“Montreal-based Ukrainian pianist Serhiy Salov has won the $5,000 grand prize at the very first edition of the Richard Lupien Improvisation Prize,” writes Scott Treshman on Tuesday (5/20) at the CBC’s classical-music blog (Canada). “He was one of six international finalists competing this afternoon at McGill University’s Tanna Schulich Hall in Montreal, in front of a live audience and a jury including Gabriela Montero (Venezuela), Bruno Fontaine (France) and François Dompierre (Canada).” The prize was created by the Montreal International Musical Competition—which takes place this year from May 26 to June 4—to promote classical piano improvisation. “Salov’s win comes nearly a decade after his memorable triumph at the third edition of the Montreal International Competition (Piano 2004) where he won both the First Grand Prize ($25,000) and People’s Choice Award ($2,500). He settled in Quebec soon after and has called Montreal home ever since.” Born in Donetsk, Ukraine, Salov studied at the Freiburg Musik Hochschule in Germany and London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Salov has recorded his own piano version of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and has also arranged solo piano versions of the Stravinsky’s Petrushka, Debussy’s Fêtes, and Poulenc’s D minor piano concerto, originally written for two pianos.
Posted May 22, 2014
