Updated: July 11, 9:23 A.M.

Miton, Ontario

JOHANN DERECHO: THE PHILIPPINES’ ANSWER TO LANG LANG

Oswald Magno

A young Filipino-Canadian, Johann Derecho, may just be the one who will put the Philippines on the map for his superb classical music piano playing skills.

At the age of five, Johann’s extraordinary gift of music became apparent as he could name notes and chords by ear after just a few sessions with his piano teacher.

An examiner called him a prodigy at the age of seven.

Johann’s talent has been recognized in piano competitions year after year.

In 2015, he toured Ontario to perform solo recitals after winning the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association (ORMTA) Young Artist Competition.

In 2016, while at a music camp in the Netherlands, he was invited to play with the Real Filharmonia de Galicia in Spain.

At a very young age, he has performed with the Burlington Symphony, Milton Philharmonic, and Cambridge Symphony orchestras.

Johann is so talented he received a full 4-year tuition scholarship at the famed Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, under the mentorship of world-renowned pianist and pedagogue John O’Conor, and is presently in his 3^rd year at the school.

He recently gave a 3^rd year recital, playing Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor (see video).

Johann was only 3 years old when he and his parents, Richmond and Anita, moved to Canada in 2002.   He completed his elementary and high school in Milton, Ontario.

Richmond is a tooling engineer and an accomplished guitarist, while Anita is venturing into an online business.

Johann loves to sing and is taking voice in addition to piano performance. He was awarded a gold medal in his Grade 8 voice exam at the Royal Conservatory of Music. He also enjoys playing the trombone and dabbling in wildlife photography.

Both Johann and Richmond volunteer every week as music ministers at New Life Church in Milton, Ontario.  

This young man’s career is worth following as, even now, he is a source of immense pride for many Filipino-Canadians who have seen him perform virtually or in person.

 

Sergei Pavlov’s students

Sergei Pavlov piano school Debut Piano Studio welcomes students from the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area. Our students achieve top ratings in RCM piano examinations in Toronto and win top prizes and scholarships in music festivals and competitions. Some of the piano studio’s alumni went to further accomplishments: scholarships from the Glenn Gould School of Music, the Ben Steinberg Musical Legacy Award and appearances with symphony orchestras in the Greater Toronto Area.

For hundreds of video recordings of our students in recitals please visit Sergei Pavlov’s Youtube channel.

Breaking News: Our student Johann Derecho just won the ORMTA Young Artist Competition at the provincial level on July 25, 2015. The same competition honoured him with the Esther Su Memorial Award for the most promising talent out of all competitors in different categories. Johann’s prizes come with a monetary award and a concert tour in the province of Ontario. We are thrilled and looking forward to seeing him perform in concerts.

At the North York Music Festival Johann won the Founder’s Award Class and Scholarship which entitled him to attend the Peter de Grote Festival and Summer Academy in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in July 2015.

Johann – RCM, ARCT – Watch video…

• CCC Toronto Piano Competition, 2014: First Place in the Age Achievement category with Prelude and Fugue by Bach andBasso Ostinato by Shchedrin. He also received the Third Place with Partita in C Minor by Bach.
• Two First Places, Arts Richmond Hill Music Festival, November 2013. Performed at the Gala Concert in the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts
• Second Place in the Canadian Music Competition national finals in Quebec, June 2013
• Winner of Symphony on the Bay’s 2013 Young Artists’ Competition, Junior category. Invited to perform with the Symphony on the Bay in concert at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre on November 3, 2013. See news article.
• Gold standing in North York Concerto Competition, 2013, promoted on the shortlist for Symphony Orchestra performance selection
• First Place in Concerto category with a mark of 91, Markham Music Festival 2013
• First Place in the Artist category, North York Music Festival, 2013
• First Place in the Artist category, Newmarket Lions Music Festival, 2013
• First Place and Ann Hulbert Award in the Advanced category with a mark of 96, ORMTA Auditions, 2013. Promoted to the GTA Zone competition.
• Passed two rounds of elimination and placed seven out of fourteen in the finals of the Canadian Music Competition 2012
• First Place with the best mark of 91, and another First Place with a score of 90, at Mandarin Lions Music Festival 2012
• Ann Hulbert Award with best mark of 93 in the senior category, ORMTA Auditions, 2012
• First, Second and Third Place, Newmarket Lions Music Festival, 2012
• First Place, Markham Music Festival, 2012
• Second Place and Third Place, CCC Music Competition, 2012
• Second Place and Third Place, Arts Richmond Hill Music Festival, November 2011