The results are in, and we have… no winner, but two Second Prizes awarded to Daria Podorozhnova and Monica Zhang. Delvan Lin won the Audience Award and a Finalist Diploma, but there was no Third Prize awarded. The other awards and prizes are as follows: Leo de Maria, Semifinalist Honorable Mention and Aspiration Special Prize; Zhu Wang, Semifinalist Honorable Mention; Huiping Cai, Aspiration Special Prize; Jonathan Mak, Aspiration Special Prize; Sung Ho Yoo, Aspiration Special Prize; Davide Ranaldi, Best Bach Interpretation Prize; and Daria Podorozhnova, Best Contemporary Piece Prize.

Each of these amazing pianists (except for Sung Ho Yoo and Zhu Wang, who were not present) participated in the winner’s recital, performing pieces chosen by the jury from throughout the solo rounds of the competition. Monica Zhang began with her fantastic Scarlatti Sonatas in F from the first round, Jonathan Mak played his Liszt Transcendental Etude in f minor, Davide Ranaldi performed J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in c-sharp minor (Well-Tempered Klavier I), Huiping Cai dazzled with her Liszt Paganini Etude no. 6 in A minor, Delvan Lin played two of Beethoven’s last set of Bagatelles, Leo de Maria played “El Amor y la Muerte” from Granados’ Goyescas, and Daria Podorozhnova finished with Olga Kern’s new piece as well as Stravinsky’s Firebird. The jury did a good job picking the most outstanding pieces from the competition to hear again, and I enjoyed hearing them one last time, playing their very best.

In the finals, I thought that Podorozhnova’s and Zhang’s concerti stood out above Lin’s, and I wasn’t sure who the jury would choose as the winner. I imagine the process involves collecting scores from all the jurors, adding them up, and then using those totals to deliberate and make a final decision. Perhaps Podorozhnova and Zhang’s scores were too close to call a single winner, and Lin’s concerto had too many ensemble issues and mistakes to award a third prize. It is unfortunate that nobody will get to call themselves the “winner” of this year’s Olga Kern Competition, but I’m sure Podorozhnova and Zhang are both thrilled to each win the $10,000 prize and be the 2025 laureates of this prestigious competition.

It has been an amazing week of phenomenal piano playing, and I hope the audience of this competition walks away with a greater appreciation of classical piano playing and the incredible amount of work these contestants put into learning and perfecting their repertoire from this week. Congratulations to all, and thank you to the organizers and jury for their hard work as well!