Join us in watching today’s top young Canadian pianists in the 2026 Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition at the Isabel! All concerts are free and open to the public.
Register your attendance in advance to receive a reminder about the concerts!
The six semi-finalists for the 2026 competition are Lauren Esch, Eric Guo, Linda Ruan, Charissa Vandikas, Naomi Wong, and Vanessa Yu. Three finalists will advance to the Final Round following the Semi-Final performances on May 6 and 7. The finalists will be announced on May 7 at 6:00pm. Performance order will be announced prior to May 9.
We are pleased to welcome Eric Friessen, well-known former CBC host and performing arts commentator, to serve as moderator for the semi-finals and finals rounds of the competition.
The vision for the 2026 competition draws from the Isabel’s 2025-2026 season theme of “Extending the Rafters,” invoking the Haudenosaunee tradition of building good relations. Inspired by this theme, we are exploring ways piano competitions can be diversified with respect to Indigenization – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Black Racism, and Accessibility.
The 2026 competition includes a newly commissioned work by acclaimed Indigenous composer, Cris Derksen. In the Final Round pianists create their own program with works that may include the pianist’s own composition, a work by a BIPOC composer, and/or a work by a woman Canadian composer.
In addition, two special prizes have been established for the preliminary round: 1) most outstanding performance of a work by a BIPOC composer; and 2) most outstanding performance of a work by a woman composer.
“The Isabel is excited about promoting this expanded frame of the competition and the potential for an immediate ongoing impact on audiences and talented emerging pianists. It is our intention that `Extending the Rafters’ in these ways will help to open up new pathways of inclusion at the same time as sustaining the highest standards of performance excellence.” (Gordon E. Smith, Director, Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts).
Event Artists
No InformationIsabel Bader: 2026 Bader & Overton Canadian Piano Competition Finalist Rounds
Date/Time
Saturday, May 9, 2026
12:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Location
Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
390 King St W
Kingston, ON
Canada, K7L 2X4
Price
$0
Phone
613-533-2424
Website
https://www.queensu.ca/theisabel/whats-on/2026-bader-overton-canadian-piano-competition-day-3
Categories
No Categories
Types
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