Unisa online - Winner of the 12th Unisa International Piano Competition

Czech pianist, Lukáš Vondráček,was announced as the winner of the 12th Unisa International Piano Competition in front of a packed ZK Matthews Great Hall at Unisa on Saturday 4 February 2012.

He impressed members of the jury and audience alike with an impassioned performance of Mozart’s Concerto no 23 in A major as well as the Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Rachmaninov) in the final round of this prestigious event, thereby winning another R24 000 on top of the First Prize of US$35 000, proudly sponsored by Vodacom.

Mr Vondráček also won the Unisa Grand Prize of R250 000 as well as prizes for the best performance of the South African composition Dazzle by Peter Klatzow and the best recital in Round 3. His total prize money amounts to an astonishing R546 500. He will also return to South Africa for a concert tour in 2013.

The only female competitor, Heejae Kim (Korea), won the second prize. Stanislav Khristenko (Russia) won third prize, Sebastian Di Bin (Spain) fourth prize, Enrique Bernaldo de Quiros (Spain) fifth prize and Christopher Janwong McKiggan (United Kingdom) sixth prize.

Megan-Geoffrey Prins was announced as the best South African competitor, winning a new Dietmann piano. He also received the special prize for the best performance of the South African composition Toccate by Graham Newcater.

Luka Okrostsvaridze from Georgia won the special prize for the best semi-finalist who did not go through to the final round. This is the first time this prize has been awarded.

Prof Mandla S Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, and Prof Kobie Kleynhans, Vice-Principal: University Estates and Finance, thanked John Roos, Deputy Director of the Unisa Music Foundation for his contribution in raising the Unisa International Music Competitions to world-class standards. This is the last competition he will organise before his retirement in June.

The next music competition organised by the Unisa Music Foundation will be the Southern African Wind Competition in 2013.

*Submitted by Alet Joubert