By Dirk Langeveld

WESTPORT — A long-running competition will return to MoCA\CT this weekend, allowing audiences to see up-and-coming classical musicians perform live.

The finalists in the Heida Hermanns International Music Competition will be on stage from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14th at the museum. The ticketed event is $90 for general admission, $80 for seniors, and $25 for students. 

During the competition, each performer will complete a 45-minute program to demonstrate their technical skill and artistry across five musical areas. The concert is designed to be a personal statement from each musician, reflecting their voice, vision, and interpretive depth.

The 2026 competition includes a new commission from the composer Samuel Adams. The three finalists were chosen after a preliminary audition.

A range of talent

MoCA\CT is welcoming Matthew Figel, Juhee Lim, and Daria Podorozhnova as this year’s finalists.

Figel is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Eastman School of Music, where he studies with Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers. He began his piano studies when he was 10 years old and has performed extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

Figel’s prior competition successes have included top prizes in the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition, Harold Protsman Classical Period Competition, and Steve Kahng International Piano Competition. He was also a finalist in the 2022 International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition, where he placed sixth overall.

In addition to his performances, Figel teaches primary and secondary applied piano lessons, piano literature, and class piano at Eastman. He has also served as a reviewer for the American Record Guide and an artist-in-residence at Valley Manor Living Center, where he performed monthly recitals in Rochester, N.Y. for the senior community and outreach centers.

Lim has received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, and will begin a Master of Musical Arts program at the Yale School of Music. She has won the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at The Juilliard School as well as The Juilliard School’s Concerto Competition.

Lim has earned grand prizes at several other concerts, including the PyeongChang Music Festival Competition in South Korea and the IMA Festival Competition in Japan. She was a finalist in the Clara Haskil Piano Competition, and has performed with numerous orchestras and as a soloist at several music festivals.

Podorozhnova has received numerous prizes for her work, including first place at the Ann & Charles Eisemann Young Artist Competition, the gold medal at the Professional Young Artist Concerto Division at the 2025 International Keyboard Odyssiad & Festival, and first place at the Chopin International Piano Competition. She has also received top prizes at international competitions in Russia and Kazakhstan.

First starting her studies at age six, Podorozhnova has appeared extensively as a recitalist and concerto soloist in Russia. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music.

A longstanding legacy

The competition is named for Heida Hermanns, a pianist, teacher, and philanthropist who founded the Connecticut Alliance for Music. Hermanns made her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic at age 18 and toured Europe as a recitalist and concerto soloist through the 1920s and 1930s.

The Heida Hermanns International Music Competition was established in 1972, and has taken place each year except for hiatuses in 2017-2018 and 2020-2021. In 2025, the competition named two winners for the first time in its history, selecting both Zhu Wang and Ye-Eun Hyun for the top honor.

This year’s judges include Frederic Chiu, the winner of the 1986 competition, as well as Steven Spooner and Milana Strezeva. For more information, visit mocact.org.

Heida Hermanns International Music Competition

Saturday, November 14
4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
MoCA\CT
19 Newtown Turnpike
Westport

Expanded coverage of Fairfield County cultural events is made possible with support from the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts

Dirk Langeveld

^{_{Dirk Langeveld has worked as a news reporter, content marketing specialist, and freelance writer. He is the author of “The Artful Dodger: The 20-Year Pursuit of World War I Draft Dodger Grover Cleveland Bergdoll” and has contributed to several books on Connecticut history.}}