In an exciting final she won against Maxim Lando, who was designated as the winner for the Schott Music Audience Prize and the Arnold Freymuth Prize. All rounds of the amazing competition were accessible through a live stream and can still be followed online.
The International German Pianist Award, designated with not less than 20.000 euros, is of particular interest for young pianists and holds a special position in the competition scene all around the globe. Only six participants are admitted to compete for the prize in four rounds over one full weekend. This year, 120 Video-applications were received for revision. Professors Christopher Hinterhuber and Sergejs Osokins selected the six exceptional candidates from the all the high-qualified admissions: Magdalene Ho, Fuko Ishii, Uladzislau Khandohi, Maxim Lando, Vitaly Starikov and Xiaolu Zang, all winners of important prizes in other competitions, and performing at an extremely very high level.
During three rounds, the two finalists Magdalene Ho and Maxim Lando were selected. Each of them had to perform a one-hour solo recital in the morning and a piano concerto in the evening. From the first three rounds, it was already clear that two outstanding pianists with very special musical characters were competing against each other. Fittingly, Magdalena Ho had chosen Schumann's Piano Concerto for the finale, while Maxim Lando interpreted Rachmaninov's Third. Boths were confidently accompanied by the Philharmonia Frankfurt, conducted by Juri Gilbo (Schumann) and Brandon Keith Brown (Rachmaninov), who both made part of the jury alongside with the professors Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy (speaker), Michel Daberto, Rena Shereshevskaya, and Natalia Troull, Jie Yuan as well as the journalist Constantin Schreiber and last year's winner Andrey Gugnin.
Maxim Lando is one of the most powerful pianists I have ever experienced. His technical possibilities seem to have no limit. The 21-year-old American graduate of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation and current student at the Juilliard School demonstrated his skills impressively in all rounds and naturally in Rachmaninov's Third, for which he was honored with the Audience Award valued with 3,000 euros.
Magdalene Ho (*2003), who studies with Dmitrii Alexeev at the Royal College of Music in London and who already won the Clara Haskil Competition last year, played with exceptional differentiation and maturity, which is extraordinary for her young age. She succeeded in extracting an extreme variety of colors from the C. Bechstein concert grand D 282 while developing Schumann concert full of spirit and however in a very controlled manner. Its remarkably that she is the first woman to win this internationally important competition, which is prized with a total of 20,000 euros, followed by a CD production and important concert engagements.
As the German International Pianist Award recognizes only the winner of the first prize and – in addition – the Audience Award, the Kuthe Group decided to designate the Arnold Freymuth Prize as well, which is endowed with at least 5,000 euros and was given for the second time. Maxim Lando was delighted to be announced as the winner of this prize. Gregor Willmes, Head of the Cultural Management of C. Bechstein Pianoforte GmbH and representative for the Kuthe Group on this evening, sent warm greetings from Stefan Freymuth, Managing Director of C. Bechstein and Kuthe, at the award ceremony and explained in the Casals Forum: ‘Pablo Casals was not only an excellent musician, but also a person who spent his whole life campaigning for peace, freedom, human rights and democracy. Our special prize, which is in memory of Arnold Freymuth and his brothers Kurt and Paul, stands in this tradition as well.’ Paul was killed by the National Socialists in a concentration camp and Arnold and Kurt were driven to suicide. Arnold Freymuth (1872-1933) showed great civil courage throughout his life as a legal author, republican judge, politician and human rights activist. This must be remembered, especially in these times, to learn the right lessons from the Weimar Republic. Willmes added: ‘Last year, I already opened with these words in honor of the award. This year, unfortunately, it seems even more necessary to me!’
The opening concert of the 13th International German Pianist Award was given by last year's winner Andrey Gugnin. His highly individual interpretations of Liszt's Transcendental Etudes and the B minor Sonata, premiered on Bechstein, made the audience take notice: Gugnin did not only rely on speed, but also on his exceptional virtuosity regarding a harmonizing structural clarity, musical colors and poetry, performing with amazing expressivity to receive emotional cheers and standing ovations from the audience's.
Text by Gregor Willmes
Photos: Stefan Höning & International Piano Forum Frankfurt
