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WINNERS of the 2025 Rotary Calgary Concerto Competition
View their performance by clicking on the MUSIC NOTES below their picture
CHARLOTTE GIRAUDEAU
Piano, Age 16
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Born in 2008, Charlotte Giraudeau began her music studies at the age of five and is currently under the instruction of Professor Marilyn Engle of the University of Calgary. She is a Mount Royal University Academy for Young Artists scholarship recipient.
Charlotte is a prize-winner in numerous national and international competitions, including the Canadian Music Competition, the Franz Liszt Centre International Piano Competition (2022 and 2023), and the San Francisco Articiál International Piano Competition in 2022. In 2023, the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition (USA), the Beecham International Piano Competition (UK), and the Steinway Piano Competition Canada. She is the first-prize winner of the 2024 Aloha and IPPA International Piano Competitions. In 2025, she won third prize in the Canadian Chopin Competition and second prize in the ARMTA Provincial Piano Competition. She won first prize with her chamber group in the 2023 and 2024 Lancaster International Piano and Chamber Music Festival.
Charlotte has participated in many masterclasses, such as the 2022 Morningside Music Bridge, the 2023 Gina Bachauer Piano Festival, and the 2023 Talent Summer Master Courses and Festival in Brescia, Italy. In 2024, the Art of the Piano Festival at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the CMC Gathering of the Stars Festival and the International Music Festival in Bern, Switzerland. Charlotte debuted in the 2024 Canada’s Rising Stars 20th Anniversary Concert in Canmore, Alberta.
She had many opportunities to study with artists, including Arie Vardi, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Sasha Starcevich, Wha Kyung Byun, Gerlinde Otto, Bernd Goetzke, Henry Kramer, Nicolas Namoradze, and Sir Stephen Hough.
In addition to her piano studies, she organizes the Capriccio International Young Artists and regularly organizes young artist concerts for Calgary's senior communities. She is also a member of the Back to Bach Foundation. Aside from her music activities, she enjoys volunteering, doing math contests, and skiing in the Rocky Mountains.
COMPETITION: RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 IN G MINOR, OP. 40
Video courtesy of the Calgary Folk Club
AARON JANSE-DENG
Cello, Age 15
Aaron is a 15-year-old cellist from Calgary, Canada, who is currently studying under Morag Northey. Having started his musical journey at the age of 3, music has had a profound impact on his life. Aaron enjoys playing chamber music with other musicians, being a co-founder of the Rocky Trio in 2022, along with pianist and fellow Calgary Concerto Competition winner Charlotte Giraudeau and violinist Bowen Li. Together, they placed 2nd in the Chamber Music Junior division of the Lancaster International Piano Festival 2023 and 1st in the 2024 Junior division of the Lancaster International Piano Festival. The Rocky Trio had also placed 1st in the Youth Chamber Division in the 2024 IPPA Conero International Piano Competition and 2nd place in the 2024 Nouvelles Étoiles Online Music Competition.
Aaron is also a member of the Calgary Youth Orchestra, serving as principal cellist in the 2024 Sounds of the Season and assistant principal in the performance of Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony. His most recent accomplishments include 2nd place in the 2025 Frank Simpson Concerto Competition and 3rd place in the 2024 Frank Simpson Concerto Competition.
As a student of the Academy Program at Mount Royal University Conservatory, Aaron regularly participates in masterclasses under Beth Root Sandvoss, and collaborative pianist Karen Neary. In addition, the Academy program has given him opportunities to work with many renowned guest artists, including Melissa Kraut, the New Orford String Quartet, Horacio Contreras, Joseph Johnson, Kai Gleusteen, and many more.
In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing badminton and spending time with the family fur baby, Queso.
COMPETITION: ELGAR CONCERTO IN E MINOR, OP. 85
Video courtesy of the Calgary Folk Club
COCO ZHANG
Piano, Age 17
Born in 2007, Coco Zhang is a 17-year-old Chinese Canadian pianist. She moved to Calgary in 2020 and has been studying with Dr. Akiko Tominaga at the Mount Royal Conservatory since November 2021.
Coco competed in the Canadian Music Competition National Finals in 2022 & 2023 and has been selected to participate again this July. She has worked with many notable professors including John Perry, James Anagnoson, Jimmy Brière, Marina Lomazov, Robert Plano, Corey Hamm, Jamie Parker, and Jon Kimura Parker. She has received scholarships to study at the Mount Royal University’s Academy Program for the last 3 years. Coco will be pursuing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Toronto to further her career in music.
Along with piano, Coco finds joy in a variety of activities, including art, playing the ukulele, snowboarding, and singing. Choir has been part of Coco’s musical journey since the first grade. She joined the Calgary Girls Choir 5 years ago, under director Elaine Quilichini where she is a second soprano. Being part of the choir has significantly expanded her knowledge of music and enriched her piano performance. Coco truly cherishes the sense of unity and camaraderie fostered by performing in this ensemble.
COMPETITION:CHOPIN ANDANTE SPIANATO ET GRANDE POLONAISE BRILLANTE, OP. 22
Video courtesy of the Calgary Folk Club
OSCAR HANQI ZHANG
Piano, Age 14
Oscar Hanqi Zhang was born in 2010 in Nanjing China and moved to Canada when he was 11 years old. At an early age, Oscar developed an interest in piano, drums and painting. When he was 9 years old, he pursued his love for piano and began his formal training with Dr. Zhengbo Shi and pianist Lin Ye, who was a student of Vladimir Krainev. Since moving to Calgary in 2022, he has studied with polish pianist Krzysztof Jablonski. Currently, he is a full scholarship student at Mount Royal University Conservatory for Advanced Performance Program and studies with Akiko Tominaga.
Throughout his musical journey, Oscar has earned awards in various competitions. Prior to his win at the 2025 Rotary Calgary Concerto Competition, he received third place in the Professional Category 3 of the 2025 Chopin Youth International Competition in China. In the past years, he won awards at the 18th Ettlingen International Competition in Germany in 2022, China Grand International Piano Festival & Lang Lang Piano Competition in 2021, and 1st prize in the Children's group category at the 2021 Hannover Piano Classic Competition.
Oscar was granted a scholarship to participate in the Art of the Piano Festival in San Francisco in 2024, the Vivace Music Festival in 2024, Berkshire piano festival in 2024, and the Cleveland International Piano Institute in 2023. In his pursuit of musical excellence, he has taken part in numerous masterclasses and received guidance from renowned pianists such as Gerrit Zitterbart, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Kevin Kern, and Boris Slutsky. Apart from his dedication to studying piano, Oscar enjoys chess, reading, and mathematics, and has a strong passion for playing soccer.
COMPETITION: BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO. 2 IN B-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 19
Video courtesy of the Calgary Folk Club
RUNNERS UP:
Avery Krahn (age 18)
Aidan Lu (age 12)
Jinqi Hu (age 14)
Ian Quon (age 11)