China

Biography

Born in 1991 in Seoul, South Korea, Soyeon Chang studied piano at Seoul National University, where she obtained both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance. She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Professor Yoshikazu Nagai. A laureate of several national and international competitions, she regularly performs in Asia, Europe and the United States, and currently resides between South Korea and the United States. Her artistic work is driven by a strong curiosity for new and innovative musical languages. She is deeply drawn to contemporary music for its ability to reshape perception, time and emotional space, and continuously seeks fresh forms of expression as a vital part of her artistic identity.

Note of intent

This programme traces the emergence of modern musical language from light and vision toward structure, rupture, and contemporary expression. Rautavaara’s Étude opens a suspended, spiritual sound world, where time seems to expand and contract. Stravinsky’s compressed energy introduces modern rhythmic tension, which blossoms into radiant colour and sensual freedom in Debussy’s L’Isle joyeuse. Ravel’s La Valse stands at the heart of the programme, portraying the brilliance and collapse of a world in transformation. At its centre lies Hidden Layers by Andrea Montalbano, composed for this competition and inspired by Velázquez’s Saint Thomas. The work reflects an inner journey from doubt toward recognition, revealing how truth emerges gradually through layers of sound, light, and silence. Carl Vine’s Fourth Sonata propels the programme into the present, where rhythmic force, structural clarity, and fragile lyricism collide. Together these works outline my artistic voice: grounded in history, open to risk, and committed to discovering new expressive horizons.

Programme

Einojuhani Rautavaara, Étude Op. 42 (1969):
No. 4
Igor Stravinsky, Étude in F major Op. 7 (1908):
No. 4
Claude Debussy, L’Isle joyeuse (1904)
Maurice Ravel, La Valse (1919–1920)
Andrea Montalbano, Hidden Layers (2026), André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize
Carl Vine, Piano Sonata (2019):
No. 4

Biography

Born in 1995 and raised in Guangzhou, China, Tianyu Deng received her Bachelor of Music from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under the tutelage of Ms. Eleanor Wong. She later obtained her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Dr. Marc Silverman.Currently based in New York City, Tianyu is active as a performer, scholar, and educator, regularly engaging in cross-genre concerts and interdisciplinary projects that bridge performance, research, and education. Her interest in contemporary music grew through frequent visits to museums and opera houses, where she was drawn to the connections between music and other art forms, as well as the close relationship between movement, sound, and space. Living in cosmopolitan cities has further exposed her to a wide range of artistic languages across cultures and historical contexts, shaping her appreciation for diverse forms of expression.

Note of intent

Between Eyes and Ears
This program unfolds in three interwoven layers. The first explores the idea of Sequence in contemporary piano music, both literally and imagined, through Unsuk Chin’s Etude No. 2 Sequenzen and Luciano Berio’s Sequenza IV. The second traces the dialogue between painters and composers, from Ravel’s Une barque sur l’océan to a newly commissioned work, Cross Exam, by Elliot Teo inspired by Velázquez’s St. Thomas. Beneath these layers runs a continuous thread of Spanish influence, from Maurice Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso to the voice of the Cuban composer Ahmed Alon.  

Programme

Unsuk Chin, Piano Etudes (1996, revised 2003):
No.2 – Sequenzen
Luciano Berio, Sequenza IV (1965)
Maurice Ravel, Miroirs (1904-05):
III. Une barque sur l’océan
IV. Alborada del gracioso
Ahmed Alom, Displaced Etudes (2024):
Etude No.1
Elliot Teo, Cross Exam for solo piano (2026), André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize

Biography

Born in 1996 in South Korea, Joohyang Han studied piano at Seoul National University in the class of Min-jung Lee, where she obtained a Bachelor of Music, and she is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon in the class of Sébastien Vichard. A laureate of several awards, she has notably received the Second Prize at the Buam Competition (2019), the Diplôme de mérite at the Lyon International Competition (2025) and was a scholarship recipient of the Samick Cultural Foundation. She regularly performs in concert in France and currently resides in Lyon, France.
 She developed an interest in contemporary music during her university years, when she had the opportunity to perform a newly composed work and collaborate directly with a living composer. The experience of shaping a piece through close interaction with the composer was particularly inspiring. In addition, performing George Crumb’s Makrokosmos introduced her to unconventional piano techniques and new sound possibilities, which sparked her curiosity to further explore contemporary music. Furthermore, participating in a workshop led by Trio Catch helped her realize that contemporary music is not merely difficult or obscure, but rather a different musical language, deepening her interest in this field.

Note of intent

This programme reflects my focus on French piano repertoire and on works that broaden the instrument’s expressive range. Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales embodies what I consider the French idea of “raffiné”: clarity, elegance, and balanced colour. Messiaen represents another central pillar of modern French music. The études by Scriabin and Ligeti both move beyond virtuosity, exploring new harmonic and rhythmic perspectives. Finally, Ji-Young Lee’s Objet dissous concentrates on resonance and pedal techniques, offering a contemporary approach to the piano’s sonic possibilities.

Programme

György Ligeti, Etudes for piano, Volume II  (1985):
No.4 – Fanfare
Ji-Young Lee, Objet dissous (2025), André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize
Maurice Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales (1911)
Alexander Scriabin, Etude Op. 8 (1894):
No.10 – Allegro
Olivier Messiaen, Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus (1944):
X. Regard de l’Esprit de joie

Biography

Born in 1998 in Palmanova, Italy, Maria Iaiza studies piano at Kunstuniversität Graz in the class of Florian Müller, where she is attending a Master in Performance Practice in Contemporary Music. A laureate of several awards, she has notably received the First Prize at the Concorso Internazionale “Città di Treviso” in the Contemporary section and the performance of Sciarrino’s complete sonatas, of which she played the IV, received the Special Prize at the 42nd edition of the Abbiati Prize. She regularly performs in concerts in Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Greece and currently resides in Graz, Austria. Very passionate about contemporary music, she often performs this repertoire as soloist, chamber music or in ensemble, experiencing it as an opportunity for research and connection between people.

Note of intent

From the delicate soundscape of the serene Estampes, to the brutal transformation of the instrument made by Bedrossian, this program intends to cover a wide range of timbers, of contrasting levels of dynamic, where highly detailed writing creates waves of intense -or delicate- energy. The two etudes, by Furrer and Fujikura, embrace this attitude in a very digital technical way, while Pour les Corps Électriques is an explosion of body energy in every form. Sarmiento writing is oriented to play with a refined usage of prepared tones and transforming resonances, a soundworld made of colours and light.  

Programme

Juan Sarmiento, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)
Claude Debussy, Estampes (1903):
I. Pagodes
II. La soirée dans Grenade
III. Jardins sous la pluie
Beat Furrer, Studie für Klavier (2007)
Dai Fujikura, piano study n°1 , (1998):
Frozen Heat
Franck Bedrossian, Pour les Corps Électriques (2018)

Biography

Born in 2000 in Tokyo, Japan, Tetsuyoshi Kawahata studied piano under Takuya Otaki, Kazue Nakamura, and Asuka IIno. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He regularly performs in concert in Japan and currently resides in Tokyo. He mainly focuses on collaborating with young Asian composers and organizing concerts to connect living composers with amateur players. 

Note of intent

Velázquez’s works are often characterized by the clear contrast of light and dark. The painting chosen for the theme of the newly composed piece, Saint Thomas, could be considered as the epitome of this characteristic; light color of the clothes and darkness of the background are divided by the spear Saint Thomas holds. The primary intention for the 1st round program is to express this contrast by music, replacing the density of colors with sonority.  

Programme

Maurice Ohana, Douze Études d’interprétation  (1982-1985):
V. Quintes
Fabián Panisello, Klavieretüden Band 1 (2008):
Etüde 3 (Chroma III)
Mayuko Matsumoto, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)
Georges Enesco, Piano Sonata No.1 (1924)

Biography

Born in 1992 in Kanagawa, Japan, Koki Kuroiwa studied piano at the Tokyo University of the Arts in the class of Haruhi Hata, and Akira Eguchi, where he graduated at the top of his class and obtained a Master’s degree in Piano Performance, before pursuing further studies at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music with Sándor Falvai. A laureate of several awards, he was a semifinalist and recipient of a special award at the 17th International Tchaikovsky Competition, and has notably received first prizes at the 84th Music Competition of Japan, the 11th Tokyo Music Competition (also awarded the Audience Prize), and the KIPA International Piano Competition 2019, as well as the Aoyama Music Award, the Utsunomiya Espoir Award, and the Matsukata Hall Music Award. He regularly performs in concert internationally and currently resides in Japan. His interest in contemporary music has grown naturally through his wide-ranging repertoire and chamber music practice. By commissioning and premiering new works, he has actively expanded his repertoire and has frequently been invited to perform newly written pieces. Through these experiences, contemporary music has become for him a long-standing and deeply valued part of his musical life. As a Japanese musician, his engagement is also shaped by the high artistic level of works by Japanese composers and by the many opportunities to encounter and perform them.

Note of intent

In this round, I chose to place Tokuhide Niimi’s substantial trilogy at the center, fulfilling one of the required études with a large-scale, symphonic cycle. In this programme, many works carry a cosmic energy, and Niimi’s music opens that trajectory with clarity and force. His three pieces form an interconnected symphonic world, which finds a natural counterpart in Ravel’s La Valse. Through this pairing, I aim to evoke an orchestral dimension on a single instrument and to reveal the piano’s capacity to generate vast, transformative soundscapes. 

Programme

Sergei Rachmaninov, Etudes-tableaux Op.39-9 (1916)
Tokuhide Niimi, Etudes for piano – questions to gods – Book 2 (2018):
IV. Is the cosmos diffusing?
V. The cosmos is a huge breathing life body
VI. Do planets dance?
Teppei Higuchi, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)
Maurice Ravel, La Valse (1920)

Biography

Born in 2003 in Hangzhou, China. Tiantuo Li studies piano at Shanghai Conservatory of Music in the class of Prof. Moye Chen, where he is pursuing a Bachelor degree. A laureate of several awards, he has notably received the 1st Prize from the WPTA Spain International Piano Competition and the 2nd Prize from the World Piano Teachers Association International Piano Competition.
 He regularly performs in concert in China, Spain, Belgium, Poland and the US. He currently resides in Shanghai, China. The contemporary piano music gives him creative space and allows him to explore new possibilities.

Note of intent

This round primarily focuses on works with different styles from Spain and France, along with a virtuosic piece by the renowned pianist/composer Hamelin, with an overall expression form centered on musicality.

Programme

Federico Mompou, Paisajes (1942):
No. 1 – La fuente y la campana
Claude Debussy, 12 Etudes (1915):
No. 5 – Pour les octaves
Marc-André Hamelin, 12 Etudes in All the Minor Keys (1986):
No. 12 – Prelude and Fugue
Edmund Song, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)
Ana Sokolović, Two Studies For Piano (2025)
Enrique Granados, Goyescas (1911):
No. 5 – El amor y la muerte

Biography

Born in 2001 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Carter Muller studied piano at the Sweelinck Academy / Conservatory of Amsterdam in the classes of Marjes Benoist and Nino Gvetadze, the International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” with Igor Roma, and then at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) in the class of Prof. Till Fellner, where he obtained both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Solo Performance. In fall 2023 he began a Master’s degree in New Music (contemporary music) with Prof. Nicolas Hodges at the HMDK Stuttgart. A laureate of several awards, he has notably received First Prize at the 2022 Landolt Competition, Classic Young Master title (including professional career development coaching), first prize at the Young Musician of the Year Competition of the Royal Concertgebouw, prizes at the Bach Festival, Russian Composer Festival, Princess Christina Competition, YPF Piano Competition, and others. He regularly performs in concert throughout Europe, North America and Asia, appearing with ensembles such as Klangforum Wien, the Arc-en-Ciel Ensemble, the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, and at venues including the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. He currently resides in Leipzig, Germany. Carter’s interest in contemporary music grew from a deep curiosity about the expressive possibilities of the piano beyond traditional repertoire. Through collaborations with leading contemporary ensembles like Klangforum Wien and his advanced studies in New Music, he has developed a passion for exploring and performing works by living composers and 20th-/21st-century repertoire. This interest is rooted in his desire to connect deeply with the language of our time and to bring new music into dialogue with classical traditions.

Note of intent

(Inner) wandering
A spirit of searching, of reaching for something new inspired this program. Anodos by Nicolaou opens with a rapid ascent into the highest regions of the keyboard, an impassable route. Debussy searches for new and exotic sound worlds in Estampes, transporting us to distant landscapes. Ligeti and Kagel encapsulate the restless spirit of many avant-garde composers. Saunders sets the piano as a disembodied voice on an uncertain quest. Ahmadnezhad explores light and dark as well as the inner search of doubt and faith of Saint Thomas. Finally, Furrer’s Klavierstück frames the program with a final ascent into nothingness. 

Programme

Vassos Nicolaou, Etude no. 1 ‘Anodos’ (2008)
Claude Debussy, Estampes (1903):
I. Pagodes
II. La soirée dans Grenade
III. Jardins sous la pluie
György Ligeti, Capriccio no. 2 (1947)
Mauricio Kagel, à deux mains (1995)
Rebecca Saunders, to an utterance – study for solo piano (2020)
Arian Ahmadnezhad, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2025-26)
Beat Furrer, Drei Klavierstücke (2004):
II.

Biography

Born in 1996 in Aichi, Japan, Mizuki Ono studied composition at Tokyo University of the Arts in the class of Toshiya Watanabe, where she obtained a Bachelor of Music in Composition. After graduating, she continued her piano studies at the JML Yoshiro Irino Institute of Music in the class of Kazue Nakamura. She won Third Prize at the Contemporary Music Performance Competition “Kyogaku XVI” in 2024. Her interest in contemporary music began during her student years after encountering the music of Toru Takemitsu, which led her to pursue composition alongside her activities as a pianist. Based in Tokyo, she is actively involved in contemporary music projects, including premieres of new works and improvisation.

Note of intent

In music, the fifth is both the simplest and the most fundamental resonance that underpins the world of sound.Beyond tonality, the interval of a fifth exists as a pure distance between two tones—like an open string, sustaining a cosmic balance.This program traces how the fifth overlaps and transforms, emerging as resonance, as structure, and as a poetic symbol.

Programme

Mizuki Ono, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)
György Ligeti, Etudes for Piano, Volume I (1985):
No. 2 – Cordes à Vide
Claude Debussy, Estampes (1903)
I. Pagodes
II. La soirée dans Grenade
III. Jardins sous la pluie
Ivan Fedele, Études Australes (2003):
Ⅴ- Chionis alba
Salvatore Sciarrino, Ⅱ Sonata (1983)

Biography

Born in 2003 in Beijing, China, Boyang Wu studied piano at Central Conservatory of Music in the class of Misha Namirovsky, where he obtained a Bachelor of Music. A laureate of several awards, he has notably received the highest prize and the “Auer Young Artist” distinction at the Auer Academy, and was a top-six semifinalist at the George Enescu International Piano Competition. He currently resides in Beijing, China.
“My route into contemporary music began less with “new sounds” than with questions from philosophy and intellectual history: time, memory, rupture, and the ways narratives organise experience. A turning point came in a composition elective, where we discussed musical temporality—linear time vs. cyclical time, this led me to question a single-line, progress-oriented historical narrative often taken for granted in modern day China. This quickly drew me toward the “theatre” of the 20th century—both political staging and the inner psychology shaped by modernity. I’m still learning the languages of contemporary repertoire, and I try to turn contextual reading into concrete performance decisions. Over time, some of my earlier prejudices have faded, replaced by a more Dionysian experience: presence, risk, and freedom inside unstable sound.”

Note of intent

This programme follows a strand of early modernism shaped on Europe’s cultural borders. Szymanowski’s Etude compresses late-Romantic harmony into a fragile, shimmering tension. Bartók’s Study channels the contour and pulse of folk music into raw, percussive motion. Enescu’s F-sharp minor Sonata gathers these impulses into a spacious architecture where Romanian melodic inflection drifts through Parisian harmonic light. A new work by Xin He offers a contemporary reflection on this lineage of borderland voices and their search for a modern musical language.

Programme

Karol Szymanowski, 4 Etudes, Op.4 (1902):
No.2 — Allegro Molto
Béla Bartók, 3 Studies, Sz. 72 (1918):
No.1 — Allegro Molto
George Enescu, Sonata No.1 in F-Sharp Minor, Op.24 No.1 (1924):
I. Allegro molto moderato e grave
II. Presto vivace
III. Andante molto espressivo – Molto più lento
Xin He, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)

Biography

Born in 2002 in Shanghai, China, Xinhe Zhang studied piano at Shanghai Conservatory of Music in the class of Chen Jiang, where she obtained a Bachelor of Musical Performance. A laureate of several awards, she has notably received People’ s Scholarship of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Yamaha Scholarship of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, First Prize in the Ding Shande Works Category of the “In Memory of the 100th Anniversary of Ding Shande’ s Birth” Piano Competition, Second Prize in the Mozart Open Category of the 3rd German Irmler International Piano Competition, First Prize and Best Collaboration Award in Chamber Music of the Debussy International Music Competition (2024), etc. She regularly performs in concert in China and currently resides in Shanghai, China.
“My interest in contemporary music comes from the recognition that it serves as a mirror held up to classical music itself. Within its constant stream of innovation, we can trace the full historical trajectory of classical music and rediscover those timeless truths that have endured across centuries. Contemporary music is both a continuation of tradition and a bold act of renewal, and it is this unique balance of preserving the past while embracing the new that makes it endlessly fascinating and profoundly diverse.”

Note of intent

This programme celebrates the innovative spirit of 20th-century composers who reimagined their musical heritage through daring and forward-thinking approaches. Claude Debussy’s Études “Pour les agréments” exemplify his pioneering exploration of texture and timbre, laying crucial groundwork for modern piano language. Béla Bartók’s Études delve deep into Eastern European folk traditions, seamlessly weaving them with avant-garde techniques to create vibrant and expressive soundscapes. Pierre Boulez’s Douze Notations stands as a defining statement of post-war modernism, condensing structural precision into concise, striking piano miniatures that push the boundaries of rhythm and sonic colour. Manuel de Falla’s Fantasía Bética fuses the rich hues of Spanish Andalusian music with contemporary pianism, offering a vivid example of cultural identity transformed through modern expression. Together, these works embody the dynamic evolution of regional idioms and experimental vision into compelling and enduring musical statements.

Programme

Claude Debussy, Études (1915):
No. 8 – « Pour les agréments »
Béla Bartók, Étude Op. 18 (1918):
No. 1
Pierre Boulez, Douze Notations pour Piano (1945)
Yihao Hu, André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize (2026)
Manuel de Falla, Fantasía Bética (1919)