Nova Scotian Pianist Devin Huang Wins Debut Atlantic’s Award for Musical Excellence
April 25, 2023
NOVA SCOTIAN PIANIST DEVIN HUANG WINS DEBUT ATLANTIC’S AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE
K’JIUPUKTUK/HALIFAX,NS – Debut Atlantic is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2023 Award for Musical Excellence is 16-year-old pianist Devin Huang, from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Devin was also the 2022 Award winner and is the first ever two-time winner in Debut Atlantic’s history.
Established in 1999, the Debut Atlantic Award for Musical Excellence is awarded annually to an Atlantic Canadian high school music student as chosen by a member of our distinguished alumni. The Award recognizes talented youth and is designed to support and encourage the development of young musicians in Atlantic Canada. The Award consists of a cash prize of $2,000 and a featured performance, as well as mentorship opportunities with a Debut Atlantic artist or alum. This year’s esteemed juror, pianist Bryn Blackwood, praised Devin’s beautifully touching performance. He noted that Devin performs with “beautiful images and admirable dexterity,” along with “many impactful moments and great rhythmic precision.”
Devin Huang is a Grade 11 student at Sacred Heart School of Halifax and has been a student of Prof. Lynn Stodola since 2016. In summer 2022, Devin participated at the international Domaine Forget de Charlevoix Music Festival in 2022. He studied with Charles Richard-Hamelin, Angela Cheng, Benedetto Lupo, IIya Poletaev. and was the youngest accepted to the program. Devin competed in two prestigious National competitions in 2021: Representing Nova Scotia at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals National Competition in August, Devin won the First Prize in the Emerging Artist Piano Division, and, representing the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association Piano Competition in July, he won the Third Prize as well as the Chopin Award for the best performance of a work by Chopin. Devin was the youngest competitor in both of these competitions.
In August 2020, Devin was selected by CBC Music as one of Canada’s hot “30 under 30” classical musicians. Devin has been a regular participant in numerous Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festivals, placing first in all his classes and winning several prizes and scholarships, including the prestigious President’s Cup for the past four years and the Dr. Piano and Yamaha Canada Rose Bowl in 2020 and 2021. He has also been the Junior Piano prize winner at the Nova Scotia Provincial Finals in 2018 and 2019 and the Senior Piano prize winner in 2021, as well as the winner of the Nova Scotia Registered Teachers’ Association Scholarship Competition in the Senior and Advanced Divisions (2020-2021). He has been a National Finalist in the Canadian Music Competition (2017-2019), winning first place each year in his age category as well as the Grand Prize in all instruments overall, age 11-14 in 2018. In February 2023, Devin performed as a pianist with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra in a joint concert with Symphony Nova Scotia.
Congratulations, Devin!
Debut Atlantic wishes to recognize the partners and sponsors that come together to bring incredible artists to communities and venues of all sizes across our region. This would not be possible without the generous support of sustaining partners, including Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Province of New Brunswick. Debut would also like to thank its educational partner, the Nova Scotia Department of Education; and its season partners, including the Halifax Regional Municipality, The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, Support4Culture, the Craig Foundation, Pink Larkin, Halcraft Printers, Strategic Arts Management, and InnVest Hotels (Comfort Inn).
One of the most respected music touring organizations in the country, Debut Atlantic’s first season in 1979 featured then-emerging and still-unknown artists, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, tenor Ben Heppner, and Canada’s Baroque orchestra Tafelmusik.
Full details on Debut Atlantic’s concert seasons and education programs can be found at www.debutatlantic.ca
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Erin Sparks – Executive Director or
Elizabeth Upson Perez – Program Officer
Debut Atlantic
902.429.6812