Here's how you can cheer on the Canadian contestants at the International Tchaikovsky Competition
It's the Olympics of classical music, and pianists Tony Yike Yang and Xiaoyu Liu are going for gold
The 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition gets underway on June 17 in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, and Canadians Tony Yike Yang and Xiaoyu Liu are among the 25 pianists chosen — from 954 applicants — to compete in the first round.
Often described as the Olympics of classical music, the International Tchaikovsky Competition takes place every four years and comprises events in piano, violin, cello, voice, woodwinds and brass. It is considered a landmark of national musical culture in Russia, and one of the key events in the social and cultural life of the country, propelling its prize winners to international fame.
Past laureates of the piano competition include Daniil Trifonov, Denis Matsuev, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Grigory Sokolov and Van Cliburn.
The 2019 piano competition takes place at the Great Hall of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, which is where Yang and Liu will give their first-round performances.
Yang is 20 years old. He shot to prominence in 2015 when he won fifth prize at the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition, becoming the youngest laureate in the competition's history. He's currently doing a dual degree in economics and piano performance at Harvard University and the New England Conservatory. Yang is a past full-scholarship student at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
He recorded his entry video for the Tchaikovsky Competition at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. Here's an excerpt:
Liu, 21, was born in Paris and grew up in Montreal, and he also enters the International Tchaikovsky Competition with experience on his side. He won the grand prize at the OSM Standard Life Competition in 2012, he was the youngest finalist at the 2014 Montreal International Music Competition, he was awarded the Prix d'Europe in 2015, and he's had success at competitions in Pari, Bern and Tel Aviv. His teachers include Dang Thai Son and Richard Raymond.
Here's how to cheer on Yang and Liu as they perform at the International Tchaikovsky Competition:
- Watch the performances via medici.tv. Round 1 of the piano competition takes place from June 18 to 20. Remember: Moscow is seven hours ahead of Canada's eastern time zone.
- Join the conversation surrounding the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition on Twitter using the hashtag #TCH16. And be sure to follow Yang on Twitter: @tonyyikeyang. (Liu does not have a Twitter profile.)
- On June 16, tune in to CBC Music for a special edition of In Concert exploring Canadian classical musicians making an impression abroad. The program will include Yang's full audition for the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition.