Composers: Claude Debussy

Marc-André Hamelin – Cliburn Concerts 2015–2016

Marc-André Hamelin
Cliburn at the Bass
Cliburn Concerts 2015–2016

October 6, 2015
Bass Performance Hall  I  Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

PROGRAM:
MOZART Sonata in D Major, K. 576
DEBUSSY Images, Book II
HAMELIN Variations on a Theme by Paganini (2011)
SCHUBERT Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

Marc-André Hamelin’s blend of startlingly original musicianship and virtuosity has earned him legendary status as a true avatar of the piano. Long known for his matchless exploration of unfamiliar pianistic terrain, he is now recognized worldwide for the originality and technical brilliance of his performances of the classic repertoire. His career has been replete with accolades—among them nine Grammy® nominations, the 2014 ECHO Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year, and the German Record Critics’ Lifetime Achievement Award. Writing in The New Yorker, Alex Ross praised his “monstrously brilliant technique and his questing, deepthinking approach” and called Hamelin’s hands “among the wonders of the musical world.”

Arsenii Mun – Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal Round Recital

ARSENII MUN
Russia  |  Age 16

2015 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival
June 21–28, 2015  I  TCU
Fort Worth, TX, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN 32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80
SCHUBERT Moment musicaux in C Major, D. 780, no. 1
DEBUSSY Pour le piano
SHCHEDRIN Rodion, Humoresque
LISZT “Tarantella” from Venezia e Napoli

Born in St. Petersburg, Arsenii Mun began studying music at age 6 and entered the Special Musical School-Lyceum of the State Conservatory in 2010. He gave his recital debut in 2012, and has since performed throughout Russia and with the St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony, Tchaikovsky Symphony, and Tallin Chamber Orchestras. He has won prizes in the 2011 Horowitz International Piano Competition, 2012 International Televised Competition for Young Musicians “Nutcracker” in Moscow, and the 2014 Yamaha Music Award. Also interested in chamber music, Arsenii has attended the Musica Mundi festival in Belgium—where he received feedback from Daniel Barenboim, Maxim Vengerov, and Itamar Golan—the Peter de Grote Festival in the Netherlands, and the Salzburg International Summer Academy.

Gavin Bala – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

GAVIN BALA
Singapore  |  Age 16

2015 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival
June 21–28, 2015  I  TCU
Fort Worth, TX, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, Book II, BWV 875
BRAHMS Intermezzo in E Minor, op. 119, no. 2
DEBUSSY Feux d’artifice from Preludes, Book II
CHOPIN Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat Major, op. 61

Born in Singapore, Gavin Bala has won top prizes at the Malta International Music, Thailand Mozart International, and Singapore Steinway Youth Piano Competitions. Top prize winner of the 2015 American Protégé International Concerto Competition, he will make his Carnegie Hall debut in December 2015. He has performed with the Torun Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra of the University of Alicante, and in recitals in Perugia. Gavin currently studies with Rita Sze in Singapore and Stefano Miceli, the music director and piano chair of the Milano Metropolitan Orchestra. An avid chess player—including international, Chinese (xiangqi), and Japanese (shogi) chess—Gavin is also active in the school choir, has won many prizes for mathematics, and is fluent in English, Chinese, and French.

Alim Beisembayev – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ALIM BEISEMBAYEV
Kazahkstan  |  Age 17

2015 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival
June 21–28, 2015  I  TCU
Fort Worth, TX, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3: I. Presto
RACHMANINOV Prelude in G Major, op. 32, no. 5
DEBUSSY Feux d’artifice from Preludes, Book II
LISZT Paganini Etude No. 6 in A Minor

Born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Alim Beisembayev has given recitals in London, Moscow, and Sacile (Italy), and performed with the Svetlanov Orchestra of Moscow, New Russia Orchestra, and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, working with conductors Mark Gorenstein, Evgeny Bushkov, and Dmitry Liss. Competition credits include third prize at the 2014 International Liszt Competition for Young Pianists in Weimar and first prize in the 2008 International Televised Competition for Young Musicians “Nutcracker” in Moscow. Alim began piano lessons at age 5, and moved to the United Kingdom in 2010 to attend the Purcell School for Young Musicians, first studying with Rustem Hayroudinoff and now with Tessa Nicholson. In his spare time, he pursues ballroom dancing, acting, and learning languages.

Thomas Yu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Thomas Yu, D.M.D., 38
Periodontist
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

It is Thomas Yu’s belief that one can balance both a career and one’s passions. To that end, the periodontist from Calgary, Alberta, has maintained a private dental practice for seven years while successfully competing at amateur contests around the world. Dr. Yu has taken top honors at the Paris International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (2006), Chetham’s International Amateur Piano Competition in Manchester, United Kingdom (2012), Honens Pro Am Competition in Calgary (2014), and Canada’s CBC Piano Hero contest (2015). Dr. Yu hopes to grow public awareness about amateur piano pursuits through his continued participation in contests. Dr. Yu’s greatest joy, however, is spending time with his wife. Having recently lost his mother to cancer, he is dedicating every note of his performance here to her.

Program:
DEBUSSY, “Reflets dans l’eau” from Images, Book I
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, op. 39
SCHUMANN-LISZT, Widmung

Lawrence Hsu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall

Lawrence Hsu, 58
Real estate agent
Seattle, Washington
United States

Lawrence Hsu began private piano lessons when he was 10, switched to the violin at 12, and then went back to piano at age 15. Mr. Hsu studied with Randolph Hokanson as a non-music major at the University of Washington, where he graduated with degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering. He worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Veterans Administration in a variety of capacities until 2014, when he transitioned into a completely different career as a real estate agent. Since then, he has focused on his clients, as well as the piano. For the past three years, he has attended a summer piano academy in Victoria, British Columbia, as well as master classes with Paul Robert at the Portland Piano Company in Portland, Washington. Among his diverse interests, Mr. Hsu lists gardening, foreign languages, singing, traveling, and cooking.

Program:
DEBUSSY, “Reflets dans l’eau” from Images, Book I
SCHUMANN, “Traumerei” from Kinderszenen, op. 15
BACH, “Praeludium” from Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829

Brad Dunn – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall

Brad Dunn, 43
General manager/sommelier
Bloomington, Indiana
United States

Brad Dunn began studying piano at age 5, and went on to become a pupil of both William Ransom at Emory University and Leonard Hokanson at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. While at Emory, he received bachelor’s degrees in biology and in music, and a master’s degree in piano performance and electronic music. Mr. Dunn’s diverse interests span wine—he holds certifications from the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators—to scientific research, and when he isn’t working 60-hour-weeks as general manager and beverage director at The Uptown Cafe in Bloomington, Indiana, he can be found on the golf course or cooking in his kitchen. He looks to the Amateur Competition as an opportunity to “get his chops back,” and is excited about the prospect of performing again.

Program:
DEBUSSY, La plus que lent
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in C Minor, op. 39, no. 1

Colleen Adent – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall

Colleen Adent, 54
Homemaker
Vancouver, Washington
United States

A self-professed explorer, Colleen Adent enjoys “finding out how things were made, where they came from, and what I can learn that I didn’t know about before.” She received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Biola University (La Mirada, California) in 1983. After several years as a stay-at-home mom, Ms. Adent now dedicates her time to leading her church’s music program, where she schedules musicians for services and helps lead band rehearsals as director of music. In addition, she gives piano lessons. For the last two years, Ms. Adent has appeared in “Ten Grands,” an evening showcase featuring 10 grand pianos and 10 pianists, in Portland, Oregon, and in Seattle. In her free time, Ms. Adent likes to wander through used bookstores for treasure—usually biographies of composers, statesmen, and inventors—and enjoys quilting.

Program:
BARBER, Excursions, op. 20: III. Allegretto
DEBUSSY, L’Isle joyeuse

Simon Finlow – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall

Simon Finlow, 60
Retired IT project manager/database engineer
Washington, D.C.
United Kingdom/United States

Born in Lincoln, England, Simon Finlow began playing piano at age 4 and studied with Imogen Cooper in his late teenage years. He received a bachelor’s degree in music from Oxford University in 1977, and a doctorate in musicology from Cambridge University in 1985. Highlights for Dr. Finlow during this time included performances of the Brahms B-flat Major Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue with orchestra. “Hard reality,” he says, forced him along another path towards a career in IT engineering and management, following his move to the United States in 1985. Two key events in 2013 changed the direction of Dr. Finlow’s life: He quit his high-stress job that was taking a serious toll on his health, and he attended the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. After learning about the Amateur Competition, he was inspired to find a new piano teacher, to rebuild his repertoire, and to perform again. When he is not playing, Dr. Finlow enjoys running marathons, delving into theories of cosmology and quantum physics, playing Gran Turismo on PlayStation, and helping his wife maintain a delicate peace between their 14-year-old twins.

Program:
BACH  “Sarabande” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
DEBUSSY  L’Isle joyeuse

Janne Backofen Craig – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall

Jeanne Backofen Craig, 46
Homemaker/part-time minister of music and liturgy
Forest, Virginia
United States

Piano studies and competitions took up most of Jeanne Backofen Craig’s childhood, but after graduating from Virginia Tech, she stopped performing. In the ensuing 20 years, Ms. Craig stayed home with her three children while pursuing cooking, sewing, gardening, and home-improvement projects. At the encouragement of her husband and now-teenage children, Ms. Craig started to play again, and when she learned about amateur competitions, she says she was inspired to “dig out my old music and see if I could still play those pieces.” A self-taught webmaster, she designed and maintains websites for the Lynchburg Symphony Youth Orchestra as well as her church, where she is a part-time minister of music and liturgy. In her spare time, Ms. Craig enjoys long-distance running, and she qualified and ran in the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Program:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, WTC I, BWV 863
DEBUSSY, Arabesque No. 1 in E Major

Hao Rao – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Hao Rao
China | Age 15

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 3:02 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
CHOPIN Nocturne in D-flat Major, op. 27, no. 2
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7 (I)
DEBUSSY Revêrie
DEBUSSY Les collines d’Anacapri from Preludes, Book I
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Book II, op. 35

Hao Rao grew up in the mountainside town of Jishou, China. Every week, his mother would take him on a 16-hour train ride to his piano lesson; he never tired of the trip and instead saw it as “departing for a great music journey with unknown surprises.” He now attends the Middle School of Xinghai Conservatory of Music in the sprawling city of Guangzhou, but still studies with his teacher of almost seven years, Vivian Li (Suirong). He has won three major national competitions in China, received prizes at the 2018 Ettlingen Competition and the 2019 Aarhus Competition, and—at the age of 13—presented the complete Chopin etudes in recital. He listens to opera and enjoys reading fiction, playing sports, and sampling desserts.

“I’ve been to several competitions or festivals abroad, and every time it was a life-changing inspiration with unforgettable memories, but the Cliburn Fort Worth… that’s almost like the Vatican for pianists. For me, it almost seems like a fairy tale, and I will treasure every moment of this journey.”

Shunta Morimoto – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Shunta Morimoto
Japan | Age 14

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41
DEBUSSY L’isle joyeuse
CHOPIN Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, op. 27, no. 1
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514

Shunta Morimoto has won first in his category three times in the Piano Teachers’ National Association of Japan Piano Competition, as well as other competitions in his home country, which has led to multiple performances in Tokyo, Yokohama, and his home town of Kyoto. He also placed first in the 2018 Aloha International Piano Competition and subsequently gave concerts in Hawaii, including with the Hawaii Youth Symphony. He says that experience helped him believe in the “magical power of music,” because he could use it to communicate easily where a language barrier may have prohibited him. A student at Momoyama Junior High School, Shunta currently studies with Shohei Sekimoto.

“Music has the power to bring people together, no matter race, gender, sex, or religion, and it creates emotions unable to be felt in everyday life. It is important to me because it gives my life a new flavor, a new color, and a new spectrum.”

Naomi Yamaguchi – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Naomi Yamaguchi
United States/Japan  | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 2:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 872
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
DEBUSSY Feux d’artifice from Preludes, Book II
SCHUMANN Variations on the Name ‘Abegg,’ op. 1

Michigan-born Naomi Yamaguchi made her orchestral debut at 8 and her recital debut when she was 10. Appearances since include the Detroit Institute for the Arts, Jordan Hall, Detroit Symphony Hall, Consulate of Japan, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, Switzerland, and Italy. She has several first-prize finishes to her name and has been featured on From the Top and WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase. A second-year student of Hitomi Koyama at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. She is a scholarship recipient of the Chopin Foundation of the United States, the Tatum Foundation for the Arts, and selected as the Young Artist of the Year 2017 of the Ruth Laredo Foundation. Naomi has a passion for performing at senior centers and a particular interest in the relation between music and memory in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. She also plays clarinet in her school’s marching band.

“I believe music is a medicine. Researchers are exploring how music therapy can improve the health of their patients, including premature infants and those with Parkinson’s disease. I feel honored to have the ability to play for them, and it is my passion to help others with my music.”

Hao-Wei Lin – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Hao-Wei Lin
Taiwan | Age 14

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 4:38 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
COUPERIN Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863
SCRIABIN Etude in B Major, op. 8, no. 4
RACHMANINOV Prelude in G Major, op. 32, no. 5
DEBUSSY Pour les huit doigts from Etudes, Book I
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes

Hao-Wei Lin enjoys studying geography in his free time, which fits with one of his favorite results of playing the piano: “Music takes me all over the world to meet new friends.” He gave his first recital at the age of 10, and has performed in Taiwan, Canada, China, the United States, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. His international young artist competition achievements include first-place finishes at Bradshaw & Buono in New York and Grotrian-Steinweg in Germany, as well as prizes at Cleveland, Aarhus, Ettlingen, and Fryderyk Chopin (Poland). He currently attends Taipei Municipal Zhongzheng Junior High School and studies piano with Chun-Chieh Yen.

“Music is like air to me. It can calm my mind and allows me to mature. I love the French composer Ravel, whose music reflects the real world we live in—his work has vibrant emotions and vivid colors, full of imagination.”

Ruoyu Huang- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

RUOYU HUANG
China | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital II
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, op. 17
DEBUSSY From Preludes, Book I
BALAKIREV Islamey

Ruoyu Huang was born in Chengdu and began learning piano at four years of age. He made his debut recital at the age of fourteen, and has since performed with the Chengdu, China, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras. Competition credits include major prizes at the Asian Chopin International Concerto Competition, China International Piano Competition, and Oberlin International Piano Competition. Mr. Huang moved to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2002. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at The Juilliard School.

François Dumont- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

FRANÇOIS DUMONT
France | Age 27

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital II
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
DEBUSSY Estampes
CHOPIN Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58

Born in Lyon, François Dumont entered the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique when he was fourteen years old, and later studied at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He has performed in many of the major venues in France, and has been invited to perform as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland with Antoni Wit, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has taken the stage in Belgium, China, France, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and the United States. Mr. Dumont’s recording of the complete Mozart sonatas for Anima Records received the Maestro Award from Pianiste magazine. Other solo recordings include works by Chopin and the complete piano works of Ravel. Mr. Dumont currently resides in Brussels, Belgium.

Jayson Gillham- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

JAYSON GILLHAM
Australia-United Kingdom | Age 26

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Recital
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
CHOPIN Rondo in E-flat Major, op. 16
DEBUSSY From Études, Book II
No. 7: Pour les degrés chromatiques
No. 11: Pour les arpegés composes
No. 12: Pour les accords
BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, op. 24

Jayson Gillham has performed with the United Kingdom’s Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, China’s Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, and in major venues throughout Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He plays regularly in Australia, returning each year for recital, concerto, chamber music, and festival appearances. Mr. Gillham was named Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2012, upon winning the Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, and received a gold medal from HRH Princess Alexandra. A graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, he relocated to London in 2007 to pursue a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music. Mr. Gillham is also a cultural ambassador for the Hearts for Africa (Amani) Foundation.

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal  Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCARLATTI Sonata in G Minor, K. 476 Sonata in B Minor, K. 87 Sonata in G Major, K. 125
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
DEBUSSY From Preludes, Books I and II La cathedrale englouitie La puerta del vino Feux d’artifice
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

Born into a family of professional musicians, Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at an early age. He gave his first public recital when he was ten, and one year later released his first recording of a live performance at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. Since then, Mr. Mndoyants has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has been invited to perform in several festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, and a festival dedicated to the World Economic Forum in Davos. His compositions are featured on two recordings released by Classical Records in 2007. Mr. Mndoyants is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received a degree in piano and composition.

Tomoki Sakata- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

TOMOKI SAKATA
Japan | Age 19

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Recital
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
DEBUSSY Etudes, Book I
VERDI-LISZT Danza sacra e duetto finale di “Aida”
RACHMANINOV Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 44

Born in Nagoya, Tomoki Sakata received his first piano lesson at the age of five. A prizewinner at various competitions throughout Asia and Europe, Mr. Sakata has appeared in concert in Osaka, Tokyo, and Yokohama, as well as in Geneva, Lugano, Paris, Prague, Utrecht, Vienna, and in Moscow for the twelfth International Festival “Musical Kremlin.” He has also performed as soloist with the Hamamatsu Symphony, Lubrin Philharmonic, and Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestras. Mr. Sakata currently studies at both the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and at the International Piano Academy Lake Como.

Giuseppe Greco- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

GIUSEPPE GRECO
Italy | Age 23

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital I
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3
LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B Minor
DEBUSSY L’Isle joyeuse

Giuseppe Greco began studying piano at the age of ten, and just five years later graduated with highest marks. He has performed at the Tuscia Opera festival with the Viterbo Orchestra and in major venues throughout Italy. He was first-prize winner at the 2009 Arcangelo Speranza International Piano Competition in Taranto, Italy, and in 2011, was awarded the Yamaha Scholarship, offered to the top Italian pianist by the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. In 2010, he received a medal from the president of Italy. Mr. Greco recently graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Fei-Fei Dong- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

FEI-FEI DONG
China | Age 22

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital II
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCARLATTI Sonata in D Major, K. 96
Sonata in F Minor, K. 466
DEBUSSY Danse
LISZT Sonata in B Minor

Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei Dong gave her first recital at age ten; this was followed three years later by her orchestral debut with the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has since made debuts in Alice Tully Hall and the Louvre Auditorium, and with the Aspen Music Festival, Hong Kong, Juilliard, Shanxi, and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Dong is a first-prize winner of several competitions in China, including the Schumann International Piano Competition for Young Musicians, the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition, and the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition. Ms. Dong currently lives in New York, where she is pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School.

EunAe Lee – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

EUNAE LEE
South Korea | Age 29

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 8:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41
DEBUSSY Étude pour les arpèges composés
CHOPIN Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”

EunAe Lee, born in Seoul, made her solo debut at age 14, performing the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under Bong Kim. She won a full scholarship to The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division and completed the five-year accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degree program. She earned a professional studies diploma at the Mannes School of Music, studying with Richard Goode, and is now at Northwestern University with James Giles. Ms. Lee won second prize and the Yehuda Meir memorial award for outstanding performance of a Chopin etude at the 2015 Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Competition. She also won prizes at the 2014 Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the 2011 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, where she performed the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Performance highlights include solo and chamber appearances at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Merkin Hall, and the Mannes Concert Hall, among others. Away from the piano, Ms. Lee enjoys swimming, watching soccer games, and reading plays.

Alyosha Jurinic – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

ALYOSHA JURINIC
Croatia| Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Tuesday, May 30, 2017 – 9:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

DEBUSSY Images, Book II
SCHUMANN Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, op. 11

Alyosha Jurinic won the International Robert Schumann Competition in 2012, and was a fifth-prize winner of the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition and a finalist at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. He won the Best Young Musician Award from the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, and is the youngest-ever recipient of the Croatian Ministry of Culture’s Vladimir Nazor Award, given annually for highest achievement in the arts. Mr. Jurinic made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015 and has performed with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosovo Philharmonic, and others. His festival appearances include Piano Fortissimo in Zagreb, Dubrovnik Summer Festival in Croatia, Kiev Summer Music Evenings, and Serate Musicali in Milan, as well as Chopin festivals in Serbia, France (the George Sand House), and Chopin’s birthplace in Poland. Mr. Jurinic is currently studying with Grigory Gruzman at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar. His passions include film, TV, pop music, books, fitness, and soccer tactics.

Alyosha Jurinic – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

ALYOSHA JURINIC
Croatia| Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Sunday, May 28, 2017 – 4:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

DEBUSSY Rêverie
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, op. 27, no. 1 (“Quasi una fantasia”)
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUMANN-LISZT Widmung
LISZT Concert Etude No. 2 in F Minor “La Leggierezza”
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 in A Minor

Alyosha Jurinic won the International Robert Schumann Competition in 2012, and was a fifth-prize winner of the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition and a finalist at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. He won the Best Young Musician Award from the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, and is the youngest-ever recipient of the Croatian Ministry of Culture’s Vladimir Nazor Award, given annually for highest achievement in the arts. Mr. Jurinic made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015 and has performed with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosovo Philharmonic, and others. His festival appearances include Piano Fortissimo in Zagreb, Dubrovnik Summer Festival in Croatia, Kiev Summer Music Evenings, and Serate Musicali in Milan, as well as Chopin festivals in Serbia, France (the George Sand House), and Chopin’s birthplace in Poland. Mr. Jurinic is currently studying with Grigory Gruzman at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar. His passions include film, TV, pop music, books, fitness, and soccer tactics.

Rachel Cheung – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

RACHEL CHEUNG
Hong Kong | Age 25

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

SCHUBERT Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946
DEBUSSY Voiles from Preludes, Book I
DEBUSSY Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest from Preludes, Book I
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”

Rachel Cheung, who has been a Young Steinway Artist since 2011, has studied with Peter Frankl at the Yale School of Music and with Eleanor Wong at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts. She has won numerous prizes and awards, including fifth prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition, and was a semifinalist at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. Last year, she won a Carnegie Weill Hall debut recital as a special prize in the New York Concert Artists Worldwide Debut Audition—that debut will take place in March 2018. She has collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart, Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, and Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. She has performed recitals at the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, London’s Steinway Hall, and the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto, among others. Ms. Cheung has twice been honored by the Hong Kong government for her contributions to culture and performed in the gala concert in Kiev celebrating the centenary of Vladimir Horowitz.