The International Piano Competition has successfully entered into its XII. year. Its announcer is Ministry of Education, science, research and sport of the Slovak Republic and organizer Primary Art School of Mária Hemerková in Main Street 68 in Košice. It is the only international competition for young pianists under the age of 15 in Slovakia, which has three categories – under 11, under 13 and under 15 in two rounds, under the auspices of mayor of Košice MUDr. Richard Raši, PhD., MPH.
XII. year of International Piano Competition Košice 2011 was held from 07.-10. april 2011 in the concert hall of the Primary Art School of Mária Hemerková /1. a 3. category/ and in the Big Studio of the Slovak Broadcast of Radio Rádio Regina in Moyzesova 7 /2. category/.
47 children from 15 countries of Europe and Asia (Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Ukraine, Great Britain, Slovakia) had applied; they were evaluated by a 10-member international panel of judges composed of reknown piano artists and teachers (Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Japan, Portugal, Spain, U.S.A., Slovakia).
Art Director of the XII. year of the competition has become Peter Breiner – pianist, conductor and composer – after sudden death of professor Peter Toperczer, Dr.h.c., who had been a guarantor of the competition since its beginning. Main media partner of the International Piano Competition Košice has been during all its years Slovak Broadcast and televison.
In the 1. category has won Michal Maksymilian Oleszak from Poland, in the second place has finished Marie Viola Mojzešová from the Czech Republic, in the third place has finished Pavol Praženica, also from the Czech Republic.
The winner of the 2. category has become Piotr Ryszard Pawlak from Poland, in the second place has finished Andrea Molteni from Italy, in the third place Jan Marek Bieniasz from Poland.
In the 3. category has won Sergej Sergejevič Dmitrijenko from Russia, who has also received the EMCY prize. The second place has gone to Ádám Zsolt Szokolay from Hungary, he has also received the prize of the Foundation of Katarina Gurska and in the third place has finished Dušan Žiga from Košice, a student of Primary Art School Bernolákova 26, from a class of teacher Františka Tholtová, who has received the prize of mayor of Košice for the best Košice contestant and the prize of Slovak Music Fund for the best Slovak contestant as well.
6. place in the 1. category has received Patrik Herman from Košice, also a student of Primary Art School Bernolákova 26, from a class of teacher Katarína Barčovská.
Financial prizes have gone to 5 contestants in each category, the prize of Director of the State Philharmony Košice has received Jan Škrobánek from the Czech Republic, the prize of the Czech Music Fund has gone to Anna Sofie Mojzešová from the Czech Republic, the prize of mayor of Košice for the youngest contestant – has received 9-years-old Maxim Fursov from Russia.
Accompanying event of the International Piano Competition Košice 2011 has been the concert of laureates of VIII. year of the competition from the year 2003 Dávid Bekker from Hungary and Bára Handzušová from the Czech Republic, whose extraordinary artistic performance has impressed the whole present company. At the concert has also performed the schol orchestra of Primary Art School of Mária Hemerková – Musica Iuvenalis conducted by Mgr. art. Igora Dohovič, PhD.
The climax of the competition was the concert of winners of XII. year of the competition and presenting prizes in the Palace of Art.
The International Piano Competition Košice 2011 has once again proved the high Professional standard. There has been the great public acceptance as for the whole course of the competition and its organisation, which apart from great artistic potential has also brought to Košice new contacts and friendships and represents not only the school, its announcer, city of Košice, but also Slovakia far beyond the borders.
Great thanks belong to all sponsors, donators and contributors, who have helped organisers to prepare the competition at high international level.
On the basis of the feedback from all participants Košice has rightly gained the title European capital city of culture in the year 2013, when the XIII. year of the International Piano Competition Košice will be held and we will also celebrate the 20th year since its establishment.