From early childhood, when he first began to play the piano, Florian dreamed of performing at Carnegie Hall in New York. Now the dream has come true! As a double laureate at the New York Piano Festival & Competition Florian performed at the gala concert in the Weill Hall.
“I loved it so much I can still see the inside of Carnegie Hall, the Weill Recital Hall stage… really happy times! I’ve been so enormously lucky to play for such a distinguished jury, and the chance to perform at Carnegie Hall is truly, a very old dream coming true. I am so grateful for this opportunity. I left part of my heart at Carnegie… “
This was the third international piano competition to be held by the New York Piano Festival, and the jury included Olga Kern, Mamuka Sikharulidze, Mai Kagaya, Arkady Aronov, and Alexander Beridze. The competition is a member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation and is open to all nationalities, with two age categories. Florian was awarded second prize in the 20-29 age category (effectively the winner as no first prize was awarded) and also the Special Prize for Virtuoso Performance. You can read more about Florian’s biography and awards here.
The Weill Recital Hall is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for chamber music and solo recitals, and since the Carnegie Hall complex opened in 1891 it has welcomed the world’s leading artists from every genre of music. This aspirational venue describes its mission as “to present extraordinary music and musicians on the three stages of this legendary hall, to bring the transformative power of music to the widest possible audience, to provide visionary education programs, and to foster the future of music through the cultivation of new works, artists and audiences.”
