Composers: Frédéric Chopin

Garrick Ohlsson – Cliburn Concerts 2015–2016

GARRICK OHLSSON
Cliburn at the Bass
Cliburn Concerts 2015–2016

April 5, 2016
Bass Performance Hall  I  Fort Worth, Texas

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, op. 110
SCHUBERT Fantasy in C Major, D. 760 (“Der Wanderer”)
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, op. 54
Etude in E Minor, op. 25, no. 5
Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23

Since his triumph at the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition (the only American winner ever), pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although long regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, the Grammy® Award-winner commands an enormous repertoire, which ranges over the entire piano literature. (To date he has at his command more than 80 concertos, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century, many commissioned for him.)

Beatrice Rana – Cliburn Concerts 2013-2014

2013 Silver Medalist Beatrice Rana, returned to Bass Hall on September 30, 2014,  leaving Competition audiences riveted.

Program:
BACH Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825;
CHOPIN Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 35;
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 6 in A Major, op. 82

Evelyn Mo – Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal Round Concerto

EVELYN MO
United States |  Age 16

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

Program:
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11
accompanied by Natsuko Ejiri

Evelyn Mo made her orchestra debut at age 13 with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and has since performed with the Orchestra of Northern New York, Camerata New York, and Shenandoah University Symphonic Orchestra. Currently under the guidance of John O’Conor, she has previously studied with Thomas Mastroianni, and attended the Lee University and Southeastern Piano Festivals and the International Institute for Young Musicians. In addition to piano, Evelyn plays the violin and is active at her school as member of the yearbook staff, writer for the newspaper, and coordinator for Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology.

Youlan Ji – Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal Round Concerto

YOULAN JI
China |  Age 16

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

Program:
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, op. 21
accompanied by Evan Mitchell

Born in Beijing, Youlan Ji moved to New York in 2012 to attend The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, where she studies with Yoheved Kaplinsky. She has won first prizes at the United States Open Music Competition (2011), Third International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition (2011), and Xinghai Cup Piano Competition (2008). She has been featured in recitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and New York, and performed the Beethoven Second Concerto with Juilliard’s Pre-College Orchestra as winner of its concerto competition. In her spare time, Youlan enjoys watching movies and swimming.

Evelyn Mo – Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal Round Recital

EVELYN MO
United States |  Age 16

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

Program:
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54
CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
LIEBERMANN Gargoyles, op. 29: I. Presto
LISZT Concert Paraphrase on Waltz from Gounod’s Faust

Evelyn Mo made her orchestra debut at age 13 with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and has since performed with the Orchestra of Northern New York, Camerata New York, and Shenandoah University Symphonic Orchestra. Currently under the guidance of John O’Conor, she has previously studied with Thomas Mastroianni, and attended the Lee University and Southeastern Piano Festivals and the International Institute for Young Musicians. In addition to piano, Evelyn plays the violin and is active at her school as member of the yearbook staff, writer for the newspaper, and coordinator for Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology.

Youlan Ji – Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal Round Recital

YOULAN JI
China |  Age 16

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

Program:
BACH Overture in the French Style, BWV 831
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp Major, op. 78
CHOPIN Rondo in E-flat Major, op. 16
CARTER “Caténaires” from Two Thoughts about the Piano

Born in Beijing, Youlan Ji moved to New York in 2012 to attend The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, where she studies with Yoheved Kaplinsky. She has won first prizes at the United States Open Music Competition (2011), Third International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition (2011), and Xinghai Cup Piano Competition (2008). She has been featured in recitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and New York, and performed the Beethoven Second Concerto with Juilliard’s Pre-College Orchestra as winner of its concerto competition. In her spare time, Youlan enjoys watching movies and swimming.

Alim Beisembayev – Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal 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:
CHOPIN Fantasie in F Minor, op. 49
LIGETI Etude No. 10 “Der Zauberlehrling”
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83

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.

Evelyn Mo – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

EVELYN MO
United States |  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 C-sharp Major, Book I, BWV 848
MOZART Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576: I. Allegro
CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, no. 2
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23
RAVEL “Ondine” from Gaspard de la nuit

Evelyn Mo made her orchestra debut at age 13 with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and has since performed with the Orchestra of Northern New York, Camerata New York, and Shenandoah University Symphonic Orchestra. Currently under the guidance of John O’Conor, she has previously studied with Thomas Mastroianni, and attended the Lee University and Southeastern Piano Festivals and the International Institute for Young Musicians. In addition to piano, Evelyn plays the violin and is active at her school as member of the yearbook staff, writer for the newspaper, and coordinator for Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology.

Youlan Ji – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

YOULAN JI
China |  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 Major, Book II, BWV 874
CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, no. 2
BARBER Sonata for Piano, op. 26

Born in Beijing, Youlan Ji moved to New York in 2012 to attend The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, where she studies with Yoheved Kaplinsky. She has won first prizes at the United States Open Music Competition (2011), Third International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition (2011), and Xinghai Cup Piano Competition (2008). She has been featured in recitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and New York, and performed the Beethoven Second Concerto with Juilliard’s Pre-College Orchestra as winner of its concerto competition. In her spare time, Youlan enjoys watching movies and swimming.

Tony Yike Yang – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

TONY YIKE YANG
Canada |  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 G-sharp Minor, Book II, BWV 887
CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 62, no. 1
LISZT Après une lecture de Dante (Fantasia Quasi Sonata)

Tony Yike Yang has appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra under Jahja Ling, Hilton Head Symphony with Chelsea Tipton, and the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Academy Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Sinfonietta. He has performed throughout Canada, and was honored to play for Her Royal Highness Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. He has won top prizes at the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Piano, Hilton Head International Piano, Bosendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Junior Piano, and Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competitions. Tony enrolled in the Pre-College Division at The Juilliard School in 2014 under the guidance of Julian Martin, having previously attended the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of James Anagnoson and taken master classes with Richard Goode, Dang Thai Son, and Dan Zhaoyi.

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.

Clayton Stephenson – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

CLAYTON STEPHENSON
United States  |  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 Major, Book I, BWV 850
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
LISZT Après une lecture de Dante (Fantasia Quasi Sonata)

Born in New York, Clayton Stephenson enrolled in The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program in 2007 and graduated to its Pre-College Division in 2009. He has attended the Morningside Music Bridge Festival in Calgary and the International Keyboard Festival in Manhattan, receiving lessons and master classes with Marc Durant, Krysztof Jablonski, André Laplante, and Alexander Braginsky, among others. He made his concerto debut with the Juilliard Pre-College Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center, and has performed with the Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra as part of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, and in concerts in Munich, Calgary, and New York. Currently a student at the Dalton School, he is involved in the Boys Club of New York, Men of Color Club, and the math team and Transformation Geometry Club at his school.

Arsenii Mun – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal 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:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, Book II, BWV 889
SHOSTAKOVICH Preludes, op. 34, nos. 2, 10, & 24
CHOPIN Nocturne in F Major, op. 15, no. 1
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1
CHOPIN Mazurka in F-sharp Minor, op. 6, no. 1
CHOPIN Mazurka in A-flat Major, op. 24, no. 3
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23

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.

Adam Balogh – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

ADAM BALOGH
Hungary  |  Age 17

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

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, Book I, BWV 849
CHOPIN Berceuse in D-flat Major, op. 57
LISZT Scherzo and March

Adam Balogh has performed with the Budapest Festival (2010), Berlin Konzerthaus (2012), and Pannon Philharmonic (2010, 2012) Orchestras, working with such conductors as Iván Fischer and András Vass. He has been featured in recitals in Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Budapest, Dortmund, and Philadelphia, and gives both solo and chamber recitals annually in his hometown of Pécs, Hungary. Currently studying with Attila Némethy and Gábor Echkardt at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music’s Preparatory School for Exceptionally Gifted Children, he has participated in master classes and lessons with Dmitri Bashkirov, Zoltán Kocsis, and Jerome Lowenthal, among others. In addition to winning prizes in every major national piano competition in Hungary, he has garnered awards at the PianoTalents (Milan 2013), Jeno Takács (Graz 2010), and “Young Virtuoso” (Zagreb 2008) International Piano Competitions.

Misha Galant– Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

MISHA GALANT
United States  |  Age 17

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

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, Book II, BWV 889
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3: I. Allegro
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Born in California to a family of musicians, Misha Galant has already performed with the Utah, Oakland, Peninsula, and Livermore Symphony Orchestras, as prizewinner of several concerto competitions. He is one of ten recipients of the Chopin Scholarship from the Chopin Foundation of the United States. Currently studying with both his mother, Olya Katsman, and Sharon Mann at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Misha has participated in the Music@Menlo and Foulger International Music Festivals. He has had lessons with Nelita True, Boris Berman, Yu-Jane Yang, and most recently has had coaching with Yoshikazu Nagai. He also enjoys math and is an accomplished swimmer.

Wei Luo– Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

WEI LUO
China  |  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 C-sharp Minor, Book II, BWV 873
CHOPIN Nocturne in G Major, op. 37, no. 2
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83

Born in Shenzhen, Wei Luo began piano lessons at age 5, and gave her debut recital in Hong Kong at age 6. Winner of the 11th Chopin International Competition for Young Pianists in Poland (2010) and the 2nd Rachmaninov International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Frankfurt (2010), she made her orchestra debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic in 2010 after winning its concerto competition. After studying at the Music Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory, Wei moved to Philadelphia in 2012 to learn from Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald at The Curtis Institute of Music, where she was selected in her second year as the only pianist in the annual Dean’s Honors Recital. She also has lessons from Eleanor Wong and has taken master classes with Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Seymour Lipkin, Abbey Simon, and Nelita True.

Alim Beisembayev – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal 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:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Major, Book II, BWV 874
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B 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.

Xiaoxuan Li – Cliburn Junior 2015 Quarterfinal Round Recital

XIAOXUAN LI
China  |  Age 13

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

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, Book I, BWV 866
CHOPIN Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, op. 22
CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 32, no. 1
SHCHEDRIN Two Polyphonic Pieces, op. 20

Xiaoxuan Li began piano lessons at age 4. He has performed extensively throughout China, most recently at the Shanghai Concert Hall and Oriental Art Center, Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, and Yangzhou Culture and Arts Centre. He has also appeared at the Osaka International Music Festivals, and with the Ashdod Orchestra at the Perugia International Music Festival. Competition credits include prizes at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition for Young Aritsts, Ettlingen Young Artist Piano Competition, Asia Youth Piano Competition, and Chinese National Young Artist Piano Competition. He currently studies with Zhe Tang at the Music Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He listens to all kinds of music, and enjoys reading and football in his spare time.

Evelyn Mo – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

EVELYN MO
United States |  Age 16

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50: I. Allegro
CHOPIN Etude in F Major, op. 10, no. 8
SCHUMANN Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, op. 14: IV. Vivace

Evelyn Mo made her orchestra debut at age 13 with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and has since performed with the Orchestra of Northern New York, Camerata New York, and Shenandoah University Symphonic Orchestra. Currently under the guidance of John O’Conor, she has previously studied with Thomas Mastroianni, and attended the Lee University and Southeastern Piano Festivals and the International Institute for Young Musicians. In addition to piano, Evelyn plays the violin and is active at her school as member of the yearbook staff, writer for the newspaper, and coordinator for Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology.

Youlan Ji – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

YOULAN JI
China |  Age 16

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in G Major, Hob. XVI:40: I. Allegro innocente
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 25, no. 11 (“Winter Wind”)
RACHMANINOV Etude-Tableaux, op. 33, nos. 2, 6, 8, & 9

Born in Beijing, Youlan Ji moved to New York in 2012 to attend The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, where she studies with Yoheved Kaplinsky. She has won first prizes at the United States Open Music Competition (2011), Third International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition (2011), and Xinghai Cup Piano Competition (2008). She has been featured in recitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and New York, and performed the Beethoven Second Concerto with Juilliard’s Pre-College Orchestra as winner of its concerto competition. In her spare time, Youlan enjoys watching movies and swimming.

Anastasia Magamedov – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ANASTASIA MAGAMEDOVA
Tajikistan |  Age 17

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

Program:
LISZT Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 25, no. 11 (“Winter Wind”)
BEETHOVEN, Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3: I. Presto
RAVEL “Toccata” from Le tombeau de Couperin

Anastasia Magamedova made her Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Concert Hall in 2014 and performed with the Utah Symphony and several times with the American West Symphony. Competition awards include first prize at the International Keyboard Odyssiad, as well as finalist at the MTNA National and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competitions. A recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, she has been featured on From the Top and on BYU Radio. Born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Anastasia began studying piano at age 5 and is currently under the guidance of Dr. Heather Conner. Besides playing the piano, she studies violin and enjoys ceramic arts.

Tony Yike Yang – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

TONY YIKE YANG
Canada |  Age 16

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7: I. Allegro molto e con brio
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 25, no. 11 (“Winter Wind”)
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Tony Yike Yang has appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra under Jahja Ling, Hilton Head Symphony with Chelsea Tipton, and the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Academy Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Sinfonietta. He has performed throughout Canada, and was honored to play for Her Royal Highness Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. He has won top prizes at the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Piano, Hilton Head International Piano, Bosendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Junior Piano, and Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competitions. Tony enrolled in the Pre-College Division at The Juilliard School in 2014 under the guidance of Julian Martin, having previously attended the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of James Anagnoson and taken master classes with Richard Goode, Dang Thai Son, and Dan Zhaoyi.

Wai Yuen Won – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

WAI YUEN WON
Hong Kong  |  Age 17

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in A-flat Major, Hob. XVI:46: I. Allegro moderato
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
GRANADOS Allegro de concierto, op. 46

Wai Yuen Wong has won top prizes in the Hong Kong General Next Arts Music Competition (2014), Korea International Competition for Young Artists (2013), International Piano Competition for Young Musicians in Enschede, Netherlands (2012, also winning the Press and Audience Prizes), and the Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (2011). Recitals have taken her to Beijing, Xiamen, and Hamburg, and she was invited to perform in the 42nd Hong Kong Arts Festival. Wai Yuen has also appeared as soloist with the Hong Kong Children and Pan Asia Symphony Orchestras. Currently studying with Eleanor Wong at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, she has also taken master classes with Graham Scott, Fanny Waterman, Joyce Yang, and Giuseppe Andaloro.

Anna Larsen – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ANNA LARSEN
United States  |  Age 15

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in F Major, Hob. XVI:23
CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 25, no. 11 (“Winter Wind”)
CHOPIN Etude in C Minor, op. 25, no. 12

Anna Larsen has released albums of Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier and Chopin’s Etudes, op. 25. Under the auspices of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, she has been featured in performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, Millenium Park in Chicago, National Aquatics Center “Water Cube” in Beijing; the Oprah Winfrey Show, and NPR’s From the Top. Currently studying with Alexander Korsantia, she has previously taken lessons with Hung-Kuan Chen and Tema Blackstone, and played in master classes at the Aspen Summer Music and Oxford Philomusica Piano Festivals. Also an active composer, she has won two ASCAP awards as well as state MTNA Composition Competition awards seven years in a row. In addition to her musical activities, Anna is passionate about writing and singing.

Clayton Stephenson – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

CLAYTON STEPHENSON
United States  |  Age 16

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

Program:
CHOPIN Etude in B Minor, op. 25, no. 10 (“Octave”)
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2, no. 3: I. Allegro con brio
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, op. 20

Born in New York, Clayton Stephenson enrolled in The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program in 2007 and graduated to its Pre-College Division in 2009. He has attended the Morningside Music Bridge Festival in Calgary and the International Keyboard Festival in Manhattan, receiving lessons and master classes with Marc Durant, Krysztof Jablonski, André Laplante, and Alexander Braginsky, among others. He made his concerto debut with the Juilliard Pre-College Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center, and has performed with the Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra as part of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, and in concerts in Munich, Calgary, and New York. Currently a student at the Dalton School, he is involved in the Boys Club of New York, Men of Color Club, and the math team and Transformation Geometry Club at his school.

Natasha Wu – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

NATASHA WU
United States/Taiwan  |  Age 15

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

Program:
MOZART Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576: I. Allegro
LISZT Paganini Etude No. 3 “La campanella”
CHOPIN Ballade No. 2 in F Major, op. 38

Born in California, Natasha Wu overcame idiopathic thrombocytopenia at an early age, which has informed her commitment to serving the community through music. Now living in Taiwan, Natasha has performed to raise funds for the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families and the Yong-Fu Elementary School education fund for the needy. She began lessons at age 6, at which age she also won her first national piano competition. At age 10, she won her first international prize at the Tureck International Bach Competition in New York, resulting in a performance at Lincoln Center. She has also won prizes in the Hong Kong Asian Piano Competition, Kawai Asia Piano Competition, International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia, and International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Moscow. Natasha currently studies with Grace Chung.

Amir Siraj – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

AMIR SIRAJ
United States  |  Age 15

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7: I. Allegro molto e con brio
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23

Amir Siraj has performed at venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Boston’s Symphony Hall. He made his concerto debut in 2012 with the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, performing Beethoven’s Third Concerto, and most recently appeared with the Quincy Symphony Orchestra playing the Liszt’s First Concerto. He is the 2015 winner of the Ruth Davidson Competition, five-time winner of the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association Competition, and three-time prizewinner at the M. Steinert and Sons Competition. Also committed to new music, Amir has performed world premieres for Larry Bell and Stephen Feigenbaum, and U.S. premieres for Lera Auerbach. Currently studying with Helena Vesterman and at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, he has taken master classes with Hung-Kuan Chen, Bruce Brubaker, and Wha-Kyung Byun. In addition to piano, he devotes his time to varsity men’s crew, choir, and Brookline High School’s Innovation Club, which he founded.

Adam Balogh – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ADAM BALOGH
Hungary  |  Age 17

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1
SCRIABIN Etude in D-flat Major, op. 8, no. 10
LISZT “Tarantella” from Venezia e Napoli

Adam Balogh has performed with the Budapest Festival (2010), Berlin Konzerthaus (2012), and Pannon Philharmonic (2010, 2012) Orchestras, working with such conductors as Iván Fischer and András Vass. He has been featured in recitals in Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Budapest, Dortmund, and Philadelphia, and gives both solo and chamber recitals annually in his hometown of Pécs, Hungary. Currently studying with Attila Némethy and Gábor Echkardt at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music’s Preparatory School for Exceptionally Gifted Children, he has participated in master classes and lessons with Dmitri Bashkirov, Zoltán Kocsis, and Jerome Lowenthal, among others. In addition to winning prizes in every major national piano competition in Hungary, he has garnered awards at the PianoTalents (Milan 2013), Jeno Takács (Graz 2010), and “Young Virtuoso” (Zagreb 2008) International Piano Competitions.

Jeong Min Kim– Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

JEONG MIN KIM
South Korea  |  Age 17

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7: I. Allegro molto e con brio
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1
DUTILLEUX Choral et Variations from Piano Sonata

A prizewinner of several piano competitions throughout his native Korea, Jeong Min Kim has appeared in recitals throughout Seoul and as soloist with the Atlantic Music Festival and Han Eum Philharmonic Orchestras. He studied at the Korea National Institute for Gifted Artists from 2006 to 2010, when he moved to the United States to enroll in the pre-college division at The Juilliard School. He has participated in the Atlantic Music, Sergei Babayan International Piano, and Busan Music Festivals, receiving tutelage from Martin Canin and Sergei Babayan. In his spare time, Jeong Min enjoys table tennis and golf.

Wei Luo– Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

WEI LUO
China  |  Age 16

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 52
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6

Born in Shenzhen, Wei Luo began piano lessons at age 5, and gave her debut recital in Hong Kong at age 6. Winner of the 11th Chopin International Competition for Young Pianists in Poland (2010) and the 2nd Rachmaninov International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Frankfurt (2010), she made her orchestra debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic in 2010 after winning its concerto competition. After studying at the Music Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory, Wei moved to Philadelphia in 2012 to learn from Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald at The Curtis Institute of Music, where she was selected in her second year as the only pianist in the annual Dean’s Honors Recital. She also has lessons from Eleanor Wong and has taken master classes with Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Seymour Lipkin, Abbey Simon, and Nelita True.

Anna Boonyanit – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ANNA BOONYANIT
United States |  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 E Minor, Book I, BWV 855
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2, no. 3: I. Allegro con brio
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
STRAVINSKY “Chez Petrouchka” from Trois mouvements de Petrouchka

Anna Boonyanit made her Carnegie Hall debut in June 2014, as prizewinner of the International Russian Music Piano Competition in 2013. She has also won first prizes and numerous special awards at the Los Angeles International Liszt, Seattle International Piano, and Music Teacher’s Association of California State Concerto Competitions. Anna has performed with Nova Vista Symphony, El Camino Youth Senior, Diablo Symphony, and Palo Alto Philharmonic Orchestras. She has appeared on NPR’s From the Top and is a National YoungArts Foundation winner. A participant in the John Perry Academy of Music, and the Music@Menlo Chamber Music, California Summer Music, and Seattle International Piano Festivals, she has taken lessons with John Perry, Wu Han, Alessio Bax, Bruce Adolphe, and Peter Mack. She is currently studying with Hans Boepple. A fan of the San Francisco Giants, Anna also writes for an arts and lifestyle magazine published by her school.

Xiaoxuan Li – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

XIAOXUAN LI
China  |  Age 13

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 52: I. Allegro
RACHMANINOV Élégie in E-flat Minor, op. 3, no. 1
RACHMANINOV Etude-tableau in E-flat Minor, op. 39, no. 5
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6

Xiaoxuan Li began piano lessons at age 4. He has performed extensively throughout China, most recently at the Shanghai Concert Hall and Oriental Art Center, Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, and Yangzhou Culture and Arts Centre. He has also appeared at the Osaka International Music Festivals, and with the Ashdod Orchestra at the Perugia International Music Festival. Competition credits include prizes at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition for Young Aritsts, Ettlingen Young Artist Piano Competition, Asia Youth Piano Competition, and Chinese National Young Artist Piano Competition. He currently studies with Zhe Tang at the Music Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He listens to all kinds of music, and enjoys reading and football in his spare time.

Zitong Wang – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ZITONG WANG
China  |  Age 16

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
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp Major, op. 30

Born in Inner Mongolia of China, Zitong Wang was first introduced to piano at an early age, and made her solo recital debut at age 13 in Beijing’s Zhongshan Music Hall. She moved to Philadelphia from China three years ago to study with Meng-Chieh Liu and Eleanor Sokoloff at The Curtis Institute of Music. She has also taken frequent lessons with Beatrice Long, and master classes with Seymour Lipkin, Gary Graffman, and Ignat Solzhenitsyn. First-prize winner of the Tureck International Bach and Virginia Waring International Concerto Competitions, she most recently won second prize at the 2014 Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition. She has appeared with the Cleveland, Hangzhou Philharmonic, Yakima Symphony, and Waring Festival Orchestras, among others. Also interested in early music, she studies harpsichord as a secondary major at Curtis with Leon Schelhase, and has participated in master class with Trevor Pinnock on antique harpsichords from the Flint Collection.

Gregory Knight– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Semifinal Round Recital

GREGORY KNIGHT, 53
Software engineer
Morganton, North Carolina
United States

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Semifinal Round – Thursday, June 23, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Gregory Knight started playing piano at age 4, under his mother’s guidance. Formal instruction began seven years later, at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, where he went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in piano performance. While in school, he participated in a master class with Guido Agosti in 1981, and placed first in the Gardner-Webb College Concerto Competition one year later. Following graduation, Mr. Knight went on to pursue a career in software engineering, yet continued to take master classes and hone his musical hobby. He looks to the Amateur Competition as a means to test his aptitude: “It gives me not only a reason to learn new, challenging repertoire, but also an opportunity to perform it for people who truly understand and appreciate piano literature.” The motorcycle buff is a father of four and grandfather of three, and has been married 18 years to his wife, Cathy.

Program:
CHOPIN, Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 35

Sean Sutherland– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Semifinal Round Recital

SEAN SUTHERLAND, 39
Entrepreneur/lecturer
Montréal, Québec
St. Vincent and The Grenadines/Canada

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Semifinal Round – Thursday, June 23, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Born in St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Sean Sutherland serendipitously discovered the piano as a child and was instantly enamored. His opportunities for pursuing his studies were limited on St. Vincent, however, so he resumed his studies upon his arrival at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while earning bachelor’s degree in music, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science; he went on to receive an MBA from McGill University in Montreal. Since graduating, he has founded a niche tutorial service and lectures at McGill University as an adjunct professor of international finance and information systems. Mr. Sutherland is keenly interested in “exploring opportunities for leveraging technology to promote learning” and is passionate about adapting classical music for the steelpan (drum).

Program:
CHOPIN, Preludes, op. 28, nos. 13-18, 20-24
GERSHWIN-SAY, Summertime Variations

Deirbhile Brennan– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Semifinal Round Recital

DEIRBHILE BRENNAN, 46
Accountant
Dublin, Ireland
Ireland

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Semifinal Round – Thursday, June 23, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

At age 5, Deirbhile Brennan began her piano studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and later studied with Frank Heneghan at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama for 10 years, winning many prizes and awards. Ms. Brennan holds a degree in music from Trinity College Dublin after which she took a lengthy break that included forging a career as an accountant; she currently works as senior operations manager at the National Treasury Management Agency. Ms. Brennan returned to the piano in 2009 studying with Dr. Hugh Tinney. She has won a number of awards at piano competitions including in the United Kingdom (finalist 2012), Ile De France, Paris (first prize 2012), and Chicago (first prize 2014). She performs regularly; but notably in 2014, she performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and last year she performed at the Les Amateurs Piano Festival in Morocco. The mother of four children ages 8 to 16, she enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as attending concerts and plays.

Program:
MOZART, Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman,” K. 265 (300e)
SCHUBERT, Impromptu in A-flat Major, op. 142, no. 2
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Michael Slavin– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

MICHAEL SLAVIN, M.D., 65
Ophthalmologist
Manhasset, New York
United States

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Music has been a part of Michael Slavin’s life since he was 5, and at age 9, he attended The Juilliard School of Music’s preparatory division. When he was 11, he performed the Mozart Piano Concerto in D Major (“The Coronation”) with the Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center. He spent his undergraduate years at Cooper Union in New York, where he received a bachelor’s degree in physics, after which he attended medical school, and for the past 25 years, he has practiced ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology in Long Island. Following his retirement from medicine, Dr. Slavin has made time again for the piano. He was awarded first prize at the Chicago International Amateur Piano Concerto Competition in 2012, won the 12th Washington International Piano Artist’s Competition in 2014, and last year, he won first prize at both the Paris International Piano Competition for Amateurs and the Chopin International Amateur Piano Competition. Dr. Slavin is an avid reader, bridge player, and sports lover.

Program:
CHOPIN Impromptu in A-flat Major, op. 29, no. 1
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-sharp Minor

Jorge Zamora – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

JORGE ZAMORA, 43
Sales director
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Jorge Zamora studied piano privately for years before earning his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies in Monterrey, Mexico. When he was 25, he entered the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied piano performance and audio recording for three years. Mr. Zamora returned to Mexico and embarked on a career in telecommunications. Currently, he is a sales director at Qualcomm International Inc. Mr. Zamora took a 10-year break from the piano prior to the 2011 Cliburn Amateur Competition, in which he was a semifinalist. Last year, he took first prize (2nd category) in the 2015 Piano Bridges Amateur International Piano Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Program:
CHOPIN Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47
SCRIABIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 42, no. 5
RAVEL “Ondine” from Gaspard de la nuit

Clark Vann Griffith – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

CLARK VANN GRIFFITH, 52
Retired database programmer
Fort Worth, Texas
United States

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Clark Vann Griffith was the third-prize winner here at 2007 and took second prize in 2011. The Fort Worth resident’s Cliburn connection doesn’t end there: As a child in Phoenix, he was a student of 1977 Cliburn Gold Medalist Steven De Groote. Mr. Vann Griffith was a composition major at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and in ensuing years, has worked as a programmer, website developer, classical music announcer, and orchestral pianist. A chamber-music aficionado, Mr. Vann Griffith is motivated to compete again this year because he enjoys being a performing conduit for the audience, enjoying helping “someone I’ve never met hear something familiar in an utterly new way.” When he’s not playing piano, Mr. Vann Griffith enjoys watching movies, solving puzzles, and the perks of being married and owning cats.

Program:
CHOPIN Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47
SCHUMANN Arabeske in C Major, op. 18

Xavier Aymonod – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

XAVIER AYMONOD, 40
Strategy consultant
Paris, France
France

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Xavier Aymonod began his music studies at Aix-en-Provence Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of Monique Oberdoerffer and Michel Bourdoncle, and then went on to study science and technology at the prestigious École Polytechnique, outside Paris. He was a laureate of the International Competition for Outstanding Piano Amateurs from 1998–2000 in Paris, and in 2000, he was a semifinalist at “Piano20ème siècle” in Orléans. Mr. Aymonod has participated in master classes with William Aide, Jean-François Heisser, and Eric Heidsieck. Currently a principal at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, his work involves advising transportation companies on strategic issues. In his free time, Mr. Aymonod enjoys playing with his children (ages 4 and 5), traveling, running, golfing, and indulging in fine wine.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
RAVEL, “Alborada del gracioso” from Miroirs

Yasuo Kurimoto – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

YAUSO KURIMOTO, M.D., 55
Ophthalmologist
Kobe, Japan
Japan

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Dr. Yasuo Kurimoto says he has wanted to participate in the Cliburn Amateur Competition for 10 years, and his interest in the competition’s namesake goes back further: “Van Cliburn has been my hero since I was a child.” He took private piano lessons, but pursued medicine as a career, receiving his medical degree in 1986, and a Ph.D. in 1995 from Kyoto University. Currently, he is the director of the department of ophthalmology at Kobe City General Hospital. Dr. Kurimoto has found success competing in amateur contests around the world. In 2001, he was a semifinalist in the first Boston International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs; a semifinalist in 2002 at the Paris Concours des Grands Amateurs de Piano; first-prize winner at the 14th Osaka International Music Competition and first-prize winner at the International (Tokyo) Amateur Piano Competition in 2014. An opera buff who also enjoys skiing and wine, he looks forward to meeting piano-lovers from around the world in Fort Worth.

Program:
SCRIABIN, Two Poѐmes, op. 32
CHOPIN, Fantaisie in F Minor, op. 49

Saffet Bayka – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

SAFFET BAYKA, 57
Electrical engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Turkey

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Saffet Bayka started playing the piano at 11, studying with Tulga Cetiz, a renowned teacher at Ankara State Conservatory. After appearing in school recitals, he performed with the Baskent Chamber Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in his 20s. Mr. Bayka graduated with honors from a piano program for amateurs at Hacettepe University-Ankara State Conservatory; today, he continues his musical pursuits, giving community concerts as part of a duo with clarinetist Ekrem Oztan. Mr. Bayka, an electrical engineer, cites performing with a professional orchestra as a personal goal. An amateur sailor in the summer and skier during the winter, Mr. Bayka says competing in Fort Worth will become an “honorable memory” that he looks forward to sharing with his fellow engineers upon his return to Ankara.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23
GINASTERA, “Danza de la moza donosa” and “Danza del gaucho marrero” from Danzas Argentinas, op. 2

Summer Stone – 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

Summer Stone, 39
Client relations
Woodland Hills, California
United States

Born in Dallas, Summer Stone started playing at the age of 4, and says she practiced relentlessly for decades, receiving a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Kansas. Her career took a tangential turn; she worked with composers and publishers at ASCAP in New York and negotiated music licenses for films at 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios in California. After years away from the piano—and watching They Came to Play, the 2007 Cliburn Amateur Competition documentary—she realized she wanted to play again too. Aside from the time she now devotes to practicing, Ms. Stone also enjoys being with her husband, 8-year-old son, and 5-year-old daughter. An “insane-but-charming” Rhodesian Ridgeback named Basil completes the familial quintet.

Program:
SOLER, Sonata in D-flat Major, R. 88
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Tessa Knipe – 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

Tessa Knipe, 53
Attorney
San Diego, California
South Africa/United States

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Tessa Knipe achieved much pianistic success from ages 8 to 18. Highlights included appearing on the “Young South Africa” show at age 9; performing the first movement of the Kabalevsky Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at 11; and receiving a four-year undergraduate scholarship at age 17 to the Royal College of Music in London—one of just eight offered per year. Instead of furthering her musical pursuits, Ms. Knipe turned the scholarship down to forge a career in law. Now a deputy attorney general for the department of justice in California, she has returned to music after 35 years away, realizing “how central the piano is to my life.” A mother of two grown daughters, Ms. Knipe is a lover of the performing arts, movies, and books, as well as a fan of good food and wine.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 31
RAVEL, Jeau d’eau

Colleen Adent – 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

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:
BEETHOVEN, Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31: I. Allegro
CHOPIN, Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, no. 2
GOTTSCHALK, Pasquinade, op. 59

Noah DeGarmo – 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

Noah DeGarmo, M.D., 38
Physician
Dallas, Texas
United States

Noah DeGarmo began private piano lessons at 7, and started playing the oboe at age 10. In addition to performing with the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble and Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, he took master classes at the New England Conservatory before entering medical school in New York. After a residency in emergency medicine at Northwestern University, he moved to Dallas, where he currently serves as medical director at Baylor Surgical Center at Las Colinas. Dr. DeGarmo was a semifinalist at the Chicago Amateur Piano Competition in 2010 (where he received Best Performance of a Contemporary Work) and a finalist at the contest in 2012. Since he was 18, Dr. DeGarmo has suffered from tendinitis, which he has lectured about as it relates to performing. In his downtime, he likes to cook, entertain, garden, travel, and spend time with his golden retriever, Mayzie.

Program:
SCARLATTI, Sonata in E Major, K. 380
CHOPIN, Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor, op. 66
WAGNER-LISZT, Isoldens Liebestod: Schlußszene aus Tristan und Isolde

Gorden Cheng – 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

Gorden Cheng, 35
Systems engineer
San Diego, California
United States

An information technology and network security executive, Gorden Cheng received a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2003 from the University of Texas at Dallas, and worked at two Dallas-area computer companies until 2004 before relocating to Southern California. He has taken private piano lessons for years, and the practice has netted results: From 2011–2015, he placed in amateur competitions in Paris (2011), Chicago (2012), Colorado Springs (2012), Warsaw (2012), Washington, D.C. (2012), and Boston (2015). Currently head of technology operations for eMolecules, Inc., Mr. Cheng calls himself a computer nerd and Internet plumber. He enjoys spending time with his wife and children and is a huge fan of FC Barcelona and the UFC.

Program:
RAVEL, Jeux d’eau
CHOPIN, Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, op. 22

Brianna Donaldson – 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

Brianna Donaldson, 35
Nonprofit director
Santa Cruz, California
United States

Brianna Donaldson began private piano lessons in 1988, and by the time she finished high school, her dream was to pursue a career as a piano teacher and performer. An injury during college, however, sidelined that goal, so Dr. Donaldson instead forged a career in cognitive psychology. She received her doctorate from Indiana University in 2008. When her husband’s job necessitated a move to Austin, she began studying under Dr. Betty Mallard at the University of Texas. Under Mallard’s tutelage, she realized: “Despite having a full and wonderful life as a working professional, wife, and mother of two young sons, it is the piano that completes me.” To that end, she says she looks forward to meeting other kindred spirits during the Amateur Competition. An avid reader and outdoorswoman, Dr. Donaldson enjoys spending time with her family and giving community concerts.

Program:
MOZART, Sonata No. 15 in F Major, K. 533/494: III. Rondo: Allegretto
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Simon Finlow – 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

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:
CHOPIN, Fantaisie in F Minor, op. 49
PROKOFIEV, Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83: III. Precipitato

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

Matthias Fischer – 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

Matthias Fischer, 42
Physician
Würzburg, Germany
Germany

Born in 1973, in Bad Kissingen, Germany, Matthias Fischer received his first piano lessons from his parents at age 5. Throughout his childhood, he won prizes in the German youth competition, Jugend Musiziert, and briefly studied the piano at Munich Musikhochschule with Karl-Hermann Mrongovius from 1993–1994. One year later, he began his career in medicine as a student at the University of Würzburg. He finished his medical thesis in 2000 and pursued an M.D./Ph.D. thesis on mental retardation. Since 2007, he has been an assistant doctor and researcher at the university hospital for psychiatry in Würzburg. Throughout his work in medicine, however, Dr. Fischer continued to hone his piano skills. In 1996, he placed second at the first amateur competition in which he participated, in Utrecht, Netherlands, and he looks forward to this Competition and the possibility of playing with an orchestra.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47
MENDELSSOHN, Variations sérieuses, op. 54

Michael Slavin – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Michael Slavin, M.D., 65
Ophthalmologist
Manhasset, New York
United States

Music has been a part of Michael Slavin’s life since he was 5, and at age 9, he attended The Juilliard School of Music’s preparatory division. When he was 11, he performed the Mozart Piano Concerto in D Major (“The Coronation”) with the Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center. He spent his undergraduate years at Cooper Union in New York, where he received a bachelor’s degree in physics, after which he attended medical school, and for the past 25 years, he has practiced ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology in Long Island. Following his retirement from medicine, Dr. Slavin has made time again for the piano. He was awarded first prize at the Chicago International Amateur Piano Concerto Competition in 2012, won the 12th Washington International Piano Artist’s Competition in 2014, and last year, he won first prize at both the Paris International Piano Competition for Amateurs and the Chopin International Amateur Piano Competition. Dr. Slavin is an avid reader, bridge player, and sports lover.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 31

Kuei-Ling Hsu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kuei-Ling (Christine) Hsu, 39
Pediatric dentist/assistant professor
Columbia, Maryland
Taiwan/United States

Kuei-Ling “Christine” Hsu’s Cliburn connection began even before she was accepted into this Competition. After starting piano lessons at age 10, she continued them at a “casual pace”—her words—until dental school. A few years later, she resumed while doing her dental residency at the University of Alabama Birmingham, as the pupil of Tatiana Kasman—who happens to be the wife of Yakov Kasman, the silver medalist of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Dr. Hsu, who is now an assistant pediatric dentistry professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, credits Ms. Kasman with renewing her passion for the instrument. A Baltimore Ravens and Orioles fan, she also loves exploring new restaurants with her husband, as well as cooking and knitting.

Program:
CHOPIN, Etude in E Major, op. 10, no. 3
MOZART, Sonata No. 8 in A Minor, K. 310: III. Presto

Jorge Zamora – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Jorge Zamora, 43
Sales director
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico

Jorge Zamora studied piano privately for years before earning his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies in Monterrey, Mexico. When he was 25, he entered the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied piano performance and audio recording for three years. Mr. Zamora returned to Mexico and embarked on a career in telecommunications. Currently, he is a sales director at Qualcomm International Inc. Mr. Zamora took a 10-year break from the piano prior to the 2011 Cliburn Amateur Competition, in which he was a semifinalist. Last year, he took first prize (2nd category) in the 2015 Piano Bridges Amateur International Piano Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 31

Jane Gibson King – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Jane Gibson King, 60
Stay-at-home mother
Provo, Utah
United States

Jane Gibson King is a familiar face at this Competition; she was named a finalist in 2011 and received the Press Jury Award. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano from Brigham Young University, where she performed in recitals, master classes, and piano competitions, she went on to appear as a soloist with the Utah Symphony, the BYU Orchestra, and the Music Academy of the West Orchestra in Santa Barbara, where she was a student of Jerome Lowenthal. In 1982, she studied with Van Cliburn gold medalist Steven de Groote at Arizona State University. She currently studies with Eugene Watanabe. With four children, Ms. King spent 30 years as a full-time mother and is an advocate for her youngest son, Michael, who has autism. An avid reader and book club-goer, she also revels in being a grandmother, and she volunteers for “Days For Girls International,” where she contributes her skills as a seamstress.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Eberhard Zagrosek – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Eberhard Zagrosek, 73
Retired physicist
Berlin, Germany
Germany

Eberhard Zagrosek, a retired physicist from Berlin, competed at the Cliburn Amateur in 2011. Growing up in Bavaria, he began playing piano at age 6, but gave up his musical pursuits for a career as a physicist. For nearly 30 years, Mr. Zagrosek worked in the electronics field, primarily for Siemens. Since his retirement in 1999, he has resumed piano lessons and has participated in amateur competitions in Colorado Springs, Colorado (second place), Washington, D.C. (second), and Boston (first). Mr. Zagrosek is the founder of an international piano competition in Berlin, which is supported by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In recent years, he has also organized festivals and over 60 recitals in Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart as an impresario for amateur pianists.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, op. 20

David Swenson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

David Swenson, M.D. 64
Physician
Butler, Pennsylvania
United States

David Swenson studied the piano for 12 years with Earle C. Voorhies. In 1972, he placed first in the Amateur Championship Concerto Competition, but then chose to embark on a medical career. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1982, and completed a residency in internal medicine. Dr. Swenson practiced medicine for 32 years, during which time he completely stepped away from the piano. Now semi-retired, he has redoubled his musical efforts, having been inspired by the extensive piano community he has found online. A new piano teacher aided him in preparing his application to this Competition. Dr. Swenson, who is active in his church, is looking forward to meeting other amateur piano acquaintances here whom he has connected with online.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, op. 39

Xavier Aymonod – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Xavier Aymonod, 40
Strategy consultant
Paris, France
France

Xavier Aymonod began his music studies at Aix-en-Provence Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of Monique Oberdoerffer and Michel Bourdoncle, and then went on to study science and technology at the prestigious École Polytechnique, outside Paris. He was a laureate of the International Competition for Outstanding Piano Amateurs from 1998–2000 in Paris, and in 2000, he was a semifinalist at “Piano20ème siècle” in Orléans. Mr. Aymonod has participated in master classes with William Aide, Jean-François Heisser, and Eric Heidsieck. Currently a principal at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, his work involves advising transportation companies on strategic issues. In his free time, Mr. Aymonod enjoys playing with his children (ages 4 and 5), traveling, running, golfing, and indulging in fine wine.

Program:
CHOPIN, Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
ALBÉNIZ, “El Albaicín” from Iberia, Book 3

John Gutheil – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

John Gutheil, M.D., 59
CEO/Medical oncologist
La Jolla, California
United States

John Gutheil recently returned to playing the piano after an absence of several decades. Originally on a musical track—he completed two years as a piano performance major at California State University Northridge—he went on to medical school and became an oncology clinical physician. Currently, he is president and CEO of SciQuus Oncology Inc. in La Jolla, California. Looking for a goal, and to give focus to his piano practice, Dr. Gutheil entered this Competition and says he has achieved much already just by preparing for the event. He notes his music has improved steadily and hopes the event will “give him additional ideas about how to continue improving my piano playing.” The avid marathoner and woodworker also enjoys Italian literature and the work of Caravaggio.

Program:
BEETHOVEN, Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 2, no. 1: I. Allegro
CHOPIN, Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1 (“Aeolian Harp”)
CHOPIN, Etude in C Minor, op. 25, no. 12 (“Ocean”)

Kuan-Chuen Wu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kuan-Chuen Wu, 42
Mechanical engineering Ph.D. student
Ames, Iowa
Taiwan/United States

Kuan-Chuen Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1973, and nine years of piano lessons constitute his musical studies. Mr. Wu has excelled in academia, receiving his bachelor’s degree in electrical computer systems engineering from Harvard University in a five-year honors program, an MBA from Iowa State University, and a master’s degree in computational and mathematical engineering from Stanford University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Iowa State. (After graduating from Harvard, he spent five years surfing the dot-com wave before returning to school.) Mr. Wu competed in university-wide competitions at Iowa State. In 2014, he placed third in the American Protégé International Concerto Competition and in December 2015, performed at Carnegie Hall as part of a winner’s recital. Besides classical piano, Mr. Wu counts chess, mathematics, engineering, and physics among his interests.

Program:
CHOPIN, Prelude in B-flat Minor, op. 28, no. 16
LISZT, Transcendental Etude No. 4 in D Minor “Mazeppa”

Serena Costa – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Serena Costa, 36
Homemaker
Milan, Italy
Italy

Serena Costa graduated from law school in Milan in 2005, and from 2005–2006, she worked in a civil law practice. But then musical aspirations took hold, and she obtained a piano degree from Mantova Conservatory and a master’s from Bergamo Conservatory in 2011. Despite the intensive musical training, Ms. Costa has never entered a competition—until now. The mother of three, who had a great passion for music as a child, says “the piano is back as a star in my life.” In addition to practicing for amateur competitions, she has performed as part of the Piano City Milano House Concert Series and at Bergamo Conservatory-associated benefits. Ms. Costa, a homemaker, makes time for skiing in the Alps during the winter and weekly tennis games during the summer. She also relaxes by cooking and reading with her children, as well as savoring good food and wine with her husband.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47

Steven Boyce – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Steven Boyce, 64
Risk manager
New York, New York
United States

Severe tendinitis in both arms curtailed a budding piano career for Steven Boyce, who began studying at 10 and attended Manhattan School of Music. As a result, Mr. Boyce went on to attain an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business, and to pursue a career in financial services. Currently chief risk officer of broker-dealer services at Bank of New York Mellon, Mr. Boyce returned to the piano in 2013, and was rewarded for his diligent focus: He won first prize at The Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New York in 2014, and last year, was a semifinalist at the Boston Piano Amateurs Competition. He enjoys the news of the budding careers of his two children as well as his wife’s expert bread baking and other food explorations. In addition to music-making and risk-avoidance, Mr. Boyce is a tree-lover who teaches a semi-annual program through Trees New York on how to perform basic pruning and tree care.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Saffet Bayka – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Saffet Bayka, 57
Electrical engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Turkey

Saffet Bayka started playing the piano at 11, studying with Tulga Cetiz, a renowned teacher at Ankara State Conservatory. After appearing in school recitals, he performed with the Baskent Chamber Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in his 20s. Mr. Bayka graduated with honors from a piano program for amateurs at Hacettepe University-Ankara State Conservatory; today, he continues his musical pursuits, giving community concerts as part of a duo with clarinetist Ekrem Oztan. Mr. Bayka, an electrical engineer, cites performing with a professional orchestra as a personal goal. An amateur sailor in the summer and skier during the winter, Mr. Bayka says competing in Fort Worth will become an “honorable memory” that he looks forward to sharing with his fellow engineers upon his return to Ankara.

Program:
CHOPIN, Nocturne in B Major, op. 9, no. 3
CHOPIN, Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 10, no. 4

Ipek Bozkurt – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Ipek Bozkurt, 36
Professor
Seabrook, Texas
Turkey

Ipek Bozkurt began her piano studies at age 6 in Ankara, Turkey, at the Aran Music Center, but after 16 years moved to the United States to obtain her master’s and doctorate degrees in engineering management at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia. Currently an associate professor of engineering management at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Dr. Bozkurt’s passion for piano was reignited after attending the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2013. A subsequent purchase of a grand piano she has nicknamed “Black Beauty” followed. When she is not playing the piano she deems too big for her living room, Dr. Bozkurt can be found attending events in the Museum District, the Theater District, or with the Sherlock Holmes Society in Houston. She feels she was pre-destined to participate in a competition bearing the Cliburn name: Her Turkish teachers, the Aran Duo, studied at The Juilliard School under Rosina Lhévinne, who also taught Van Cliburn.

Program:
CHOPIN, Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, op. 6, no. 2
RACHMANINOV, Prelude in C-sharp Minor, op. 3, no. 2

James Carter Cathcart

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

James Carter Cathcart, 62
Scriptwriter/voice actor
Fort Lee, New Jersey
United States

A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy in 1971, James Carter Cathcart won a Young Artist award as well as the concerto competition at the school; he also studied with Mollie Margolies at Roosevelt University in Chicago from 1969–1970. While piano has been a vital part of his life since “being in the womb,” he says, his professional pursuits led to scriptwriting and voice-acting. In the latter line of work, Mr. Cathcart’s voice has graced Pokémon, Sonic X, and Yu-Gi-Oh! projects. For the past two years, he has worked to raise money for soup kitchens and community centers across the country by giving benefit recitals. A fan of jazz and rock music, Mr. Cathcart also enjoys cooking and being a husband to his wife, Martha Jacobi, and father to his son, daughter, and stepdaughter.

Program:
CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1 (“Aeolian Harp”)
CHOPIN Etude in E-flat Minor, op. 10, no. 6

Robert Biber – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Robert Biber, M.D., 64
Retired physician
Evergreen, Colorado
United States

During Dr. Robert Biber’s 37-year medical career, there was little time for regular piano practice or performance. He and his wife of 38 years have four daughters—three of whom are triplets and two of whom are professional musicians (cello and clarinet). Dr. Biber’s musical pursuits were limited to collaboration with his two daughters throughout high school and college recitals, the pinnacle of which, he says, was performing the Beethoven piano, cello, and clarinet trio for their respective senior college recitals. Upon his retirement as a urologic surgeon and a move to Colorado, Dr. Biber refocused his time with the goal of competing in amateur piano competitions to raise the level of his musicianship. Dr. Biber loves “all Colorado mountain pursuits”—hiking, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing—and revels in spending time with the six of his eight grandchildren who live nearby.

Program:
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, op. 20

Andrea Davide Bonotto – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Andrea Davide Bonotto, 49
User interface engineer
New York, New York
United States

Born in Venice, Italy, Andrea Davide Bonotto received a diploma in piano performance from the Conservatory of Music in Milan, earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and then continued his musical pursuits at NYU in the late ’90s, taking classes in piano, harmony, and composition while pursuing a master’s in music technology. But, as Mr. Bonotto says, “life went in another direction,” and he gave up the idea of being married to music for a career in the field of user-interface engineering. A 2007 Cliburn Amateur competitor (at the time, he practiced on a Yamaha keyboard), Mr. Bonotto has since moved to a larger apartment and purchased a Baldwin baby-grand piano. Fluent in Italian and English and conversant in Spanish and French, Mr. Bonotto is a linguist and prolific writer whose work “fills whole drawers,” he says.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23

David Lee – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

David Lee, 37
Software engineer
San Francisco, California
Taiwan/United States

David Lee asked his parents for piano lessons at age 12, and since then, his love for the instrument has only deepened. He studied with Marion Zarzeczna, whom Mr. Lee still calls one of his great friends. While pursuing his bachelor’s in computer science at Stanford University, he studied with Thomas Schultz. He also enjoyed master classes with John Perry, 1997 Cliburn Gold Medalist Jon Nakamatsu, and 1993 Cliburn Competition alum Frederic Chiu at Stanford from 1999­–2000. After an interlude that saw Mr. Lee receive his master’s degree in predictive analytics from Northwestern University, the software engineer resumed lessons three years ago with Corey McVicar of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. An avid traveler who loves pursuing new adventures, Mr. Lee comes to the Amateur Competition eager to refine the focus of his musical pursuits. While in Fort Worth, the avid cyclist also likely will be found checking out area museums and restaurants.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Madalyn Taylor – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Madalyn Taylor, 66
Retail store owner
Ogden, Utah
United States

A mother of six and grandmother of 24, Madalyn Taylor firmly believes in making challenges. “They help you push yourself towards higher levels of achievement,” she says. While she took private piano lessons as a child and studied music for two years at Weber State University, Ms. Taylor changed her focus to raising her children and helping with her family business, a tire store, for 46 years. Since resuming her studies, she was won awards at the 2008 Seattle International Amateur Competition and the Bradshaw & Buono International Competition. She has studied with Eugene Watanabe, which she calls a highlight of her musical pursuits, and was a Cliburn Amateur semifinalist in 2011. In her downtime, Ms. Taylor’s large family consumes most of her time but she is also a seamstress and a professional candy maker.

Program:
CHOPIN, Mazurka in B-flat Minor, op. 24, no. 1
CHOPIN, Mazurka in B-flat Major, op. 7, no. 1
CHOPIN, Mazurka in F Minor, op. 7, no. 3
BACH-KEMPFF, “Siciliano” from Sonata No. 2 for Flute and Harpsichord, BWV 1031

Kazuyuki Ohmura – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kazuyuki Ohmura, 49
Software engineering manager
Tokyo, Japan
Japan

Kazuyuki Ohmura began studying the piano at age 3. Upon entering college in 1985, he began studying viola and joined an amateur orchestra where he gained valuable experience in chamber music performance. In 1991, he joined GE Healthcare as a software engineer. His passion for chamber music led him to begin studying piano again under the guidance of Utami Kaneko in 2006. One year later, Mr. Ohmura performed the complete Beethoven cello sonatas, and in 2009, he recorded the piano trios of Fauré, Saint-Saëns, and Ravel. In 2011, he won the top prize in the amateur division of the Chopin International Competition in Asia. He was a participant at the Cliburn Amateur Competition in 2011.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Yumi Ahn – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Yumi Ahn, 35
Attorney
Singapore
South Korea

Yumi Ahn began her piano studies at age 5. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, she moved to suburban London to study at the Purcell School for Young Musicians with Tessa Nicholson. From 1996–1999, she gave performances in London at the Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), St. John’s Smith Square, and Buckingham Palace for Prince Charles’ 50th birthday celebration. She received the gold prize at the Hankook Ilbo National Piano Competition (Korea) in 1990 and the concerto award at the Ealing Festival of Music (United Kingdom) in 1998. However, Ms. Ahn, an energy infrastructure lawyer practicing in Singapore, took a break from the piano for 17 years, and it wasn’t until last year that she resumed playing: She was inspired after watching They Came to Play, the documentary about the 2007 Cliburn Amateur Competition.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47

J. Todd Spangler – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

J. Todd Spangler, 54
Administrative law judge
Knoxville, Tennessee
United States

This year marks Todd Spangler’s fourth entry into the Cliburn Amateur Competition, having participated in 2002, 2004, and 2007. In his last appearance here, he was a semifinalist. Mr. Spangler received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and a master’s degree in music education from Morehead State University (Morehead, Kentucky), before embarking on a career in law. He is a graduate of the Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University and, for most of his professional life, has worked in all facets of litigation. Currently an administrative law judge working with the Social Security Administration in Knoxville, Mr. Spangler enjoys outdoor summer activities such as cycling, devotes time to his church choir, and likes to read.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 8:37 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
CHOPIN Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11 (I)

Chun Lam U’s competition credits include first-prize finishes in the Chopin International Piano Competition Asia, Japan Hamamatsu PIARA International Piano Competition, and Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition, as well as second-place prizes at the Hanoi International Piano Competition, Shenzhen Piano Open Competition, and Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Artists. He has performed in his native Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Virtus String Quartet; in Vietnam with the VNAM Symphony Orchestra; and in China, with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, with which he made his concerto debut in 2017. A student of Rizzo Chung at the GMC Music Academy, Chun Lam also enjoys playing basketball and solving math problems.

“One of the reasons I truly love music is because I feel a sense of belonging when I play the piano, and this allows me to freely showcase my personality without fear.”

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 9:12 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’hommè armé”
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83
BALAKIREV Islamey (Oriental Fantasy)

Australian pianist Shuan Hern Lee has performed across his country and Europe, and in the United States, China, Russia, and Indonesia, including appearances with the Minnesota, Moscow State, Ukraine, Armenia, Western Australia, and Jakarta Symphony Orchestras. He has been with his teacher, Yoon Sen Lee, for 14 years—since he was 2½ years old. He currently studies at the University of Western Australia, and also with Ingrid Fliter at the International Piano Academy Incontri Col Maestro in Imola, Italy. Among his many accolades are 11 first-place finishes at international piano competitions around the world. In his time away from the piano, he likes playing table tennis and with nerf guns, writing poetry, and studying philosophy.

“I believe that classical music and art will be one of the most important subjects in life for centuries to come. Technology is advancing at a terrifying and amazing speed, but no matter how advanced AI or robotics will turn out to be, music can never be substituted.”

J J Jun Li Bui – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

J J Jun Li Bui
Canada | Age 14

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 8:12 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
TCHAIKOVSKY-PLETNEV Concert Suite from The Nutcracker

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong | Age 16

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60
FRANK Nocturno Nazqueño

Chun Lam U’s competition credits include first-prize finishes in the Chopin International Piano Competition Asia, Japan Hamamatsu PIARA International Piano Competition, and Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition, as well as second-place prizes at the Hanoi International Piano Competition, Shenzhen Piano Open Competition, and Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Artists. He has performed in his native Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Virtus String Quartet; in Vietnam with the VNAM Symphony Orchestra; and in China, with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, with which he made his concerto debut in 2017. A student of Rizzo Chung at the GMC Music Academy, Chun Lam also enjoys playing basketball and solving math problems.

“One of the reasons I truly love music is because I feel a sense of belonging when I play the piano, and this allows me to freely showcase my personality without fear.”

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia  | Age 16

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 8:02 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903
HADYN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52 (I)
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 16

Australian pianist Shuan Hern Lee has performed across his country and Europe, and in the United States, China, Russia, and Indonesia, including appearances with the Minnesota, Moscow State, Ukraine, Armenia, Western Australia, and Jakarta Symphony Orchestras. He has been with his teacher, Yoon Sen Lee, for 14 years—since he was 2½ years old. He currently studies at the University of Western Australia, and also with Ingrid Fliter at the International Piano Academy Incontri Col Maestro in Imola, Italy. Among his many accolades are 11 first-place finishes at international piano competitions around the world. In his time away from the piano, he likes playing table tennis and with nerf guns, writing poetry, and studying philosophy.

“I believe that classical music and art will be one of the most important subjects in life for centuries to come. Technology is advancing at a terrifying and amazing speed, but no matter how advanced AI or robotics will turn out to be, music can never be substituted.”

J J Jun Li Bui – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

J J Jun Li Bui
Canada  | Age 14

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, no. 2
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3 (I)
LISZT Gnomenreigen from Two Concert Etudes
CHOPIN Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, op. 22

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 4:24 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32
CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 9, no. 3
BARTÓK Sonata for Piano, Sz. 80

Chun Lam U’s competition credits include first-prize finishes in the Chopin International Piano Competition Asia, Japan Hamamatsu PIARA International Piano Competition, and Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition, as well as second-place prizes at the Hanoi International Piano Competition, Shenzhen Piano Open Competition, and Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Artists. He has performed in his native Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Virtus String Quartet; in Vietnam with the VNAM Symphony Orchestra; and in China, with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, with which he made his concerto debut in 2017. A student of Rizzo Chung at the GMC Music Academy, Chun Lam also enjoys playing basketball and solving math problems.

“One of the reasons I truly love music is because I feel a sense of belonging when I play the piano, and this allows me to freely showcase my personality without fear.”

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 3:52 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14, no. 2 (III)
RODRIGO “Seguidillas del diablo” from 4 Estampas andaluzas
CHOPIN Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, op, 27, no. 1
CHOPIN Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, op. 44
SAINT-SAËNS Étude en forme de valse, op. 52, no. 6

Eva Gevorgyan has received prizes in more than 40 international competitions for piano and composition—in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Malta, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. Born and raised in Moscow, she has studied with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and has performed across Russia, Europe (including a Royal Albert Hall debut in April), and in the United States. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in its intensive music weeks and activities. In 2017, Eva performed in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and she has taken part in a national television show for young talent, advancing to the final as the only pianist. Last year, she appeared on live television with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him about education reform. She likes composing, growing exotic plants, jogging, and playing table tennis.

“When I play, I hope people can hear words which I would never say in my real life. Being on stage at the Cliburn Junior Competition will charge me with energy and love for a long time forward.”

Chung Yue Tien – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Chung Yue Tien
Hong Kong  | Age 13

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in A-flat Major, Hob. XVI:43
CHOPIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 7
MENDELSSOHN Fantasy in F-sharp Minor, op. 28

Born in Hong Kong, Chung Yue Tien started playing piano at the age of 3 and gave his recital debut at Hong Kong’s Citibank Plaza when he was 8. The current Edmond, Oklahoma resident made his concerto debut two years later at the Eisemann Center in Dallas with the Plano Symphony Orchestra as a result of a grand-prize win at their Young Artist contest. He studies piano with Pamela Mia Paul and has twice participated in the International Keyboard Odyssiad, which yielded a 2016 gold medal in Solo Level A (13 and under) and a 2017 bronze medal in Concerto Division (all ages). Chung Yue currently attends Heritage Hall Middle School in Oklahoma City where he is active in the debate club and sings in the choir; he also enjoys hiking, fishing, cycling, jogging, swimming, reading, and table tennis.

“I think of music as my best friend. Not only have I been working hard to nurture it in my mind, but I feel it is also growing stronger in my heart by the day.”

Naomi Yamaguchi – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Naomi Yamaguchi
United States/Japan  | Age 15

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 (I)
BOWEN Toccata in A Minor, op. 155
CHOPIN Nocturne in F-sharp Major, op. 15, no. 2
CHOPIN Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, op. 22

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.”

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

JiWon Yang
South Korea | Age 17

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 8:54 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22 (I)
CHOPIN Nocturne in G Major, op. 37, no. 2
LISZT Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”

Benjamin T. Rossen – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Benjamin T. Rossen
United States | Age 16

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 8:02 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3 (I)
SCHUBERT Impromptu in B-flat Major, op. posth. 142, D. 935, no. 3
SCRIABIN Deux Poèmes, op. 32
CHOPIN Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, op. 44

New Yorker Benjamin T. Rossen has won prizes in a number of U.S. competitions, including first-place finishes in contests held by Steinway & Sons, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Music Teachers National Association, and the National YoungArts Foundation. A student of Jeffrey Cohen at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division for five years, he made his recital debut at the school at age 9, and his concerto debut the following year with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta at Carnegie Hall. A junior at William A. Shine Great Neck South High School, Benjamin is founder and president of the Music Creators Society, which connects composers with artists to produce interdisciplinary works; plays piano in the school jazz band and French horn in operas and musicals; and is music editor for the school’s literary magazine.

“In society, music can bring awareness to many different facets of culture, from literature and art to political ideas and mathematical concepts. This medium allows for different communities to discover and acknowledge society’s achievements and challenges.”

Xiaoxuan Li – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Xiaoxuan Li
China | Age 17

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1

Since appearing as the youngest competitor in the first edition of the Cliburn Junior Competition in 2015, Xiaoxuan Li—the only returning competitor—moved from Shanghai to Philadelphia, where he studies with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald at the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a laureate of several international young artist competitions, including Cleveland (senior division, first prize, 2018); Zhuhai Mozart (first prize, 2015); Hilton Head (second prize, 2015); and Ettlingen (2012). He began piano at the age of 4 and has performed extensively throughout China, with other notable concerts including Salzburg Chamber Soloists and the orchestras of Canton, Hilton Head, Ashdod, and Macao.

“I would gladly spend the rest of my life studying the beauty and nuances of every composer, every piece, every iteration. Piano is the media of my emotion. It drives me, shapes me, and propels me to a higher place.”

Avery Gagliano – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Avery Gagliano
United States | Age 17

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 4:24 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52
CHOPIN Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, op. 22

Avery Gagliano cannot remember a time that music wasn’t a part of her life; it has always been her “most natural form of expression.” At age 9, she made her Carnegie Hall debut and her orchestral debut at the Strathmore Concert Hall. The following year she appeared on the NPR’s “From the Top” and made her solo recital debut. Currently in her third year at the Curtis Institute of Music studying with Jonathan Biss and Gary Graffman, she has taken first prize at the Aspen Music Concerto, MostArts Festival Piano, and Chopin International Piano (Hartford) Competitions, was young scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, and is a 2019 National YoungArts winner in music. As a soloist and an avid chamber musician, the Washington, D.C.-native has performed in major concert venues in her hometown, as well as across the United States, and in Paris, Oxford, Munich, and Perugia in Europe. During her free time, Avery writes pop songs, and loves to sing, read, and play ultimate frisbee.

“This competition will provide me a chance to internalize music in a way that elevates it to a higher level of artistry and make it possible for me to successfully convey my ideas to audiences.”

Hao-Wei Lin – Cliburn Junior Quarterfinal Round Recital

Hao-Wei Lin
Taiwan | Age 14

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 3:52 p.m.

Program:
CHOPIN Nocturne in D-flat Major, op. 27, no. 2
HAYDN Sonata in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32
SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, op. 15

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.”

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.”

Ishan Loomba – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Ishan Loomba
United States | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 8:14 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873
SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major, D. 664 (III)
CHOPIN Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, op. 63, no. 3
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)

Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ishan Loomba made his solo recital debut at the age of 8 and orchestral debut at age 10. A student of Carol Leone since age 11, he is a pre-college student in SMU’s Gifted Students Institute and attends high school at Early College Academy. Ishan has given public performances in his home state and in Texas, Florida, California, New York, and Colorado, with appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, Texas State International Piano Festival, and Colburn Music Academy Piano Festival, among others. A three-time Chopin Foundation Scholarship recipient, he has been “enraptured” by the piano since his first encounter—so much so that his parents would threaten him with “no more piano until you finish dessert!” Ishan also enjoys singing, learning languages, and running.

“I feel that music is the most important part of my life for reasons that are innate and unquantifiable, but also because music has given me a purpose beyond my own passions. This purpose is grounded in the need to communicate with others and to move them.”

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 7:52 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
BARTÓK Three Etudes, op. 18

Australian pianist Shuan Hern Lee has performed across his country and Europe, and in the United States, China, Russia, and Indonesia, including appearances with the Minnesota, Moscow State, Ukraine, Armenia, Western Australia, and Jakarta Symphony Orchestras. He has been with his teacher, Yoon Sen Lee, for 14 years—since he was 2½ years old. He currently studies at the University of Western Australia, and also with Ingrid Fliter at the International Piano Academy Incontri Col Maestro in Imola, Italy. Among his many accolades are 11 first-place finishes at international piano competitions around the world. In his time away from the piano, he likes playing table tennis and with nerf guns, writing poetry, and studying philosophy.

“I believe that classical music and art will be one of the most important subjects in life for centuries to come. Technology is advancing at a terrifying and amazing speed, but no matter how advanced AI or robotics will turn out to be, music can never be substituted.”

Ray Ushikubo – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Ray Ushikubo
United States/Japan | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 7:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877
CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, op. 53 (“Heroic”)
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor

Ray Ushikubo made his recital debut at a Lang Lang and Friends concert at Segerstrom Concert Hall when he was 8 years old, and his Carnegie Hall debut the following year, playing piano and violin. Highlights of his already active performance career since include concertos with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (the latter in a double piano concerto with Jeffrey Kahane). In 2012, he played with Lang Lang on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and has also performed for From the Top, NPR’s Performance Today, TEDx, and Radio France (with Jean-Yves Thibaudet). Ray has won several piano competitions and is a 2014 Davidson Fellow laureate. He studied piano (with Ory Shihor) and violin at the Colburn Academy, and now attends the Curtis Institute also in both instruments under the piano tutelage of Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald. He listens to heavy metal, watches classic action movies, and loves driving cars.

“Through my music, I hope to make the people all over the world believe in themselves and become the best of what they can be. Music brings the best of my life.”

J J Jun Li Bui – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

J J JUN LI BUI
Canada | Age 14

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 4:38 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 874
CHOPIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 10, no. 4
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Xingyu Zhou – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Xingyu Zhou
China  | Age 14

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 4:16 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514

Xingyu Zhou made his recital debut at the age of 8 in his native Beijing, and his concerto debut two years later in Canada with the St. Andrews Festival Orchestra. That was his second successful appearance in St. Andrews, where he won all top prizes in his age category at its international piano academy and festival in 2013. Among his accolades, he counts several top finishes in Chinese competitions, as well as concert appearances in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. He moved with his family three years ago to Philadelphia, where he studies with the Curtis Institute’s Meng-Chieh Liu. He also attends the Albert M. Greenfield School, where he excels academically, especially enjoying literature, math, and science, and is on the track team. He is also an adept athlete, having seriously studied badminton and speed skating, amongst others.

“When people converse, both sides talk. I think the case with music is similar. The performer does not simply give out everything he has—the music should also speak back to him. I often find my view on something has changed because of music.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 3:54 p.m.

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 888
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54

Chun Lam U’s competition credits include first-prize finishes in the Chopin International Piano Competition Asia, Japan Hamamatsu PIARA International Piano Competition, and Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition, as well as second-place prizes at the Hanoi International Piano Competition, Shenzhen Piano Open Competition, and Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Artists. He has performed in his native Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Virtus String Quartet; in Vietnam with the VNAM Symphony Orchestra; and in China, with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, with which he made his concerto debut in 2017. A student of Rizzo Chung at the GMC Music Academy, Chun Lam also enjoys playing basketball and solving math problems.

“One of the reasons I truly love music is because I feel a sense of belonging when I play the piano, and this allows me to freely showcase my personality without fear.”

Chung Yue Tien – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Chung Yue Tien
Hong Kong  | Age 13

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 2:52 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, SMU

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Chasse-Neige from Transcendental Etudes
LISZT La campanella from Paganini Etudes

Born in Hong Kong, Chung Yue Tien started playing piano at the age of 3 and gave his recital debut at Hong Kong’s Citibank Plaza when he was 8. The current Edmond, Oklahoma resident made his concerto debut two years later at the Eisemann Center in Dallas with the Plano Symphony Orchestra as a result of a grand-prize win at their Young Artist contest. He studies piano with Pamela Mia Paul and has twice participated in the International Keyboard Odyssiad, which yielded a 2016 gold medal in Solo Level A (13 and under) and a 2017 bronze medal in Concerto Division (all ages). Chung Yue currently attends Heritage Hall Middle School in Oklahoma City where he is active in the debate club and sings in the choir; he also enjoys hiking, fishing, cycling, jogging, swimming, reading, and table tennis.

“I think of music as my best friend. Not only have I been working hard to nurture it in my mind, but I feel it is also growing stronger in my heart by the day.”

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.”

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

JiWon Yang
South Korea | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 9:38 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 848
CHOPIN Etude in C Minor, op. 10, no. 12 (“Revolutionary”)
SAINT-SAËNS Étude en forme de valse, op. 52, no. 6
CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, op. 53 (“Heroic”)

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”

Sarah Tuan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Sarah Tuan
United States | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 8:54 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
CHOPIN Fantaisie in F Minor, op. 49

Sarah Tuan was born and raised in San Jose, California, and finds the music of Chopin and Rachmaninov particularly pertinent to her life as an Asian-American girl: “Their music expresses a sense of longing and a desire to belong, which reminds me of my two cultural identities and how I belong to both worlds.” A current student of Ning An, she made her concerto debut at 10 and recital debut at 12. Sarah has won several competitions in California, as well as the Philadelphia International Piano Competition, and has been featured on NPR’s From the Top and Philadelphia’s WRTI FM 90.1. The Valley Christian High School junior loves cooking (she specializes in handmade knife-cut noodles), origami, bubble milk tea, cats, and researching U.S. politics.

“In a world with social standards and expectations of ‘containing yourself,’ it is hard to express real, raw emotion and tell a story that people can truly accept and feel. That is why music is important to everyone—it doesn’t judge, it doesn’t criticize, and it will never abandon the people it befriends.”

Boao Zhang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Boao Zhang
China | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 8:14 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
CHOPIN Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61

Boao Zhang is a multiple competition prize winner in his native China, and also took home second at the Frederic Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Poland. He made his recital debut a year ago at the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing and followed that appearance with a concert at the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology last fall. Having studied with Manchun Chen at the middle school of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, for three years, Boao counts classical music as his “most important hobby,” noting that he “listens to music every day, without exception.” He was fascinated by ancient cultures at an early age, visits exhibitions of Western art as often as he can, and likes to read, swim, and play table tennis.

“When I was a young child, I thought music was interesting—as if I was listening to a person tell a story about his experience. So I enjoy classical music each night before bed, just as every child likes to listen to bedtime stories.”