12th Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition – Inaugural Concert

About the event

Inaugural concert of the 12th Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition – a gala concert featuring all members of the jury.

Kevin Kenner: Born in California, winner of the 12th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1990, of the Terence Judd Award in London and of the bronze medal at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition in the same year. For many years professor at the Royal College of Music in London, and since 2015 professor at the Frost School of Music of the University of Miami. He performs worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician; a long-standing chamber music partner is the Korean violinist Kyung-Wha Chung. In 2021 he was deputy chair of the jury of the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń: Originally from Bulgaria, for many years professor of piano at the music academies in Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk, she taught Rafał Blechacz, winner of the 2005 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, from 2000 to 2007. She is a much sought-after teacher and juror; in 2015 and 2021 she chaired the jury of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

Dina Yoffe, born in Riga, Latvia, winner of numerous prizes – among them 2nd prize behind Krystian Zimerman at the 9th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1975. She performs worldwide as a soloist and with orchestras, leads master classes around the globe and is a highly sought-after juror. Former professor at the music academies in Tel Aviv, Hamburg and Aichi, Japan. She is currently professor at the Katarina Gurska Centro Superior Madrid and at the euroArts Academy.

Alexander Kobrin, born in Moscow, studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and won first prizes at major international competitions such as Van Cliburn, Busoni, Hamamatsu and Glasgow. At the 14th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2000 he received 3rd prize. He performs worldwide as a soloist and with orchestras and is professor at the Eastman School of Music in New York.

Christopher Elton, born in Edinburgh, studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he graduated with distinction in both piano and cello. He has won many prizes at national and international piano competitions. He was for many years professor and head of the keyboard department at the Royal Academy of Music and is emeritus professor of the University of London.

Martin Kasík, born in Moravia in the Czech Republic. Winner of numerous first prizes at international piano competitions; in particular the 1st prize at the Young Concert Artists Competition in New York launched his international concert career. Since 2008 Martin Kasík has been president of the Chopin Festival in Mariánské Lázně and since 2009 a piano lecturer at the Prague Conservatory.

Sabine Simon studied at the “Hanns Eisler” University of Music in Berlin, at Indiana University, Bloomington (USA), and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. She won prizes at national and international competitions early on. Her concert activity has taken her throughout Europe, North and South America and Japan. Since 2005 she has taught at the Akademie für Tonkunst in Darmstadt.

Aleksandra Mikulska, born and raised in Warsaw, has been president of the Chopin Society in the Federal Republic of Germany in Darmstadt since 2014. She studied in Karlsruhe, then in Imola, Italy (Lazar Berman, Michel Dalberto) and finally in Hanover with Arie Vardi. Since 2021 she has been professor of piano at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden.

Biographies