About
Zuzana Šimurdová
A Journey through the Soul of Classical Music
ZUZANA ŠIMURDOVÁ (Schimurdova)
is a Canadian pianist of Czech origin, fascinated by classical and contemporary music.
Following the success of the World premiere CD recording of the complete Fiser Piano Sonatas on the NAXOS Grand Piano label, in February 2025, she released her “Vertical Landscapes” CD of Canadian contemporary women composers for PGMaudio label.
"There is so much depth to her playing that it is at times difficult to find the appropriate vocabulary expression to describe it."
@Jerry Ozypko, Canadian Music Centre
A Graduate from the Université de Montreal (D.E.S.S.) and Concordia University Montreal, (DAMPS) (Canada), Janáček Conservatory Ostrava (DiS.) and Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts Brno (MgA.) (Czech Republic), Zuzana continued her studies under the guidance of Professor Renna Kellaway from the Royal Northern College of Music (UK). (Socrates/Erasmus scholarship).
She is a winner of the UNESCO- Aschberg Award in Paris for her performance of the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. Zuzana is a winner of the 1st Prize at the International Music Competition in London and the 1st Prize at the International Piano Masterclasses Competition "Prague-Vienna-Budapest".
She made her Carnegie Hall Debut as a Winner of the Chopin Award at the IBLA Grand Prize International Competition and her debut performances in South Korea & China as part of the ZUMI Piano Duo, formed together with her husband, Dr. Mikolaj Warszynski.
“ Performance of this young artist was characterized by a big sense of Chopin style, technical perfection but also a delicacy in the command of the melodic lines. Certainly we can say that here we have a great “Chopinist” because she absorbed the idiom of Chopin’s music”
@Joanna Tumilowicz Magazine Maestro, Warsaw
As a piano soloist, Zuzana Simurdova has most recently performed the Mozart Piano Concerto No.12, KV 414 with the Chamber Orchestra Edmonton, under the baton of Lidia Khaner and gave the Canadian premiere performance of the Piano Concertino H.264 by Bohuslav Martinu with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Claude Lapalme.
Zuzana has also performed the Beethoven “Emperor” Concerto with the West Bohemian Symphony Ochestra (CZ), Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra (CZ) and Orchestra Symphonique de l’Isle, Montreal; the Grieg Piano Concerto with Janacek Orchestra (CZ) and the LUUMS Orchestra Leeds, (GB); Poulenc Concerto for 2 Pianos with the Kielce Philharmonic Orchestra (PL) under the baton of Jacek Rogala.
Zuzana Simurdová started her piano and composition studies at the age of 7 and made her 1st radio appearance at the age of 9, after winning 4 prizes at the Young Composers Competition in Czechia. Her great inspiration is a composer and organist (her great-grand-father Eduard Marhula (1877-1925), who was a student of the Czech composer Leoš Janáček. Marhula founded the first state Music Institute in her hometown Ostrava (1907); now named after him.
She has given solo and chamber concerts across Europe, the US, Canada, China and South Korea. She is enjoying chamber music as well, as a part of the ZUMI Piano Duo, formed together with her husband, pianist, Dr. Mikolaj Warszynski. Selected venues took place: Carnegie Weill Hall in New York, Royal Festival Hall in London, Leeds Town Hall, Park Lazienki in Warsaw, Salle Claude Champagne in Montreal, Besedni House in Brno, Altes Rathaus in Vienna, Oscar Peterson Concert Hall in Montreal, Villa Criscone in Ragusa, Rolston Recital Hall in Banff, Convocation and Muttard Hall in Edmonton, Philharmonic House of Gustav Mahler in Jihlava, Hoyeum Art Hall in Daegu, Baltic Philharmonic House in Gdansk, Winspear Centre in Edmonton.
Zuzana is very honoured to have received grants from the Alberta Founndation for the Arts and from the Canada Council for the Arts, for her Contemporary Music Projects for piano solo and for ZUMI Duo.She has been a featured artist on radio broadcast in Czech and Canada, and made her TV appearance on France 2, CT 2, CT1 and OMNI TV Toronto.
Zuzana has taught full time Piano Interpretation at the University of Daegu, part time at the Janacek Conservatory in Seul (South Korea) and at the Conservatory in Opava, (Czech Republic). She lives in Edmonton, where she established the Chopin Piano Studio.
Simurdova’s playing, like her liner notes, has the inmistakable conviction and persuasiveness of a true believer..
@Jim Svejda, Fanfare Magazine
Simurdova plays with color and affection. Her Bosendorfer sounds gorgeous. Listen to the delicate splashes of color in the Andante…
@Jack Sulivan, American Record Guide
…But above all, it is her own musical sensitivity, eloquence and natural artistry that set Zuzana apart from her peers”
@Christopher Jackson, FRSC, Conductor Montréal.
Broadcast Interviews
