As the triumphant last notes of Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 rang out, the packed auditorium filled with thunderous applause.
Catherine He, the pianist performing the concerto, is not a professional musician, or even a music major, but rather an undergraduate computer science student at the University of Waterloo.
He, who has been playing the piano since she was four years old, is the most recent winner of Conrad Grebel University College’s Concerto and Aria Competition. Held every two years, the competition invites Waterloo students and recent graduates to perform a piece written for soloist and orchestra before a panel of professional musician judges. During the competition portion, the orchestra part is played by an accompanist on piano. The winner, chosen in the winter term, gets to perform their chosen piece with the full Waterloo university orchestra later that year.
Read the full story from Waterloo News to learn more.