Many Calgarians have the memory of plunking away on piano keys as a kid, squinting at the sheet music and willing their uncoordinated fingers to just make the right sound. Many probably gave up before high school, their greatest musical accomplishment being the mastery of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song.
Perhaps they’d have kept going if they’d known that one of the world’s most renowned piano competitions takes place in their hometown.
The Honens Piano Competition took root here in Calgary when Esther Honens, inspired by the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas, started the competition in 1992. Since then, the triennial festival has seen hundreds of incredible pianists from around the world, who all compete for $100,000 and the privilege of being called a “complete artist.”
“We’re not just looking for a pianist who plays the piano brilliantly, but we’re also looking for somebody who … has something to say,” said Jon Kimura “Jackie” Parker, artistic director of Honens.
This is what Parker will have the judges keep in mind when the 10 semi-finalists perform in the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall at the University of Calgary’s Rozsa Centre this October.
“I think the easiest analogy is figure skating. You think of figure skating as something that obviously requires a very high level of technical execution and precision. Everybody can see it. You can see a good triple axel,” said Parker. “Figure skating judges also are looking for that artistic component. Was the [performance] a beautiful one? Was it a meaningful one?”
Along with the nuanced judging, an arts journalist also interviews the contestants, the recordings of which are then passed on to the jury for review.
“The jury watches those interviews and pays attention to their level of engagement, not just playing the piano, but with the world around them. Do they read? Do they enjoy art?” said Parker.
The winner of the Honens Piano Competition takes home a life-changing amount of money, but also receives the title of Honens Prize Laureate. During the three-year span before the next competition, they are part of Honens’ artist development program. Honens helps these pianists accelerate their careers through concerts and album recordings.
“My professor would always tell me, ‘Illia, don’t worry. You only need one first prize,” said Illia Ovcharenko, 2022 winner of the Honens Piano Competition.
Ovcharenko had been winning second place in many piano competitions before Honens, but that long-fought first-place prize paid dividends.
Since his win, Ovcharenko has performed solos with orchestras around the world, including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, our very own. In 2024, he performed Tchaikovsky – the very same music that inspired him to take up piano when he was six.
In his programs, he aims to represent his own heritage by including the works of Ukrainian composers.
“[It’s] a really important thing for him to do,” said Parker. “He understands that … he is carrying the flag for Honens when he’s travelling and performing, and he’s representing us, and he does it brilliantly.”
He is also releasing an album this September, and is in the process of recording another project with a symphony orchestra in Leipzig, Germany, which will be released in March of next year.
“It’s truly like a dream come true moment,” said Ovcharenko. “Winning that competition and realizing that I might not need any other competitions to participate in; it’s truly miraculous.”
Until the next winner of the Honens competition is announced on the stage of the Jack Singer Concert Hall on the evening of October 20, Ovcharenko keeps his title as the current prize laureate and will continue to receive the assistance of Honens in his career.
“The staff of the piano competition, starting from the CEO to the artistic planning director, donor engagement director, PR, all of them — they truly became like a family to me,” said Ovcharenko. “I can always ask them to help me out if I need something, and they will always say, ‘What?’”
Although Calgary’s sprawling city is home to niche indie theatres and underground bands, high art is often not considered one of our defining characteristics. But when looking through the eyes of great artists like Ovcharenko, it seems we do not give our little city enough credit.
“I don’t truly like travelling a lot, and every time I go to the airport, I’ve been like “Oh god, now I’m gonna hop on a flight [for] 10 hours,” said Ovcharenko. “But every time I come to Calgary, it’s a whole different feeling.”
“Calgary is my second home, and its people never change. This is the place where my life journey completely changed.”
The 2025 Honens Piano Competition semi-finals will take place from October 16 to 20 at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall in the Rozsa Centre at the University of Calgary, and the finals will take place on October 23 and 24 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in the Werklund Centre. Check the full lineup of performances and buy tickets at honens.com.
Illia Ovcharenko’s new album, Whispers & Thunder, releases September 5 and will be available to stream on all major streaming platforms.
