From the moment Jaeden Izik-Dzurko gently touched the piano keys, listeners were transported on a stunning 45-minute journey.
Following on the heels of his first-place finish in a competition in Hilton Head, South Carolina, in March, the talented young pianist and only Canadian entrant took top honours in the 67th edition of Maria Canals Barcelona international music competition in Spain.
Jaeden was one of 209 pianists from 33 countries who submitted video auditions to the competition.
Of that pool, 78 contestants from 28 countries were invited to compete live in Barcelona.
After two rounds, the number was reduced to 19, then seven, then three.
For his April 6 performance in the Maria Canals final, Jaeden played Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in D Minor, considered by many accomplished pianists to be the composer’s most difficult work.
During his performance, Jaeden appeared totally immersed in the experience, his body and facial expressions changing with every mood and tempo.
“When I am onstage, I am listening intently to the sounds I am producing,” he said in an email.
“In my best performances, I am able to quiet my thoughts and direct all of my attention to the musical arc of the piece.”
Jaeden was the only finalist to be called back to the stage by prolonged orchestra and audience applause.
The jury of nine internationally acclaimed judges awarded Jaeden first prize, which included 25,000 Euros.
The win also came with several invitations to play with orchestras in Spain and Germany.
The Audience Choice Award earned him 25 hours of recording and editing provided by Solfa Recordings.
Maria Canals was one of eight competitions for which Jaeden has been preparing over the past year.
Some of the competitions had a prescribed list of music and on a purely practical level, Jaeden and his teacher chose a concerto that could be used in six competitions.
The Rachmaninoff concerto was first assigned to him in his masters program by UBC professor Corey Hamm.
He began learning the concerto in August, and his teacher gave him the challenge of committing it to memory by Sept. 1.
“As a performer, my most important responsibility is to represent the composer’s style and intentions to a new generation of listeners,” said Jaeden.
“Fortunately, Rachmaninoff left a considerable recorded legacy, and close study of his own performances has been crucial for me in understanding his own expressive style.”
Immensely proud of his son, David Izik-Dzurko says that more than winning, he values the fact that Jaeden remains true to his own artistic convictions.
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“For me, as I watched the competition and tried to figure out what Jaeden’s secret sauce is all about, I saw that the other competitors seemed to be self-conscious about how they were going to look (on camera),” he said.
He noted his son has always believed the emphasis should be on listening to the music rather than watching a performance.
“I think, above all else, I am really gratified he has gotten some recognition for the sort of work he does. He’s not a flashy player, but he’s very sincere and plays to the composers’ wishes.”
David is also proud of how Jaeden made the most of two years of COVID and the many concert cancellations by practising daily and keeping his goals in mind.
While many pianists find practising to be a lonely process, Jaeden says much of his enjoyment has to do with the fact that he truly loves the music he plays.
“Therefore, I don’t mind spending several consecutive hours immersed in a work.”
Jaeden’s talent and immense dedication have earned him many accolades and awards: a grand prize winner at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals’ National Competition, a winner of Juilliard’s prestigious Gina Bachauer Scholarship Competition, third prize and Peter Takács Classical Sonata award winner in the junior version of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and a Laureate of the Cochran International Piano Competition.
Jaeden has collaborated with local and international instrumentalists and chamber ensembles, performed with several orchestras and been featured on radio and television.
He is currently preparing for the live rounds of the Shean Competition in Edmonton in May and awaiting word on two other international competitions.
He received his B.Mus. from Juilliard in June 2021 under the instruction of Veda Kaplinsky and is enjoying the opportunity to continue his education at UBC.
“I aspire to continue to improve as a pianist and learn much more wonderful music,” he said.