Johansson wins Alaska International Piano-e-Competition
July 16, 2014
Kirsten Pickard
907-474-2417
07/12/14
Peter Friis Johansson, an acclaimed concert pianist from Denmark and Sweden known for his musicality and innovation in both contemporary and classical performance, won first prize in the Alaska International Piano-e-Competition at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The panel of nine international jurors selected Johansson based upon his performances in this competition alone, considering the originality of his interpretation, his technical performance and his superior musicianship.
As first-prize winner of the competition, Johansson was awarded $30,000 in prize money, a gold medallion designed and handmade by Alaska artists, and performances in Chicago and New York. The awards were presented during a ceremony and concert on the evening of Saturday, July 12. Most notably for Alaska residents, Johansson was also awarded another performance with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and will perform at its season opener on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Johansson held the attention of the jury and the audience from the first round to the last, winning the special Schubert Prize for his performance in the semi-final round and demonstrating his finely honed collaborative abilities in a chamber music performance with Bryan Emmon Hall, new concertmaster for the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and term professor at UAF.
Audience members gasped in delight during his performance of Beethoven’s "Emperor" piano concerto with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra in the final round. Dagmar Romano, a piano competition aficionado and resident of Minnesota who traveled to Fairbanks for the full two-week event, said Johansson’s unique phrasing of the music was especially notable, bringing a fresh sound to a familiar piece.
Even audiences watching online were delighted with this final competitive performance, noting the brilliance of his interpretation. One commenter noted, “All are very good, but this is my favorite. He has really captured all of Beethoven — wonderful playing.”
Following Johansson as the first prize winner were Alexey Chernov of Russia, second prize; Frank Dupree of Germany, third prize; Marianna Prjevalskaya of Spain, fourth prize; and Chen Guang of China and Italy, fifth prize.
The competitors’ earlier performances were highlighted during the award ceremony, reproduced precisely on the Yamaha Disklavier CFX PRO concert grand piano provided by Yamaha International for the competition. The award ceremony was broadcast live on the web and through the Disklavier network, allowing audiences around the world to enjoy the suspense of the announcements and the performances in real time with the audience in Fairbanks.
The award ceremony capped a two-week extravaganza of competitive performances and community events. This was the first competition of its kind to be held in Alaska.
Efforts are underway by the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra to raise money to purchase the Yamaha Disklavier CFX PRO concert grand piano, a premier Internet-connected piano that would allow performances from Fairbanks to be shared around the world and that would enable unique distance-education opportunities for UAF students. Community members interested in supporting these efforts can contact the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra at 907-474-5733.
The Alaska International Piano-e-Competition and accompanying community lectures were made possible by contributions from Drs. Paul Jensen and John Lopez of Spine Care Specialists of Alaska, the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Brian Rogers and Sherry Modrow, anonymous donors, Design Alaska, Yamaha Corp. of America and many more.