Interview

2021 Prize Winners Announced!

Alexander Gadjiev Wins 2021 Competition

It’s official, the winners of the 2021 Sydney International Online Piano Competition have been revealed! Congratulations to Italian-Slovenian pianist Alexander Gadjiev, who has been crowned the winner of the Ernest Hutcheson First Prize, as well as awarded a further six prizes.

Sharing his elation, Alexander said “This is a major achievement in my life, I have little doubt. The Sydney is one of the greatest piano contests on the planet, and I feel honoured to have received its recognition.

At the same time we must not forget that music is, and brings, a message… and a very personal one. As with every message, it includes a sender and a recipient. I am very joyful to see that my message has been understood and appreciated in all its strength, sincerity and beauty.

I am really looking forward to being able to share it again in front of a live audience in Australia and all over the world in the near future. May the language of sound stay a truthful and significant message for mankind.”

The Percy Grainger Second Prize, and five other prizes, were awarded to Artem Yasynskyy from Ukraine. Australian-Indonesian pianist Calvin Abdiel received the George Frederick Boyle Third Prize, as well as the Nancy Weir Best Australian Pianist Award and an overseas scholarship to further his career.

The Sydney’s Artistic Director Piers Lane AO said, “The jurors all agreed that the level of this year’s competitors was outstanding. In Alexander Gadjiev we have an intelligent, communicative, elegant winner of extraordinary musical and pianistic prowess, totally ready to spread his wings.

Artem Yasynskyy, too, is a great artist. Australian, Calvin Abdiel, the youngest in the competition, is another phenomenal talent. All six finalists are worthy of world careers. Let’s hope COVID allows us to bring them to Australia in person soon!

Competitors at this years’ competition have won $164,000 in cash prizes, international concert engagements, CD recordings and career mentoring opportunities.

The full list of 2021 prize winners are:

Alexander Gadjiev (ITA/SVN)

  • Ernest Hutcheson First Prize
  • Edward Goll Best Performance of a work by Liszt
  • Miriam Hyde Best Performance of a work by a Romantic period composer (excluding Liszt)
  • Lance Dosser Best Performance of a work by a Classical period composer (excluding Beethoven)
  • Malcolm Williamson Best Performance of an Australian Piece
  • Roger Smalley Best Preliminary Recital
  • Best Program Presentation in Semi Final or Final

Artem Yasynskyy (UKR)

  • Percy Grainger Second Prize
  • Rhondda Gillespie Best Performance of a Twentieth-Century work
  • Best Performance of a work from any period before 1950 by a rarely-played and unduly neglected composer
  • Best Program Construction in the Semi Final or Final
  • Isador Goodman Best Encore in the Preliminary or Finals
  • Ignaz Friedman Best Semi Final Recital

Calvin Abdiel (AUS/INA)

  • George Frederick Boyle Third Prize
  • Nancy Weir Best Australian Pianist
  • An overseas scholarship for an Australian competitor to further their musical career

Alice Burla (CAN)

  • William Murdoch Fourth Prize

Ádám Balogh – Hungary (HUN)

  • Arthur Benjamin Fifth Prize

Shion Ota (JPN)

  • Noel Mewton-Wood Sixth Prize

Yangrui Cai (CHN)

  • Geoffrey Tozer Most Promising Pianist not Proceeding to the Finals

Anna Geniushene (RUS)

  • Rex Hobcroft Best Performance of a work by Beethoven

Thank you for your incredible support, joining us for the thrilling, and very unique, 2021 Sydney International Online Piano Competition. We hope you enjoyed the show and may the music live on!

Remember, it’s not too late to watch the entire competition from the beginning, with an all-access season pass. Immerse yourself in the winner’s recitals from the Preliminary, Semi Final and Final Round and relive the joy of each performance in full – all yours to keep for an unlimited time.

Buy your season pass now to hear and see more of these world-class pianists play.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE WINNERS NOW