ALLEN RACHO

AGE 49  I  BOLINGBROOK, ILLINOIS  I  UNITED STATES
SOFTWARE ARCHITECT

Allen Racho completed two undergraduate degrees at Amherst College: one in biology and the other in composition with a thesis in—appropriately— electronic music. He has been a software engineer and architect for the past 20 years, in fields as diverse as medical technology and the retail sector. Spending the earliest part of his childhood in Asia and Europe, Allen’s formative musical experience was at the Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia. He is currently a technology lead for Ulta Beauty’s IT Marketing group, a primary driver of sales for the major U.S. retailer. Allen and his father consider Van Cliburn one of their idols; participating in a competition named in honor of the great pianist is “icing on the cake—very nice icing on a very nice cake.” At this pivotal time in his musical journey, before new paths make their demands on the time he can devote to piano, Allen competes “for the sheer joy of playing alongside and being measured against the most dedicated and talented musicians out there, who just happen to not be doing this for a living.”

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

KAPUSTIN Concert Etude, op. 40, no. 3 “Toccatina”
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 11, “Harmonies du soir”
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1

Semifinal Round 

KAPUSTIN Concert Etude, op. 40, no. 6 “Pastoral”
CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
GERSHWIN–WILD “Embraceable You”
CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, op. 53, (“Héroïque”)

Final Round 

GRIEG Concerto in A Minor, op. 16 (III)