RCM Alumnus Godwin Friesen Wins Grand Prize at Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Competition
RCM Alumnus Godwin Friesen Wins Grand Prize at Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Competition
Published on November 14, 2022
Godwin Friesen, pianist and recent alumnus of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School, was named the Grand Prize winner of the prestigious Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) competition on November 12, including a cash prize of $20,000 and a coveted opportunity of performances with the OSM and a residency at Queen Elisabeth Music Chapelle in Belgium.
The OSM competition, which began in 1940, has paved the way for many exceptional soloists – past winners include fellow RCM alumni and acclaimed pianists Jan Lisiecki, JJ Jun Li Bui, and Angela Hewitt, and violinist Blake Pouliot.
Ms. Hewitt was also an adjudicator in the competition, which included other internationally acclaimed musicians such as pianist Mari Kodama; Artistic Director of the Wiener Konzerthaus Rico Gulda; Executive and Artistic Director of the Salle Bourgie, Isolde Lagacé; and Director of Music at Southbank Centre in London, Gillian Moore.
In addition to the Grand Prize, Mr. Friesen was awarded a $3,000 prize for best interpretation of a Canadian work in the preliminary round for his performance of Prélude blanc by Quebec composer Marc Hyland. He also won the Domaine Forget prize – an advanced training scholarship at the International Music and Dance Academy at Domaine Forget, Quebec.
The final round of the competition was performed with the OSM at the Maison Symphonique in Montreal, and Mr. Friesen played Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no. 3 in C major, Op. 26 with conductor Jacques Lacombe.
Watch his performance: