CHARISSA VANDIKAS

Praised for her “fabulous sense of style and musical expression”, Charissa Vandikas has established herself as a pianist with a promising future. She has been featured in CBC’s prestigious list “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”, and most recently won first prize in the Concours de concerto 2023 de l’Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal. She has been the recipient of top prizes in various competitions, including the 70th ARD International Music Competition, the Concours Prix d'Europe, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association National Piano Competition, and the Canadian Music Competition. Ms. Vandikas is a proud recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Developing Artist Grant for Classical Music.

 

Ms. Vandikas has appeared as a soloist in the concert series of Koerner Hall, the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Music Society, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Festival of the Sound. Making her orchestral debut with the Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra in 2013, she has since performed with orchestras around the world, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Radio orchestra, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Haydn Jeugd Strijkorkest, the Toronto Sinfonietta, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. In November of next season, she will perform under the baton of Jean-François Rivest in Montréal's Maison Symphonique.

 

An active chamber musician, her piano duo La Fiammata has gained international recognition as the winners of the Lancaster International Chamber Music Competition, Suzana Szörenyi International Piano Duo Competition, and the Northwest International Piano Ensemble Competition. They have been featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s In Concert, BR24 Rundschau (Bavarian Radio), Art Channel Romania, and EnjoyTV Romania. They look forward to their 2023-2024 tour around the country as the winners of Roadtrip! the Pan Canadian tour.

 

Ms. Vandikas is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Glenn Gould School, and the Université de Montréal, where she is currently pursuing doctoral studies with Professors Charles Richard-Hamelin and Jean Saulnier. Her former teachers include Henry Kramer, John O’Conor, and Janice Lin.