Following an intense week up against some of the most promising young pianists in the world, Canadian Carter Johnson emerged as the winner of the 13th Dublin International Piano Competition (DIPC). This year’s winner takes home the much coveted prestigious first prize sponsored by KPMG, which includes a €20,000 cash award, international concert engagements, and a solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall in New York.
The 28 year old was selected from a field of 25 exceptional young pianists from twelve countries, who qualified and competed in Dublin over the past week. The quarter-finalists were chosen via rigorous online auditions from an initial global entry of 190 pianists.
Earlier in the week saw the semi-finals and quarter-finals taking place at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where 25 competitors performed a broad range of repertoire. These included works by leading Irish composers David Coonan, Ailís Ní Ríain and Judith Ring, specially commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm, and chamber music with the ConTempo Quartet.
The final, held at the National Concert Hall, saw the three finalists perform concertos with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jonas Alber.
Second prize was awarded to 18 year old Young-Ho Shin from South Korea, who bagged a cash award of €10,000, sponsored by Tom Corran. Third prize went to Anson Shin Yung Wong (24) from Hong Kong, who received a cash award of €5,000, supported by Stewart and Avice Harrington.
A number of special category prizes were also presented including The McCullough Bursary (€8,000) and Charles J. Brennan Prize (€1,500), both of which were awarded to 22 year old Dublin pianist Dida Condria as the highest-placed Irish competitor in the competition.
A former DIPC Finlay Programme participant who began her musical studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music at the age of six, Condria has performed internationally at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall, and is currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Meanwhile 2025 winner Carter Johnson is currently continuing his studies at Yale University, where he is a candidate for a Doctor of Musical Arts.
Reflecting on this year’s competition, Artistic Director of the DIPC and chair of the jury, Finghin Collins, said, “We have witnessed an outstanding week of performances from some of the world’s most promising young pianists. The level of talent and dedication on display has been truly inspiring. On behalf of the jury, I congratulate Carter and all of this year’s competitors on their extraordinary achievements.”
