2026 Honens Festival — Dialogues with the Piano

Enjoy an evening at Studio Bell as part of the 2026 Honens Festival, featuring an inspiring program of music and artistry.

6 pm
Pre-Concert Chat
Topic: Programming and curation for artists on their journey to becoming Complete Artists
Speakers: Winston Choi, Jon Kimura Parker, and Élisabeth Pion

7 pm
Concert
Enjoy an evening blending live piano and digital performances. Using Steinway & Sons Spirio player piano technology, Winston Choi, Jon Kimura Parker, and Carter Johnson perform live alongside their own pre-recorded performance, creating layered musical dialogues where past and present coexist and voices multiply. This showcase of artists sharing the stage with their past selves is followed by an exploration of the expansive sounds of the piano.

Program
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Contrapunctus I, VI from The Art of the Fugue
Winston Choi
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Fugue
Carter Johnson
DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH Fugue
Carter Johnson
ALFRED SCHNITTKE Prelude and Fugue
Carter Johnson
GLENN GOULD So You Want to Write a Fugue
Winston Choi
WINSTON CHOI Deconstrapunctus
Winston Choi

INTERMISSION

ROBERT SCHUMANN Gesänge der Frühe (Songs of the Dawn) Op. 133 No. 1
Carter Johnson
MAURICE RAVEL Jeux d’eau
Jon Kimura Parker
BRIAN CURRENT Far Beyond Things Finite
Winston Choi
ALEXINA LOUIE Scenes from a Jade Terrace
Jon Kimura Parker
TORU TAKEMITSU Rain Tree Sketch II (In Memoriam Olivier Messiaen)
Carter Johnson
OLIVIER MESSIAEN Le baiser de l’Enfant-Jésus from Vingts Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
Winston Choi

About Honens
So many piano competitions, so little time. Canada’s Honens Competition, however, may be on to something.” —The New Yorker
Honens, home of Canada’s international piano competition, cultivates piano artistry, supports remarkable young artists, and inspires a richer understanding of the piano and its music. Esther Honens created a legacy of musical excellence to be enjoyed for generations. In 1991, Mrs. Honens gave $5 million to endow an international piano competition in her hometown of Calgary, Canada. Today, the triennial Honens International Piano Competition is considered one of the world’s most prestigious events of its kind. Honens prepares its Laureates, who embody the philosophy of the Complete Artist, for professional careers in music, through a comprehensive and customizable three-year artistic development and career accelerator program which creates opportunities for exposure and holistic growth. Community events and initiatives, along with the annual Honens Festival, are intended to share Mrs. Honens’ love of world-renowned music, and provide every Calgarian access to barrier free, enriching musical experiences. Her generosity, vision, and love of music continue to touch the lives of musicians and music-lovers at home and around the world. Honens Legacy Partners support the ongoing growth and development of Esther Honens’ vision by securing the organization’s future. The Legacy Partners Endowment Fund enables Honens to provide wide-reaching programming through its annual festival and other enriching community education and outreach initiatives.