Canadian Jaeden Izik-Dzurko wins the 20th Santander International Piano Competition – Eldiario.es

SANTANDER, 5 (EUROPA PRESS) Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, a 23-year-old Canadian, has won the 20th Santander International Piano Competition, a contest in which Yu Nitahara (Japan), Matyás Novák (Czech Republic) and Domonkos Csabay have been finalists (Hungary). The prizes were awarded this Friday afternoon at a gala held in the Argenta Hall of the Cantabria Festival Palace, an event that included the participation of the president of the Albéniz Foundation and the contest, Paloma O’Shea. Also in attendance were the mayor of Santander, Gema Igual; the Minister of Health of the Government of Cantabria, Raúl Pesquera; and the general director of the INAEM (National Institute of Performing Arts and Music of Spain), Joan Francesc Marco, among others. The act has started with the viewing of a commemorative video of the 50 years of the contest and the words of O’Shea. Later, Luis Olaya-González, general director of Product Printing & Business Services of Canon, together with the notary Rafael Segura Báez, presented the Canon Audience Award to Jaeden Izik-Dzurko. It consists of a batch of high-end Canon products and has been decided with the votes of those attending the final of the contest held on August 3 and 4 in the Argenta Room of the Palace. Next, the president of the jury, Joaquín Achúcarro, announced the winner of the special award for Best Chamber Music Performer, also for Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, who will have the opportunity to offer a concert together with the Casals Quartet, guests at this edition and one of the chamber groups of international reference. And as the winner of the first prize and gold medal, the young Canadian has obtained 30,000 euros and the opportunity to participate in a concert tour in Spain and abroad as well as the recording of a CD for the Naxos label. Xiaolu Zang (China, 22 years old) won the second prize, sponsored by Bergé, and a silver medal, which entails 20,000 euros and a concert tour in Spain and abroad. And Marcel Tadokoro (France/Japan, 28 years old), has won the third prize and a bronze medal, which represents 10,000 euros and a national and international concert tour. The first three winners offered the public a brief performance of thanks, and it was possible to hear from Tadokoro, Jean-Philippe Rameau with “Le rappel des oiseaux”; Zang chose ‘Precipitate’ from Sonata no. 7 by Sergei Prokofiev, and the first prize, Izik-Dzurko, by the composer Nikolai Médtner and his “Fairy Tales, Op. 26” movements I. Allegretto coolly and II. Molto vivace, informs the organization.