Student Achievements
Performance Distinctions & Awards
Our students have achieved...
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Multiple listings in the CBC's "Top 30 under 30" hottest young musicians in Canada
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Multiple performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as major Canadian & International recital venues including Koerner Hall, Walter Hall, the Glenn Gould Studio, Classical 96.3 FM, Fairchild TV, OMNI TV, the Richmond Hill Center for the Arts, Markham Theater, Newmarket Performing Arts Centre, Aurora Cultural Center, CBC Music (formerly CBC Radio 2), von Kuster Hall, and many, many more
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Orchestra performances with Canadian Sinfonietta (5), Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, Kindred Spirits Orchestra (3), Cathedral Bluffs Symphony (5), the National Youth Orchestra of Holland, North American Chinese Orchestra, Glenn Gould School Orchestra/RCM, Wilfred Laurier Symphony Orchestra, IPPA/Conero Festival Orchestra
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Professional and recital series appearances: Young Artist in Residence at the Festival of the Sound, Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Music Society (7), Westben, the Steinway Series /Toronto (8), ORMTA Young Artist Tour (4), the University of Toronto Arts and Letters Club, Tour of Canada for Jeunnesses Musicales
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City of Markham Distinguished Artist prize presented by Mayor Frank Scarpitti
Student Antian Jiang receiving the City of Markham Distinguished Artist prize presented by Mayor Frank Scarpitti
International Piano Competitions
Our students are...
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Major prize winners in the ARD, Berlin International Amateurs, Boston International Amateurs, Crescendo International Piano Competition, GOCAA International Music Competition, Music and Stars International Competition, American Protégé, Sound Espressivo International Piano Competition, IPPA/Conero International Piano Competition, Vivo International Music Competition, Grand Metropolitan Piano Competition, Classicalia Global Music Competition, Steinway Competition, Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition, Young Euregio Piano Award, Malopolska International Music Competition, Stockholm International Music Competition, Carles & Sofia International Piano Competition
Student Grace Wei making her Carnegie Hall debut
National and Provincial Competitions
Our students are...
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Winners of the CMC Grand Prize, CFMTA National Piano Competition, Semifinalists in the Bader Overton National Piano Competition
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OMFA Provincial Competitions: multiple first prizes in the Open, ARCT/diploma and grade 10 levels, as well as numerous 2nds, 3rds, and Honourable Mentions
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ORMTA Provincial Competitions: multiple first prize winners in the Level A Young Artist category, and the Level B diploma category.
Lauren Esch in performance
Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM)
Examinations
Our students are...
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National Gold Medal winners of the LRCM examination (2)
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National Gold Medal winner of the ARCT examination
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Youngest ever recipient of the LRCM with distinction ranking in the history of RCM exams.
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Dozens of LRCM, ARCT and Grade 10 level examinations completed with Distinction
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Dozens of level 1-9 examinations completed with Distinction
Scholarships & Bursaries
Over the past 10 years, our students have earned well over $60,000 in scholarships and bursaries from local competitions and festivals. This does not include the numerous full scholarships and partial scholarships which were awarded to students going on to the university level. With these factored in, the total would be well over $150,000.
Dr. Esch with Glenn Gould :)
International/National Music Festivals
& Summer Studies
Full scholarship recipients to festivals including the Morningside Music Bridge, John O’Conor’s Beethoven Boot Camp (Ireland), Orford, Domaine Forget, Peter the Great (Peter de Grote) Music Festival (Netherlands), Chautauqua Institute (New York), Conero International Piano Festival (Italy), Vancouver Piano Sessions, Francis Poulenc Academy (France), RCM Piano Intensive (Toronto)
Masterclasses with Major Artists
Esch Music Academy students have been very fortunate to have been featured in master classes with some of the world's best performers and pedagogues. These include:
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James Anagnoson - Dean Emeritus, The Glenn Gould School
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Michelle Cann - Curtis/Manhattan
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Katherine Chi - Honens Intl. Winner
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Simone Dinnerstein - Intl. touring concert pianist
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Enrico Elisi - Texas Christian University
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Janina Fialkoswka - Intl. touring Concert Pianist
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Gary Graffman - Curtis (teacher of Lang Lang and Yuja Wang)
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Arthur Greene - University of Michigan
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Charles Richard Hamelin - Intl. Chopin Competition Laureate
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Corey Hamm - UBC
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Krzysztof Jablonski - Warsaw Academy
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David Jalbert - University of Ottawa
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Kyu Yeon Kim - Seoul National Conservatory
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Michael Kim - Yamaha Artist, Rutgers University
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Andre LaPlante - Intl. touring Concert Pianist
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Myong Joo Lee - Colburn Institute - USC
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Meng Chie Liu - Curtis, NEC
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John O’Conor - GGS, Dublin International Piano Competition
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Ronan O'Hora - Guildhall
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HaeSun Paik - NEC
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James Parker - Chair of the Keyboard dept., U of T, Gryphon Trio
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Jon Kimura Parker, OC - Rice University, Intl. touring Concert Pianist
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John Perry - Colburne/USC, GGS
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Roman Rabinovich - Intl. Rubinstein Competition Winner
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Robert Roux - Rice University Chair, Steinway Artist
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Boris Slutsky - Yale, Peabody
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Scott McBride Smith - Former President, MTNA
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Sasha Starcevich - International master performer/pedagogue
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Wayne Weng - Steinway Artist
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Jack Winerock - Steinway Artist, Kansas University. Protege of Dorothy Taubmann
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Carol Wong - Carnegie Hall class Concert Pianist
(listed alphabetically by last name)
Dr. Esch with his fellow Vancouver Piano Sessions faculty members
Dr. Esch and Michelle Cann
Dr. Esch & Lauren Esch with John Perry