Director and Juror
Eleanor Alberga – Juror
Ingrid Fliter – Juror
Mariam Batsashvili – Juror
Pavel Kolesnikov – Juror
Sa Chen – Juror
Till Fellner – Juror
Adrian Brendel – JurorThe medici.tv Audience Prize – the only prize to be decided by the public – was awarded to semi-finalist Tomoharu Ushida (Japan). Selected by online public vote via medici.tv, Ushida will receive a future broadcast performance on the platform.

The Finals were broadcast live to audiences across the globe via The Leeds Media Hub and YouTube channel – presented by Petroc Trelawny and Alexandra Dariescu – medici.tv and Amadeus.tv. The Finals were also broadcast on BBC Radio 3 In Concert, presented by Andrew McGregor with acclaimed pianist and broadcaster Lucy Parham – listeners can listen back via BBC Sounds. A 120-minute programme showcasing highlights from the Finals and coverage from previous rounds will be broadcast on BBC Four later this Autumn.

The next Competition will take place in 2027.