Past Honens Prize Laureates Illia Ovcharenko (2022) and Nicolas Namoradze (2018) reunite to share insights on life after Honens and what it means to grow as a “Complete Artist.” They reflect on their journeys and offer advice to this year’s competitors. The episode also features profiles of Semifinalists Giorgio Lazzari and Sandro Nebieridze, promising voices in the next generation of pianists.

Composer Iman Habibi joins the podcast to explore his newly commissioned work for the 2025 Honens Competition and the creative process behind it. We also hear from Honens sponsor Jeremy Clark, whose support helps bring music to life, and from Semifinalists Chaeyoung Park and Anastasia Vorotnaya, two emerging artists forging their own creative paths.

Collaboration takes centre stage in this episode. Cellist Rachel Mercer reflects on the deep listening and trust that define chamber music, while the Joshua McClendon, cellist of the Isidore String Quartet, shares how their quartet approaches the art of performing with pianists. Plus, hear from Semifinalists Elia Cecino and Élisabeth Pion, who reveal what it means to connect—and communicate—through music.

World-renowned pianist and composer Sir Stephen Hough joins us to discuss his role as Mentor for the 2025 Honens Competition and his upcoming Bison Noir program — a late-night program of pianistic meditations. We also meet Semifinalists Yuanfan Yang and Ádám Balogh, two rising stars whose passion and originality are shaping the future of piano performance.

Get an insider’s view of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition. Host Philip Chiu speaks with Honens Artistic Director Jon Kimura Parker, President & CEO Amanda Smith, and Artistic Planning Director Catherine McClelland about what makes Honens unique and what’s new this year. Then, meet two of our remarkable Semifinalists—Derek Wang and Carter Johnson—as they share their musical journeys and what inspires their artistry.