Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition House Program 2023

May 10-13, 2023 

COMPETITION BENEFACTOR 

Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition | 1

We thank Bader Philanthropies, Inc. for investing 

in the next generation of artists who will inspire 

the world with their talent. 

Bader Philanthropies, Inc. is a foundation that 

empowers people throughout the world, engaging 

and investing in high impact initiatives that drive 

social and cultural change. As philanthropists who 

invest in human potential, they have provided a 

generous donation to the Bader & Overton Canadian 

Piano Competition that will help six gifted virtuosi 

to garner the experience and exposure they need to 

excel and inspire on the world stage. 

Isabel Overton Bader on piano with her sister, Marion Overton Dick on violin. 

The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts 

has dedicated the Bader & Overton Canadian 

Piano Competition to the late Dr. Isabel Bader. A 

committed arts philanthropist, Isabel Bader, along 

with her late husband, Dr. Alfred Bader, embraced 

an extraordinary vision for the arts and for humanity. 

It is because of them that the magnificent Isabel 

Bader Centre for the Performing Arts was created. 

ADDITIONAL COMPETITION SUPPORTERS 

COMPETITION 

COLLABORATOR 

HAMBURG STEINWAY PIANO DONOR 

COMPETITION 

BROADCAST PARTNER 

Joan Tobin and 

the Ballytobin 

Foundation 

2 | Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition

May 10-13, 2023 

I am delighted to welcome everyone—audiences, 

our virtual audience, and competitors and 

jurors—to the 2023 Bader & Overton Canadian 

Piano Competition at the Isabel Bader Centre for 

the Performing Arts. We are grateful to Bader 

Philanthropies for their support of the competition 

and are honoured to dedicate this competition 

to the memory of our wonderful supporter and 

namesake, the late Isabel Bader. 

Competitions for emerging performing artists 

have become part of the national and international 

fabric of musical performance and creation and 

have served as launching pads for individuals 

who have progressed to successful careers as 

performing artists. We have every expectation and 

hope that the 2023 Bader & Overton Canadian 

Piano Competition will be a rewarding experience 

for all who have taken part, especially the six semifinalists 

who you will have the pleasure to hear over 

the next several days. 

It is in this spirit that I extend my sincere welcome 

to all of you. 

Gordon E. Smith, Interim Director 

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the 

Isabel and Queen’s operate. For thousands of years it has been 

the traditional land of the Haudensaunee and the Anishinaabe. 

Today this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous 

peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have 

the opportunity to work and create on this land. 

| 1

About the 

Competition 

The Isabel is passionate about 

championing the next generation of artists. 

The Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition 

was established at Queen’s University to foster 

Canada’s top talent and provide professional 

development and support to young Canadian 

pianists who aspire to a concert career. 


COMPETITION SCHEDULE 

SEMI-FINALIST ROUND DAY 1: 

MAY 10, 2023 AT 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM 

Indigenous Welcome by 

Nathan Brinklow at 12:00 PM 

Pianist #1 at 1:00 PM 



SEMI-FINALIST ROUND DAY 2: 





Finalists announced at 6:00 PM 

FINALIST ROUND: 





Winners announced at 6:00 PM 

THE PRIZES 

FIRST PRIZE: The Isabel Overton Bader, Clifford Overton 

and Francoise Landry Prize for $20,000 CAD, a 

future engagement to perform a concerto with the 

Kingston Symphony, and a future engagement to 

perform a recital at the Isabel Bader Centre for the 

Performing Arts. 

SECOND PRIZE: The Margaret Foster and Katherine 

Foster Prize for $6,000 CAD. 

THIRD PRIZE: The Marion Dick Memorial Prize for 

$4,000 CAD. 

THE BADER FAMILY AUDIENCE PRIZE: $1,000 CAD. 


Chris 

Chu 

REPERTOIRE 

Semi-finals: 

BEETHOVEN 

CHOPIN 

THOMAS ADÈS 

Sonata, Op.31, No.3 in E-flat major 

Variations on “La ci darem la mano,” Op.2 

Darkness Visible 

Finals: 

(If chosen as a finalist) 

HENRY COWELL 

CHOPIN 

The Banshee 

Concerto No. 1 in E-minor 

4

Canadian virtuoso pianist Chris Chu has been studying piano since 

the age of three. Praised for his thrilling technicality and remarkable 

musicality, combined with an expansive knowledge of styles, 

background, and historical influences in the world of classical music, he 

has already amassed on impressive array of musical accomplishments, 

having won numerous nationwide awards. Among his accolades are 

first prize in the Senior Division of the First North American Steinway 

Piano Competition held in Vancouver, Canada 2018; first prize in the 

National Class at Kiwanis Music festival, representing the province of 

British Columbia to participate in the National Federal Canadian Music 

Festival in summer 2017 where he earned second prize; first prize at 

American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition in 

2017; a grand first prize at the Canadian Music Competition in 2011, and 

numerous first prizes from both the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals 

and Richmond Music Festivals in Canada, since 2008. He has also 

performed in gala concerts, having been named most promising and 

outstanding young pianist in competitions. 

Chris made his solo recital debut in 2018, touring China in Harbin, 

Nanjing and Shanghai as well as in Canada the same year. He has 

been invited to perform on numerous special occasions, such as at 

the Vancouver Playhouse, Koerner Recital Hall, VSO Pyatt Hall, etc., at 

various charity events, and for multiple senior homes. Chris has also 

performed internationally, at notable venues around the world; in USA 

at Carnegie Hall and Steinway Hall New York, Paul and Morse Hall at the 

Juilliard School, Mary Emery Hall Cincinnati, Zipper Hall Los Angeles, 

Field Concert Hall Philadelphia, Warner Concert Hall Oberlin, and 

Auer Hall in Indiana; in Switzerland at Volkshaus Biel, and in Austria at 

Vienna’s Freskensaal Schloss Laudon. In 2018, Chris made his orchestral 

debut performing as a concerto soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra 

of Budweis in Switzerland. 


Carter 

Johnson 

REPERTOIRE 

Semi-finals: 

CLEMENTI 

Sonata in F-sharp minor, Op.25, No.5 

R. SCHUMANN Gesänge der Frühe, Op.133 

GRAŻYNA BACEWICZ 

Sonata No.2 

Finals: 


POULENC 

PROKOFIEV 

I’Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant, 

FP 129 

(narration and piano part performed simultaneously) 

Concerto No.3 in C major 

6

Praised for his interpretive sensitivity, imaginative programming, and 

passion for connecting with audiences, Canadian pianist Carter Johnson 

has established himself as one of his generation’s most exciting pianists. 

His most recent competition awards include being the first prize laureate 

in the 2021 International Competition of Polish Music as well as first prize 

winner of the 2020 Valsesia International Competition. In 2018, Johnson 

won the top prize in two of Canada’s most important competitions, 

garnering both the grand prize in the Concours OSM and the first prize 

in the CMC Stepping Stone competition. Other recent competition 

experience includes the Santander International Competition, the 

Shenzhen International Concerto Competition, the Dublin International 

Competition, the Honens International Competition, and the Hilton 

Head International Competition. Johnson has performed with orchestras 

including l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, l’Orchestre Métropolitain, 

the Rzeszów Philharmonic Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, 

and the Orchestra of the Americas, and his playing has been broadcasted 

by CBC Radio and medici.tv. Venues in which he has performed concertos 

or solo recitals include the Maison Symphonique, the Chan Centre for the 

Performing Arts, the Music Shed at Norfolk, the Shenzhen Concert Hall, 

and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall. 

Born in 1996 on Vancouver Island, Canada, Johnson began the study of 

piano at age five with Shelley Roberts, with whom he had the privilege 

of studying both performance and pedagogy for over 12 years. After 

continuing his studies with Michelle Mares, he completed a Bachelor of 

Music with Mark Anderson at the University of British Columbia. He then 

received a Master of Music from the Juilliard School under the direction 

of Joseph Kalichstein and Matti Raekallio, and continued to the Yale 

School of Music, where he is currently completing a Master of Musical 

Arts with Wei-Yi Yang. 

Equally at home in the worlds of solo, concerto, chamber, and art song, 

Johnson has a particular interest in bringing light to the lesser-explored 

parts of the repertory, most recently championing a collection of works 

by relatively unknown Polish composers. In addition to the music of J.S. 

Bach (where he feels most at home), he is a particular advocate for the 

music of composers such as Schumann, Grieg, Fauré, Ives, Hindemith, 

Poulenc, Shostakovich, and Messiaen. 

His secondary instrument work has included studies in oboe, voice, and 

harpsichord. Trained in elocution as a teenager, Johnson holds an ATCL 

with distinction in speech and drama from Trinity College London, and 

he regularly brings this expertise to his recitals in his discussions on the 

music that is being played — for many audiences, these continue to be 

a highlight of his performances. Johnson currently resides in Hamden, 

Connecticut with his wife Hannah and their young boys Preston and 

Ambrose, where he maintains a busy schedule as a concert artist, 

student, and teacher. 


Jonathan 

Mak 

REPERTOIRE 

Semi-finals: 

BEETHOVEN 

STEPHEN HOUGH 

SCHUMANN 

Sonata, Op.27, No.1 in E-flat major 

Fanfare Toccata 

Humoreske, Op. 20, B-flat major 

Finals: 


FAZIL SAY 

BRAHMS 

Black Earth 

Concerto No. 1 in D minor 

8

Pianist Jonathan Mak is from Toronto, Canada, and he began studying 

piano at the age of three with Aster Lai. He made his orchestra debut 

with the Canadian Sinfonietta just one year later, at the age of four. 

Jonathan is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Rice 

University with Jon Kimura Parker. Under the tutelage of Boris Slutsky, 

he recently completed his Master’s degree and Master of Musical Arts 

degree in piano performance at the Yale School of Music. He studied 

with Daniel Shapiro at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he earned 

a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance, as well as minors in viola 

performance and German. 

His accomplishments include the Canada Council for the Arts-Michael 

Measures award and the 2021 Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award. 

He recently received the 3rd prize in the OSM competition, performing 

with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Jonathan also received 

the prize for the best interpretation of the commissioned work at the 

Fifth Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Finland. He was a 

semifinalist in the 12th Dublin International Piano Competition. He 

also participated as one of the 30 competitors in the 16th Van Cliburn 

International Piano Competition. 

Jonathan has performed with numerous orchestras, most notably the 

Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 

Bulgaria, Manchester Camerata, Orchestra Filarmonica di Udine, and 

Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra, and has also given recitals in Italy, 

Bulgaria, Manchester, China, Vienna, and Poland. 

He has been invited to perform at various festivals including the Festival 

of the Sound in Ontario, Ottawa Chamberfest, and the Edinburgh 

International Festival. He has attended various summer festivals, 

including the Aspen Summer Music Festival, Kneisel Hall Music Festival, 

and the Sarasota Music Festival. 

An advocate for community outreach, Jonathan is a member of 

DACAMERA’s Young Artist Program, a fellowship program for emerging 

professional instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers that serves the 

Houston community. 


Elijah 

Orlenko 

REPERTOIRE 

Semi-finals: 

BEETHOVEN 

CHOPIN 

STRAVINSKY 

Sonata, Op.31, No. 1 in G major 

Impromptu No.2 

Trois Mouvements de Petrushka 

Finals: 


CHOPIN/ 

MATT HERSKOWITZ 

PROKOFIEV 

Etude Op.10 No.1 Boogie Woogie 

Concerto No.3 

10

Elijah Orlenko was born in Vancouver, BC. He is currently a senior 

piano student at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for 

Young Artists and is studying with Michael Berkovsky. 

Elijah won the Second Prize and the Best Bach Award at the Los 

Angeles Young Musician International Piano Competition in 2016. 

In 2018, he made his debut at Koerner Hall with the ACO under the 

baton of Maestro Ivars Taurins. That year he also became a secondplace 

winner at the National Music Festival in Sackville, NB. In 2019, 

Elijah participated in the Peregrinos Musicales Festival where he 

played with the Philharmonic of Galicia under the baton of Maestro 

Maximino Zumalave in the Auditorium of Galicia. Elijah played with 

Orchestra Toronto under the baton of Maestro Michael Newnham and 

with the Etobicoke Philharmonic under the baton of Matthew Jones. 

Elijah has won prizes in the Kiwanis Music Festival, the CCC Festival, 

the International Music Festival and Competition and he received the 

Founder’s Award in the North York Music Festival. 

He has participated in classes with Paul Schenly, Pavel Nersessian, 

Andre Laplante, Ilona Timchenko, Dianne Werner, Li Wang, James 

Anagnoson, Edward Wolanin, Sergey Schepkin, Dmitry Rachmanov, 

Paul Komen, Igor Roma, John Perry, David Louis, Anton Nel and Robert 

Mcdonald. In Vancouver, Elijah studied with Ian Parker. 


Jean-Luc 

Therrien 

REPERTOIRE 

Semi-finals: 

BEETHOVEN 

LISZT 

PROKOFIEV 

Sonata, Op.2, No.2 in A major 

Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F minor 

Sonata, No. 2 , Op.14 in D minor 

Finals: 


TORU TAKEMITSU 

BEETHOVEN 

Rain Tree Sketch I 

Concerto No. 4, Op. 58 in G major 

12

Finalist and prizewinner of several competitions including the Concours 

Prix d’Europe and the Sendai International Piano Competition in Japan, 

Canadian pianist Jean-Luc Therrien believes his job as a musician is 

to cross barriers—of language, of culture, of time. That work has taken 

him throughout Canada, Europe and Asia. And wherever he goes, he 

creates a shared musical experience that for him is a form of spirituality. 

Jean-Luc was named one of Canada’s 30 Hot Canadian Classical 

Musicians under 30 for 2020 by CBC Music. And his first solo album 

Piano Preludes, just released on the Label Orpheus Classical in 2021, was 

chosen as one of the best releases of 2021 by CBC Music. Recently, he was 

part of The Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance 

Residency Program at The Glenn Gould School in Toronto. He also made 

his national radio debut on CBC Music with the broadcast of a virtual 

recital recorded in Toronto in the summer of 2021. In February 2022, he 

performed with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra before going on tour 

across seven European countries with French violinist Jean-Samuel Bez 

to launch their first album. And then, it was back to Canada for sixteen 

solo performances in the Maritimes with Debut Atlantic. 

Jean-Luc started lessons at six. By seven, he was giving his first recitals and 

starting to win regional competitions. He fell in love with classical music 

attending his first ever symphonic concert with the Montreal Symphony. 

There, he was enchanted by the magic of being one of thousands in a 

concert hall, deeply connected, watching, and listening in silence. 

After graduating from the Conservatoire de Musique de Trois-Rivières 

in the studio of Denise Trudel, Jean-Luc headed for Europe and the 

University Mozarteum in Salzburg to complete a Master of Arts Degree 

in Piano Performance. Then, he remained in Europe to pursue further 

musical projects, thanks to a major grant from the Canada Council for 

the Arts. Later, he returned to Canada and entered The Ihnatowycz 

Piano Program at The Glenn Gould School in Toronto where he worked 

with another important musical mentor—Marietta Orlov. 

Over the years, the recognition has poured in: among other awards, 

he’s won several prizes in competitions such as the Mauro Paolo 

Monopoli Prize Competition in Italy, the CMC Stepping Stone and, with 

violinist Jean-Samuel Bez, the Chamber Music Grand Prize at the Luigi 

Zanuccoli International Competition in Italy. 

Jean-Luc compares the work of a musician to that of an architect— 

using some of the same skills to ‘’design” and structure a musical 

interpretation.“With music, I can spend hours and hours working on a 

piece and decide which aesthetic, colours, sound and emotions I want 

to express with it,” he says. “Music feels like the best way to express 

myself. And classical music has always touched me the mos—I want 

people to know that, yes, it is still relevant today.” 


Paul 

Williamson 

REPERTOIRE 

Semi-finals: 

HAYDN 

LISZT 

LIGETI 

Sonata in C minor, Hob.XVI:20 

Après une lecture du Dante: 

Fantasia quasi Sonata 

Etudes pour piano, premier livre I-VI 

Finals: 


GEORGE N. GIANOPOULOS 

Sonata for piano, Op.47 

SOFIA GUBAIDULIA 

BARTÓK 

Chaconne 

Concerto No. 3 in E major 

14

Included in CBC Music’s 2017 edition of “30 Hot Canadian Classical 

Musicians under 30,” Paul Williamson is quickly establishing himself 

as one of Canada’s promising young pianists. He received first prize at 

both the 2014 Canadian National Music Festival and the 2017 Canadian 

Federation of Music Teachers’ Association National Piano Competition 

in addition to three semifinal awards (for the best performances of 

Canadian, Chopin, and Baroque compositions). He is also a prizewinner 

of the 2020 WMC McLellan Competition and the 2022 Shean Piano 

Competition. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Winnipeg Symphony 

Orchestra, the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, and the 

Fraser Valley Symphony Orchestra. 

In recital, Williamson has been featured by the Grand Piano Series, 

Valley Concert Society, the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg, Virtuosi 

Recital Series, GroundSwell, the Hornby Festival, Colburn at the Steinway 

Gallery, Café Classico Series, and the Agassiz Festival. He has performed 

in masterclasses for such distinguished artists as Eliso Virsaladze, Yefim 

Bronfman, Paul Lewis, Veda Kaplinsky, Matti Raekallio and others. He has 

participated in the Morningside Music Bridge International Music Festival, 

the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Orford Academy program, the 

Scotia Festival of Music, and the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival. 

Williamson completed his bachelor’s degree from the University of 

Manitoba, studying under David Moroz. In the first year of his studies, he 

won both of the school’s competitions: the annual concerto competition 

and the Lawrence Genser Music Scholarship competition (given to the 

most outstanding undergraduate performer). Since 2018, Williamson has 

studied at the Colburn School under Fabio Bidini, completing a master’s 

and currently enrolled in the the Artist Diploma program. While at Colburn, 

Williamson has also received artistic guidance from Jean-Yves Thibaudet. 

An advocate of new music, Williamson is a regular member of the 

Colburn Contemporary Ensemble, most recently performing alongside 

Andy Akiho. Williamson also participated in Creative Dialogue XIII where 

he studied with Magnus Lindberg, Joonas Ahonen, and Anssi Karttunen. 

As a member of the Zyra Trio, Williamson has held residency at the 

Avaloch Farm Music Institute, workshopping the music of Joan Tower. 

A dedicated teacher himself, during his time at Colburn, Williamson 

has been part of the Jumpstart Young Musicians Program—an initiative 

which provides free music lessons for underprivileged youth. In the 

2022 winter term, Williamson took a break from his studies to serve on 

the faculty of the University of Manitoba, teaching as a piano instructor. 

He has also been a guest artist for tonebase LIVE, discussing the 

music of Sofia Gubaidulina. In the spring of 2023, Williamson will be 

recording his debut solo album featuring the music of Franz Liszt for 

Naxos Records. Williamson is grateful to be a recipient of the Sharon 

Stevenson Career Development Scholarship and for the support of the 

Manitoba Arts Council and the BC Arts Council. 


The Jurors 

Cécile Desrosiers 

Pianist and harpsichordist Cécile Desrosiers 

holds performance degrees from the University 

of Western Ontario, McGill University and the 

Guildhall School of Music and Drama, U.K. 

She appeared as guest soloist with symphony 

orchestras across Canada and as chamber musician and soloist in 

prestigious Canadian festivals. Her work has been featured on numerous 

radio broadcasts (CBC, Radio-Canada, WQXR-New York). Sought 

after as an adjudicator, she has served as jury member for music peer 

assessment committees, piano competitions, piano examinations and 

music festivals in Canada and abroad. 

Deeply involved in the research and performance of keyboard music by 

women composers, she gives regular webinars and presentations on 

the subject, and played a major role in the inclusion of more than 250 

works by women and BIPOC composers to the revised Conservatory 

Canada piano syllabus. 

She currently teaches at Carleton University. 

Eve Egoyan 

Eve Egoyan is an internationally celebrated artist 

whose medium is the piano. She continually reinvents 

her relationship with her instrument 

through the creation and commissioning of new 

works which she has performed around the 

world. Trained as a classical pianist, Eve has followed her curiosity into 

the world of contemporary music since moving to Toronto. She has 

recorded thirteen solo CDs which have received accolades including 

one of “Ten Top” classical discs, New Yorker magazine (2009). Presently, 

Eve balances her interpretative practice alongside creating new works 

for her newly imagined, enhanced piano, PIANO NEXT. These pieces 

include collaborations with other musicians and visual artists as well as 

works for herself and within an ensemble. www.eveegoyan.com 


Kyung Kim 

Associate Professor of Piano at Western 

University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music Dr. 

Kyung Kim has performed widely to critical 

acclaim in concerto, recital and chamber music 

performances, including appearances with the 

Winnipeg Symphony and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others. 

Her performances have been featured on CBC, Chicago’s Live from 

WFMT, Minnesota Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, Wisconsin 

Public Radio’s Live from the Chazen, and the Korean Broadcasting 

Corporation. Formerly Chair of the Keyboard Division and Associate 

Professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, her prize-winning 

students recently made debuts at Royal Albert Hall, Kennedy Centre, 

and Carnegie Hall. 

Stéphane Lemelin 

Pianist Stéphane Lemelin is well-known to 

audiences throughout Canada and regularly tours 

in the United States, Europe and Asia as soloist 

and chamber musician. 

His repertory is vast, with a predilection for the German Classical 

and Romantic literature and a particular affinity for French music, as 

evidenced by his more than twenty-five recordings on the Atma and 

Naxos labels. 

Stéphane Lemelin studied with Yvonne Hubert in Montreal, Karl-Ulrich 

Schnabel in New York, and received both Bachelor’s and Master’s 

degrees from the Peabody Conservatory as a student of Leon Fleisher. 

He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. 

He is currently Professor of Piano and Chair of the Department of 

Performance at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. 


Evan Mitchell 

Evan Mitchell is proving to be one of the most able 

and imaginative conductors in Canada, garnering 

praise for his programming, approach, and 

musical results. He has also brought the magic 

of orchestral music to over 750,000 students 

and children. During the 2020 pandemic, Mr. Mitchell wrote, produced, 

directed and edited several standout digital orchestral initiatives. 

Among them, the Kingston Symphony’s isolated digital performance 

of the complete final movement of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, their 

specially curated Symphonic Education Partnership performance, and 

the landmark web series for young audiences entitled Harmon in Space 

(www.harmoninspace.com) have been internationally acclaimed as 

being the benchmark for excellence in digital innovation. 

Jamie Parker 

As pianist of the Gryphon Trio, Jamie Parker is 

celebrating 30 years playing in this ensemble. 

With annual North America tours, and regular 

European trips, the Gryphon Trio continues to 

exemplify what a chamber ensemble can be. 

With 23 CDs, and three Juno Awards, the Gryphon Trio have 

established their legacy as recording artists. Parker won another Juno 

for a recording with soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, and their most recent 

recording was also nominated. 

Parker’s main teachers were Kum-Sing Lee (Vancouver Academy and 

UBC), Marek Jablonski (the Banff Centre), and Adele Marcus (the 

Juilliard School). Dr. Parker is the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano 

Performance at the University of Toronto, where he has taught for over 

20 years. 

In addition to loving standard repertoire, Jamie has participated in 

over one hundred premieres of Canadian compositions, and regularly 

works with student choirs in the ListenUp! program created by the 

Gryphon Trio. 


Richard Raymond 

Richard Raymond is the laureate of several 

prestigious international piano competitions 

including the Vianna da Motta, William Kappel, 

Van Cliburn, and Montreal competitions. 

He has performed with all the great Canadian orchestras and, 

internationally, in Germany, China, the United States, Taiwan, Mexico, 

Brazil, Georgia, Italy and France. 

Richard Raymond is a piano professor at the Conservatoire de musique 

de Montréal. Several of his students won international competitions 

prizes, including Charles-Richard Hamelin and more recently Bruce Liu 

who won gold at the prestigious Chopin international competition in 

Warsaw. He studied with masters such as Leon Fleisher, John Perry, 

Marc Durand, Lise Boucher and Antoine Reboulot. 

Ireneus Zuk 

Graduate of Conservatoire du Québec, McGill 

University, the Royal College of Music, the 

Juilliard School and Peabody Conservatory 

of Johns Hopkins, Ukrainian-born Ireneus Zuk 

has performed in numerous solo recitals, with 

chamber groups, particularly with the Luba and Ireneus Zuk Piano 

Duo, and as soloist with orchestras throughout Canada, the USA, 

Europe and the Far East. 

Professor in the Dan School of Drama and Music, he served as Director 

of the School of Music and Associate Director of the DAN School. Jury 

member of the following competitions: Horowitz (Ukraine), the 

Eckhardt-Gramatté, Klasinc Duo, Les Rencontres des Jeunes, the 1000 

Islands International, and IBLA Grand Prize. 

The government of Ukraine named him “Merited Artist of Ukraine” and 

the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress awarded him the Shevchenko medal 

in recognition of his promotion of music by Canadian and Ukrainian 

composers. 


The Host 

Eric Friesen 

Eric Friesen is a veteran broadcaster, writer, and speaker on 

music and culture. He spent much of his life as a network 

music host and producer for CBC radio and Minnesota 

public radio (NPR), and as a network executive for both 

organizations. Since leaving the CBC at the end of 2008, 

Friesen has been busy serving a wide variety of major 

cultural organizations in Canada. 

We’re proud to partner with CBC Music for the 

Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition. 

CBC In Concert will broadcast a selection 

of live performances from the competition 

on an upcoming program. 


The Joan Tobin 

Hamburg 

Steinway Piano 


Photos: Cameron Miller 

Just Grand 

THE ISABEL’S STEINWAY PIANO HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES 

BY TY BURKE FOR QUEEN’S ALUMNI REVIEW 

When Henry Steinway moved to New York City in 1850, he left his 

German piano-making business to one of his sons and founded a new 

company in America. But pianos made at Steinway & Sons’ New York 

factory developed a different sound than their Hamburg-built cousins. 

And when the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts went looking 

for a new piano, the Hamburg sound drew them in. 

The Isabel chose a Steinway Model D concert grand, a purchase made 

possible by a generous donation from Joan Tobin and the Ballytobin 

Foundation. To make the selection, a team of three Queen’s University 

pianists travelled to Hamburg. They were given a choice of six pianos, 

and each of them played a repertoire of pieces that ranged from baroque 

and classical to a contemporary composition by Queen’s University 

Adjunct Professor Michel Szczesniak. 

“Each style tested different capabilities. The piano needed to capture 

the clarity of classical sound, the warmth of romance, and the percussive 

approach of the 20th-century piece,” says Adrienne Shannon, the 

continuing adjunct professor at the DAN School of Drama and Music 

who travelled to Hamburg to test the pianos with colleagues Joy Innis 

and Ireneus Zuk. 


230 Pianos have 88 keys, but to hit all 

the notes, a grand piano needs 230 

strings or more. 

12,000+ There are more than 12,000 

parts in a hand-crafted Steinway. 

ONE YEAR A Steinway is built by hand, 

and the process takes more than a year. 

20 TONS The cast-iron plate is the 

backbone of a piano and must be 

able to withstand tremendous tension. 

Steinway & Sons operates its own 

foundry to build plates that can 

withstand 20 tons of string tension. 

Mrs. Tobin tuned in to the selection via Facetime, and worked with the 

team to choose the Isabel’s new Model D. 

“They were all fantastic, and it came down to our knowledge of the 

Centre. It’s not a huge theatre, and we wanted a piano that would be 

appropriate for the space. Some pianos can cut through a 3,000-seat 

auditorium. Others are warmer and rounder. We went for the warmer 

sound,” says Dr. Innis. 

The new instrument represents the next step in the Isabel’s growth. 

“This is really about Isabel Bader’s vision to think on the largest scale 

possible. Everything has been inspired by that vision. This piano is being 

used by students and faculty, and by local and touring artists,” says 

Tricia Baldwin, former director of the Isabel. 

“And some pianists are polite, and 

some are blunt, but we get the 

same feedback from everyone—this 

instrument is really special.” 

Dr. Gordon E. Smith, Interim Director 

of the Isabel, is equally enthusiastic. 

“... we get the 

same feedback 

from everyone— 

this instrument 

is really special.” 

“As a pianist and interim director of this wonderful performing-arts 

centre, I am delighted that we have this superb instrument on the stage 

of our concert hall. We are all deeply grateful to Joan Tobin for her 

generosity in making this possible.” 


2022/23 

SEASON 

FINALE! 

BRUCE 

LIU, 

piano 

TUESDAY, 

MAY 16, 2023 

AT 7:30 PM 

CHOPIN/LISZT 

Isabel 

Debut 

The first Canadian Gold Medalist at the 

XVIII International Chopin Competition, 

Bruce Xiaoyu Liu makes his Isabel debut 

with works by Chopin and more. CBC 

describes, “no sooner had Bruce Liu been 

awarded first prize at the 18th International 

Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, then 

Deutsche Grammophon, the world’s most 

prestigious classical music label, announced 

it would release an album of highlights from 

Bruce Liu’s competition performances .” 


2023 

2024 

Yekwon Sunwoo 

Mali Obomsawin 

Photo: Parlophone Records 

Abel Selaocoe 

Esme Quartet 

James Ehnes 

Chanticleer 

Emanuel Ax 

Bryan Cheng 

23 

24 

CALL 613-533-2424 

queensu.ca/theisabel 

See more. Pay less. 

Subscribing is the best way to experience 

classical music at the Isabel 

• Best seats—enjoy your preferred 

seats for every concert date 

in your series 

• Best price—save up to 15% off 

single ticket, general public pricing 

• Enhanced seating access 

• Keep your seats year after year 

• Early access to single tickets 

• Discounted ticket offers 

• Access to ticket exchanges 

Subscriptions on sale June 2, 2023

Photo by Curtis Perry 

LIVE AND 

ON-DEMAND 

PERFORMANCES 

Watch local and world-renowned artists from 

the Jennifer Velva Bernstein Performance Hall 

with outstanding audio and video quality. 

Visit: isabeldigitalconcerthall.queensu.ca 

Please note not all 2023/24 concerts will be streamed. 

Some events may require paid access. Check out 

the Isabel Digital Concert Hall for concert listings.

Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition House Program 2023

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