2009 Honens International Piano Competition Announces Jury and Featured Artists

Canada's prestigious Honens International Piano Competition

makes first announcement for 2009 Competition

CALGARY, AB, January 24, 2008 - Honens announced today the juries and featured artists of the Sixth Honens International Piano Competition:

JURIES

First Jury - Stage One

Angela Cheng, Chairwoman Canada

Katherine Chi Canada

Matthias Kirschnereit Germany

Ronan O'Hora United Kingdom

Second Jury - Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals

William Aide, Chairman Canada

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet France

Iain Burnside United Kingdom

Hung-Kuan Chen Germany

Jane Coop Canada

Aleksander Madzar Belgium

Anne-Marie McDermott United States

COLLABORATING ARTISTS

Quarterfinals

Brian Current, composer Canada

Erika Raum, violin Canada

Semifinals

Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto Canada

Finals

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Canada

Christoph Campestrini, conductor Austria

Canada's Honens International Piano Competition is a wonderfully different kind of music competition. Honens looks for artists whose interpretations grow from a wide cultural context and keen imagination, whose performances are informed yet flavoured by a fascination for life outside the practice studio, and whose talent inspires the heart and engages the intellect. Honens is dedicated to "Discovering the Complete Artist" - every aspect of the Competition reflects this philosophy.

After the Competition, Honens serves an essential need in the lives of emerging concert artists, those of mentorship and management. The laureates of the Honens Competition are supported in their budding careers by a robust career development program lasting three seasons - a program that provides opportunities for creative development, career growth and exposure.

Applications for the Competition will be available at honens.com starting February 1. The deadline for applying is October 31, 2008.

The Sixth Honens International Piano Competition takes place in Calgary, October 22 to November 6, 2009, and is presented by Nexen Inc. and supported by Steinway & Sons, Irene Besse Keyboards Ltd, TransAlta, Arcis Corporation, Alberta Views, Bantrel Co., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, McCarthy Tˆ©trault LLP, Masters Gallery, CBC Radio 2, WAX Partnership, and RPM Piano Movers. For more information about Honens, visit honens.com.

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Information:

Julie Wright

Honens

403 299 0130 x 138

jwright@honens.com

Backgrounders:

Competition schedule

Collaborating Artists and Jury bios