Winners of the Kent International Piano Competition
Biographies
Lara Rogacin is a pianist in her final year of a Master’s in Performance at the University of Manchester, studying with Ben Powell. In her performances she showcases diverse repertoire and versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist/repetiteur. She was awarded a Distinction in the ABRSM Diploma in Piano Performance in 2021 and has since continued to build an impressive performance portfolio. Most recently, Lara won the University of Manchester’s Concerto Competition in 2024, performing Falla’s ‘Nights in the Gardens of Spain’ in December with the University Symphony Orchestra. On her degree Lara has opportunities to perform a wide variety of music, and alongside her degree, she thoroughly enjoys teaching piano. Beyond university, Lara has been actively involved with the Kent International Piano Courses since 2017.
Caden Cheong b 2007. Caden found his passion for the piano at the age of 7, and from 2018-2025, studied at Trinity School, where he excelled within the Music Academy directed by Richard Evans. Under the guidance of his teacher, Laetitia Fédérici, Caden has refined his technique with complex works by Chopin, Debussy, Schubert, and Rachmaninov, among others, gaining recognition for his musicality. As a result, he has received several acknowledgements in outstanding performance: the Steinway Scholarship, the Chopin Etude Prize, and Musician of the Year while at Trinity, the Recital Prize and Steinway Prize at the Kent International Piano Course, and a finalist at the IPPA Conero International Piano Competition.
On international stages, from Belgium and London, to Venice, he has performed at venues such as Steinway Hall and the Royal College of Music in London, presented chamber and solo works at the Conservatorio Antonio Buzzolla in Adria, and accompanied a string orchestra in Ghent's historic Sint-Baafskathedraal. In these performances, he has shared his enjoyment of lesser-known repertoire, from composers such as Messiaen and Turina. Caden has had the privilege to receive masterclasses from many established pianists, musicians, and artists, including Mengyang Pang, Pascal Rogé, Melvyn Tan, Noriko Ogawa, and Juan Carlos Cornelles.
Beyond his pianistic career, Caden is currently a Software Engineer working for Amazon Devices. He enjoys bridging his two worlds, frequently bringing a variety of music genres to his office, with informal performances for colleagues.
Program
Caden Cheong
Sergei Rachmaninoff 1873–1943
Polichinelle, from Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, No. 4
Claude Debussy 1862–1918
La cathédrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral), from Préludes, Book I, L. 117, No. 10
Ondine, from Préludes, Book II, L. 123, No. 8
Franz Liszt 1811–1886
Harmonies du soir (Evening Harmonies), from Études d'exécution transcendante, S. 139, No. 11
Maurice Ravel 1875–1937
Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) M. 19
Lara Rogacin
Frédéric Chopin 1810-49
Nocturnes in C-sharp minor and D-flat major, Op.27
Scherzo No.1 in B minor, Op.20
Mazurka in A minor, Op.17 No.4
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