2024 Guest Artist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko Wins the Leeds Competition

Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko made history after winning the prestigious 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition in September – directly on the heels of his performances at the 2024 Baroque on Beaver.

Each of the competition’s three finalists performed a work alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and his enchanting performance of Johannes Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 did not disappoint. Dame Imogen Cooper, Chair of the Leeds Jury, said in praise of his artistry: “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.”

This victory is a significant milestone for Jaeden, the 24-year-old pianist from British Columbia. It follows other notable wins including the 2024 Concours International de Montréal, 2022 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and the 2022 Maria Canals International Piano Competition.

The Leeds International Piano Competition has launched the careers of some of the greatest pianists of our time.

The list of eminent past Competition winners includes Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia. The roll call of other Competition finalists is equally illustrious as that of the winners and includes Mitsuko Uchida and Sir Andras Schiff. Jaeden’s career-changing prize package includes worldwide management with Askonas Holt, a debut studio recording with Warner Classics, recitals at prestigious UK venues like Wigmore Hall and Snape Maltings, and European and East Asian tours in association with the Steinway Prize-winner Concert Network. Moreover, it offers broadcast opportunities with the BBC and an extensive range of national and international engagements with prominent promoters and orchestras, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Warner Classics has released a digital album featuring Jaeden’s competition performances available to stream here . This highly anticipated debut release showcases his stellar repertoire from the competition, including Chopin’s Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20, Ravel’s Miroirs I-V, and Ligeti’s Études Book 1 (Nos. 5 & 6). The studio recording with Warner Classics will follow.

Critics have praised Jaeden’s distinctive musical voice, characterized by its depth, maturity, and emotional nuance. The New York Concert Review covered his 2022 debut at Carnegie Hall in New York and had this to say: “Mr. Izik-Dzurko…[has] one of the most refined tonal palettes I have ever heard, combined with a polished close-to-the-keys technique, and a certain basic humility in the service of the music.”

Jaeden will return to Baroque next summer.

Tickets on sale June 1.