Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker is the new artistic director of Honens International Piano Competition. Parker takes up the post in January 2018, replacing interim artistic director Andrea Davison.
“This is a historic day,” said Honens president, Neil Edwards. “Jon Kimura Parker, apart from being one of the most highly respected pianists and teachers in the world, is a Canadian icon. A better fit for Honens I can’t imagine.”
Parker is one of Canada’s most famous pianists, and has released multiple albums on CBC and Telarc. Recent projects include a tour of Off The Score with Police drummer Stewart Copeland and soloist appearances with New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is also professor of piano at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston.
“Having performed in Calgary for more than 30 years, I have always been met with the warmest possible welcome and a sense of joy in discovering the artistic possibilities of great piano music,” said Parker. “This is a beautifully-run organisation dedicated to increasing awareness about the vast riches of piano music and to identifying young musicians who have artistic vision.”
Founded in 1992, the triennial Honens tournament seeks to find the ‘complete artist’. Laureates include Georgy Tchaidze, Luca Buratto and Pavel Kolesnikov. Winners benefit from a comprehensive career development package.
