{"id":14131,"date":"2025-04-04T12:39:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T12:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mariacanals.org\/competition\/biography-of-the-finalists"},"modified":"2026-05-31T19:21:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T19:21:54","slug":"biography-of-the-finalists","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mariacanals.org\/en\/competition\/biography-of-the-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography of the finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The finalists of the 71st Maria Canals International Piano Competition of Barcelona 2026 are young international talents selected for their artistic and technical excellence. Through a rigorous competition process, they have demonstrated a high level of musical mastery, and their professional paths reflect a deep commitment to the art of piano. Discover their backgrounds and musical training through their biographies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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\n\t\tBiography of the finalists\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t71st MCB Competition 2026\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\tChina \t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\tZhu Wang \t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\tWinner of the First Prize, Fundaci\u00f3 Occident Prize\t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Praised as \u201cespecially impressive\u201d and \u201ca thoughtful, sensitive performer\u201d who \u201cbalanced lyrical warmth and crisp clarity\u201d(Tommasini\u2013The New York Times), pianist Zhu Wang was awarded First Prize in the 2020 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Gold Medalist at 2024 New Orleans International Piano Competition. Zhu was one of the finalists in the 2019 Clara Haskil International Piano Competition, and one of the prizewinners of 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition. The world-renowned pianist Fou Ts\u2019ong recognized Zhu as an \u201cexcellent pianist with a natural sense of harmony and imagination,\u201d whose sensitive and engaging performances exhibit a remarkable depth of musicianship and poise beyond his age.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Zhu is a graduate of Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School and received Gina Bachauer Scholarship, Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship, and Mehlin Prize. His teachers include Emanuel Ax, Robert McDonald, and Zhe Tang. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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\n\t\tSouth Korea \t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\tJunho Cha \t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\tSecond Place, Maria Font de Carulla Prize\t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Junho Cha has performed in the Kumho Prodigy & Young Artist Concert, Salle Cortot (Animato), the Seoul Arts High School Concert & Young Artist Concert, the Little Mozart Solo Recital, a solo recital at Elim Art Center, and the Seoul Arts Center Genies Academy Concert. He has performed with many orchestras, including Daegu MBC, Gyeonggi Province Philharmonic and the Seoul Youth Arts High School Orchestra.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

He won First Prize at the EumAk Chunchoo and Young Chang Competitions, and received Second Prize at both the JoongAng and Ewha\u2013KyungHyang Competitions, establishing himself as a promising young pianist.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

He graduated from Yewon School, ranked second upon graduating from the Music Department of Seoul Arts High School, and is currently a third-year student at Seoul National University, where he studies piano with EunJung Shon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\tChina \t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\tZhang Zhiqiao\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\tThird Place, Fundaci\u00f3 Vila Casas Prize\t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Born in a Chinese musical family, Zhiqiao Zhang started to learn piano at 3, and gave his first public concert at 8. As a passionate concert musician, Zhiqiao has performed in many important venues such as Teatro of Scala, Warsaw Philharmony as a participant of F.Chopin International Piano Competition.Jordan Hall and Boston Symphony hall in USA.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As a winner of more than 20 international and national piano competitions, Zhiqiao Zhang has recently been awarded the 1st Prize at the 28th \u201cMauro Monopoli\u201d Prize, the 6th Fujairah international piano Competition awarded by the king of Fujairah, the San Dona di Piave international piano comeptition,\u00a0 lancaster International piano festival competition, Arizona Piano Institute\u2019s Solo Piano Competitio and the Giulio Rospigliosi International Piano Competition, 3rd prize at 2024 RAHN Musikpreis F\u00fcr Klavier, 2023 \u201c La Palma d\u2019Oro”International piano competition.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In September 2025, he released his first CD under the label of Moto Amonico Record.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The finalists of the 71st Maria Canals International Piano Competition of Barcelona 2026 are young international talents selected for their artistic and technical excellence. 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