Esther Honens, a self-made millionaire music lover, left her job as office manager for the Henry Birks jewellery firm to amass a sizeable fortune through smart investments. An amateur pianist herself, Mrs Honens saw what a powerful agent for talent development and civic pride the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition had become for the city of Fort Worth. Knowing that she was nearing the end of her life, she gave $5 million to endow a similar competition in Calgary.

“My vision,” she wrote, “is to identify the finest of today’s young pianists, to bring them to Calgary in a competition that is held in the highest international esteem, and to create a legacy of musical excellence that can be enjoyed by Canadians for countless generations.”

A board of directors was quickly assembled and an Artistic Director appointed. Their challenge was to organize the inaugural competition while Mrs Honens, suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, was still alive. They barely made it. Mrs Honens had to observe the final concerts in November 1992 from a specially built chamber at the side of Jack Singer Concert Hall’s stage. Five days later, at age 89, she passed away. Esther Honens’ love of music and her generous gift have contributed substantially to the cultural life of Calgary. The endowment is maintained and administered by The Calgary Foundation.