A TEENAGE virtuoso who has garnered a reputation as one of the finest musicians of his generation has won the Cork Person of the Month award.

From an early age, 17-year-old Kevin Jansson from Wilton, showed promise in his musical skills, giving his first piano recital at the age of 12.

One year later he made his concert debut during the Cork International Choral Festival, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor with the CIT Cork School of Music Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Dr Geoffrey Spratt.

He has already taken first prize in five international competitions on both piano and violin and in 2017 his debut piano solo CD was released by the Swiss record label, Claves, and launched as part of the Cork Fleischmann Symphony Orchestra concert at Cork City Hall. He also made his Carnegie Hall debut last November with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta.

In 2014, Kevin was one of 12 young pianists selected from around the world to participate in the Allianz Lang Lang Foundation Music Camp in Barcelona, culminating in a concert masterclass with Chinese Concert Pianist, Lang Lang.

A piano student of Mary Beattie at the CIT Cork School of Music since the age of six, he is also under the tutelage of Una Kindlon for his violin studies.

Awards organiser Manus O’Callaghan said: “In a very short period of time, Kevin has forged a reputation for himself as one of the finest musicians of his generation. The awards he has won and the accolades he has received for someone so young speaks for itself.

“Kevin has a very bright future and I look forward to seeing him perform in the greatest music venues in the world.”

Kevin has participated in the William Finlay Mentoring Programme for Gifted Pianists run by the Dublin International Piano Competition.

He has also played at numerous festivals throughout Ireland, including the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, the Westport Festival of Chamber Music and at the launch of the New Ross Piano Festival. He has also performed at the National Concert Hall Ireland on several occasions.