Last month, University of Calgary music student John Chan added one more win to his long list of awards, winning the RBC Concerto Competition.
Six finalists were chosen during the preliminary auditions last fall and had the chance to perform with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra on Feb. 11. Having won the competition, Chan will have the opportunity to perform again with the Philharmonic Orchestra next season during one of their education and outreach concerts.
“It is an opportunity that not many people get to have,” Chan says, who is in his second year in performance studies at the U of C. “It was a pretty tough competition.”
Chan will also be able to take advantage of mentoring opportunities through the Philharmonic Orchestra.
“It’s a nice educational experience for him,” says Edmond Agopian, the competition’s conductor, “not just performing but also getting exposed to great artists that come through Calgary and perform with the Calgary Philharmonic.”
Last year Chan won the Rose Bowl at the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival, beating out thousands of contestants.
Chan will be performing a free piano recital on March 11 at 6:00 p.m. in Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall.