Prize-winning pianist performs on Oct. 14

MANILA, Philippines –  The first woman to win the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition performs in Manila on Oct. 14 at the Philamlife Auditorium at 8 p.m. 

Sofya Gulyak was awarded the 1st prize and the Princess Mary gold medal at the 16th Leeds International Piano Competition in September 2009, the first woman to win since the competition began in 1961. The Leeds is acknowledged to be among the world’s top ten piano competitions, along with the Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Rubinstein and America’s Van Cliburn. Held every three years, The Leeds is held in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, celebrating and inspiring pianistic excellence and world-class musicianship. 

Gulyak has won many other prestigious piano competitions such as the William Kapell International Piano Competition in USA (1st prize); Maj Lind Helsinki International Piano Competition; Tivoli Piano Competition in Copenhagen; Gyeongnam International Piano Competition in South Korea; San Marino Piano Competition; Busoni Piano Competition in Italy (2nd prize); and Marguerite Long Piano Competition in Paris (3rd prize). She also served as a jury member at the international piano competitions in Italy, Serbia and Greece.

Gulyak is a native of Kazan (Russia) where she studied in a special music college, and then in Kazan State Conservatoire under professor Elfiya Burnasheva. She graduated from Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot with the highest distinction. She later studied at the Piano Academy Incontri col Maestri in Imola, Italy, with Boris Petrushansky and at the Royal College of Music with Vanessa Latarche.

Gulyak has performed in numerous concert halls such as Sala Verdi in Milan, Salle Cortot, Salle Gaveau and Salle Pleyel in Paris, Moscow Conservatoire, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Sala Bossi in Bologna, Finlandia Concert Hall in Helsinki, Leeds Town Hall, Salle Moliere in Lyon, Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, King Theatre in Rabat, Kursaal in Bern, and Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen.

She was soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Symphony Orchestra, Oulu Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Morocco Orchestra, Copenhagen Symphony, Orchestre National de France, Baltimore Symphony, Kazan Symphony, Samara Symphony, Kazan Chamber Orchestra. She has participated in many festivals, including Festival du Sceaux, Festival d’Annecy, International Keyboard Festival in New York, Liszt Festival in Villa d’Este, Nordlys Festival in Norway, Ravello Festival and the Sorrento Music Festival. She received scholarships from the Rostropovich Foundation and the Russian President Foundation.

The concert is a presentation of the Heritage Institute Center, ROS Music Center and Philamlife Insurance Company. For tickets, call ROS Music at 440-1021 or the Heritage Institute at 453-7918.