The Competition: Piano
Each year an esteemed jury of pre-eminent musicians reviews a promising array of submissions in a particular category and chooses 4 finalists between the ages of 18-30. These finalists are then invited to journey to Westport for the final stage of the judging, where they compete in a number of events designed to showcase their talents.
The winner receives a $10,000 cash prize and each finalist receives a $2,500 honorarium and lodging with host families for the week. In addition to the cash prize, the winner receives an invitation to return to Westport for a solo performance at a later date.
Prior winners include celebrated pianists who have gone on to perform in the world’s most important halls, such as Spencer Myer, Frederic Chiu, Josh Wright, Timur Mustikimov and Yue Chu.
Heida Week
The Heida International Music Competition
November 18 – 23
Join us for a week-long series of intimate salon concerts by the four Finalists chosen by our esteemed panel of judges as we celebrate the return of The Heida Hermanns International Music Competition.
2019 Piano Finalists
The 2019 competition marks the return of the Heida after a 2 year hiatus, and features four accomplished pianists who will perform in various settings during Heida Week.
Veniamin Blokh
Passionate about piano from a young age, this 26 year old Russian born musician has been pursuing vocal and chamber music ever since. He has studied and performed in venues across the globe, collaborating with musicians of great pedigree. Just this year he was accepted to the TCU School of Music with a full scholarship for the Artist Diploma Program.
Priscila Navarro
An exceptionally accomplished pianist, this 24 year old has won a number of competitions across the US, Europe and South America. Her work continues at the Frost School of Music at University of Miami where she is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Piano Pedagogy under Santiago Rodriguez.
Sahun Hong
Praised as an “artist already of enormous prowess” (Verbier Festival Newsletter), pianist Sahun Hong brings his colorful style and riveting energy to the solo, chamber, and concerto stage. Currently a student of Leon Fleisher, Hong is pursuing a doctorate at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
Stephanie Tang
This 24 year old Los Angeles native is currently studying at the Yale School of Music as a master of music candidate with Peter Serkin. Her solo and chamber performances have garnered enthusiasm around the world at renowned competitions and recital halls, including Carnegie Hall at the age of 12.
The public is invited to observe
Heida Week Master Classes
at The Westport Library
11.18.19
3pm | Veniamin Blokh
4pm | Sahun Hong
11.19.19
3pm | Stephanie Tang
4pm | Priscila Navarro
The Legacy of Heida Hermanns
Heida Hermanns, the founder of the Connecticut Alliance for Music, Inc. (CAM), was a pianist, teacher and philanthropist. She was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1906 and received her first piano lessons from her mother. At the age of Heida-Hermanns-315, she enrolled at the Berlin Hochschule fur Musik. Her teachers included Egon Petri, Artur Schnabel, Carl Friedberg and Isabella Vengerova. She made her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic at age 18 and toured Europe as a recitalist and concerto soloist through the 1920s and early 1930s.
Past Winners
2016 Bryan Murray (baritone)
2015 Wenjie Lu (piano)
2014 Xiao Wang (violin)
2013 Joshua Wright & Timur Mustakimov (piano)
2012 Kathryn Leemhuis (mezzo-soprano)
2011 Yue Chu (piano)
2010 Elizabeth Baldwin (soprano)
2009 Alexei Tartakowski (piano)
2008 Yohan Yi (bass baritone)
2007 Jonathan Yanik (saxophone)
2006 Sangyoung Kim (piano)
2005 Wen-lei Gu (violin)
2004 Elisa Vilbergsdottir (soprano)
2003 Dwight Parry (oboe)
2002 Spencer Myer (piano)
2001 Elena Hirsu (violin); Mary Petro (lyric soprano)
2000 Luis Rodriguez-Salva (piano); Ashu Kejariwal (saxophone)
1999 Alison Trainer (soprano); Aurelien Sabouret (cello); Valissa Wilwerth (violin)
1998 Juyeon Kang (piano); Patrick Messina (clarinet)
1997 Amit Peled (cello); Younmok Jeong (tenor)
1996 Yi Dong (piano); Otis Murphy, Jr. (saxophone)
1995 Joohee Choi (soprano); Inbal Segev (cello)
1994 Andrew Russo (piano); Mark Timmerman (bassoon)
1993 Janna Baty (soprano); Francois Salque (cello)
1992 Andrew Armstrong (piano); Igor Begelman (clarinet)
1991 Bradley Garvin (bass baritone); Varty Manouelian (violin)
1990 Max Levinson (piano); Viviana Guzman (flute)
1989 Rajan Krishnaswami (cello); Christopheren Nomura (baritone)
1988 Yu-Shent Ma (piano); Todd Palmer (clarinet)
1987 Alexander Simionescu (violin)
1986 Frederic Chiu (piano)
1985 Timothy McGovern (bassoon)
1984 Sharman Plesner (violin); Jeffrey Jamner (piano)
1983 Boston University Honors Woodwind Quartet
1982 Bart Feller (flute); Claudio Jaffe (cello); Barbara Kilduff (soprano)
1981 Alexander String Quartet Arioso String Chamber Ensemble
1980 Judith Malafronte (mezzo-soprano); John Sharp (cello); Richard Lalli (baritone)
1979 Madison Trio Schmidt-Verdery Duo (flute/guitar)
1978 Nai-Yuan Hu (violin)
1977 Rymour String Quartet Stephanie Conte (soprano); Diane Lesser (oboe); Kurt Nikkanen (violin)
1976 Amina Trio (including Christopher O’Riley, piano)
1975 New England Woodwind Quintet Tibor Szasz (piano)
1974 Laurian Laufman (cello)
1973 Eugene J. Moye, Jr. (cello); Emilia Simonem (soprano)
1972 Emilia Simone (soprano); William Westney (piano).
