Pianist Dylan Keane wins the 2024 RIAM Junior Solo Competition with a fantastic performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor Op. 37, Mvt. 1 and was accompanied by Aidan Keane. After a tough preliminary round of 19 participants, the judges had the difficult decision of deciding between the 8 finalists, with varied instrumentation and repertoire.
Congratulations to Dylan, and a huge thank you to Brian Farren of the Dublin Philharmonic Society for the sponsorship, all the participants and attendees who made it down to the Whyte Recital Hall and special thanks to Dearbhla Brosnan and the other accompanists of the night.
The 2024 finalists included Jēkabs Brants (clarinet), Ai Lin Sun (piano), Anita Han (cello), Christina Troup (horn), Louise Byrne (piano), Kian Lee (violin), Iris De Mot Diez (saxophone) and Sam Monedero Egan (violin).
The jury consisted of Ross Lyness (Head of Wind, Brass & Percussion, RIAM), Brendan Breslin (Head of Junior, Adult & Lifelong Learning, RIAM), Gerard Keenan (CEO, Irish Chamber Orchestra), and Deborah Kelleher (Director, RIAM).
Dylan Keane is 12 years old and is currently studying piano under Professor Peter Tuite and Professor Anthony Byrne. Dylan has won 1st prize in numerous national and International piano competitions including Feis Ceoil Ireland, The Vilnius International Youth Music Competition, Piano Talents Milano, The International Music Festival in Paris, The César Franck International Piano Competition in Belgium and Mozarte International Piano Competition in Aachen, Germany. He has also achieved the Overall Award in EPTA Ireland and Absolute Award in Tadini International Piano Competition in Italy. Dylan has participated in many festivals and concerts and performed with the César Franck Chamber Orchestra conducted by Masahi Katayama.
Junior RIAM musicians performed a movement from a concerto/work written for solo instrument/voice and orchestra for the chance to win €600 and a public recital presented by the Dublin Philharmonic Society in memory of Vincent O Neill. The Dublin Philharmonic Society is a voluntary non-profit-making society established in 1985 by Vincent O Neill and a group of like-minded, music-loving friends to give talented young musicians the valuable opportunity to perform to a live audience and develop their presentation skills.