Charles Richard-Hamelin, a freshly minted B. Mus. graduate of McGill’s Schulich School of Music, won the $25,000 grand prize at Quebec’s Prix d’Europe 2011 competition in June – wrapping up a remarkably successful year for the 22-year-old pianist.
Richard-Hamelin, a student of Prof. Sara Laimon, also captured First Prize at the 2011 Toronto Symphony Orchestra National Piano Competition in May, earning an $8,000 cash award and a date to perform a concerto with the TSO during the orchestra’s 2012-2013 season.
In the past year, Richard-Hamelin also was the second-prize winner in Canada’s prestigious Stepping Stone competition and first-prize winner of the ARAM competition in Repentigny, Quebec; the Festival de musique du Royaume in Quebec’s Saguenay region; and the Schulich concerto competition.
The young Schulich alumnus, originally from the Lanaudière region of Quebec, will pursue a master’s degree at the Yale School of Music.