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
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
YUKINE KUROKI
Japan | 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 Major, Book II, BWV 884
MENDELSSOHN-RACHMANINOV Scherzo from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
SCHUBERT Impromptu in G-flat Major, op. 90, no. 3
BARTOK Out of Doors
Yukine Kuroki has performed with the Astana State Philharmonic, Tatarstan National Symphony, Lithuanian National Symphony, and Polish Silesian Philharmonic Orchestras. She has appeared at the International Music Festival “Stars on Baikal” in Irkusk, Russia at the invitation of Denis Matsuev, as well as the Vilnius Piano Festival and in recitals throughout her native Japan. Competition credits include top prizes at the International Balys Dvarionas, Hanoi International Piano, and International Festival “Astana Piano Passion” Competitions. Yukine studies with Fumiko Eguchi at the Showa Music University Piano Art Academy since 2008. She delights in spreading joy through music, and her hobbies include calligraphy and monochrome drawing.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
JASMIN TIODANG, 44
Stay-at-home mother
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Indonesia
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Born in Indonesia, Jasmin Tiodang began private piano lessons at age 4, studied with Iravati M. Sudiarso in Indonesia, and continued to play until she moved to the United States to pursue her undergraduate studies. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Winthrop University (South Carolina), where she studied with Dr. Eugene Barban, and a master’s in music and an MBA from the University of Louisville. After several years teaching children at a local music academy and serving as music director at a Catholic church in Louisville, she relocated to Puerto Rico in 2003 with her husband. Now, she is focused on caring for her daughter full time, and she recognizes the importance of being a strong role model: “I need to set an example for my daughter,” she says. Competing at the Cliburn Amateur is Ms. Tiodang’s way of paying tribute to the special people who have encouraged her: her late parents as well as her husband, daughter, teachers, and mentors.
Program:
BACH-BUSONI Chaconne in D Minor
SCHUMANN-LISZT Widmüng
BRAD DUNN, 43
General manager/sommelier
Bloomington, Indiana
United States
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round – Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Brad Dunn began studying piano at age 5, and went on to become a pupil of both William Ransom at Emory University and Leonard Hokanson at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. While at Emory, he received bachelor’s degrees in biology and in music, and a master’s degree in piano performance and electronic music. Mr. Dunn’s diverse interests span wine—he holds certifications from the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators—to scientific research, and when he isn’t working 60-hour-weeks as general manager and beverage director at The Uptown Cafe in Bloomington, Indiana, he can be found on the golf course or cooking in his kitchen. He looks to the Amateur Competition as an opportunity to “get his chops back,” and is excited about the prospect of performing again.
Program:
BACH, Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
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:
BACH-KEMPFF, Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
SCHUMANN, Kinderszenen, op. 15
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Bruce Pfeffer, 65
Cell biologist
Amherst, New York
United States
Bruce Pfeffer began piano lessons at age 7, and continued to study throughout his schooling at Pomona College in Claremont, California (bachelor’s in biochemistry). He went on to earn a Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The research scientist studies the field of ophthalmology, currently working at SUNY Buffalo and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs-Western New York Research Service. As an amateur pianist, Dr. Pfeffer brings his scientific process to music: “My commitment is such that, as much as I have achieved ‘high-flow states’ in practicing…I feel obliged to find opportunities to perform these masterpieces.” He looks forward to the challenge and excitement live performance brings, and hopes to express his gratitude through his participation here, “to former teachers whose insights took decades to dawn on me.”
Program:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in D Major, WTC II, BWV 874
SCRIABIN, Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 42, no. 5 (“Affannato”)
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Clark Vann Griffith, 52
Retired database programmer
Fort Worth, Texas
United States
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:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859
BRAHMS, Intermezzo in A Major, op. 76, no. 6
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Lawrence Hsu, 58
Real estate agent
Seattle, Washington
United States
Lawrence Hsu began private piano lessons when he was 10, switched to the violin at 12, and then went back to piano at age 15. Mr. Hsu studied with Randolph Hokanson as a non-music major at the University of Washington, where he graduated with degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering. He worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Veterans Administration in a variety of capacities until 2014, when he transitioned into a completely different career as a real estate agent. Since then, he has focused on his clients, as well as the piano. For the past three years, he has attended a summer piano academy in Victoria, British Columbia, as well as master classes with Paul Robert at the Portland Piano Company in Portland, Washington. Among his diverse interests, Mr. Hsu lists gardening, foreign languages, singing, traveling, and cooking.
Program:
DEBUSSY, “Reflets dans l’eau” from Images, Book I
SCHUMANN, “Traumerei” from Kinderszenen, op. 15
BACH, “Praeludium” from Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Marisa Naomi Haines, 59
Emerging technology commercialization strategist
Murphy, Texas
United States/Brazil
A familiar face at the Cliburn Amateur Competition, Marisa Naomi Haines was a finalist in 2004, and also competed in 1999, 2007, and 2011. A DFW-area resident—she lives in Murphy, just east of Plano—she began playing the piano as a child and studied at the Conservatorio Brasileiro de Music in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and later with Hans Boepple in California. An electrical engineer by training, her career in both corporate and public sectors includes roles in research & development, P&L management, and strategic partnerships. She currently works with early stage businesses and global organizations, developing commercialization strategies for emerging technologies in the fields of nanotechnology, advanced materials, and biomedical engineering. Ms. Haines’ greatest joy is spending time with her family and children—her oldest son recently earned a Ph.D., and the youngest, born shortly after her third appearance in the Amateur Competition, is now in elementary school. Away from the keyboard she also enjoys the sun and surf, cooking, and fine wines.
Program:
IVES, “The Alcotts” from Sonata No. 2 “Concord, Mass., 1840-60”
BACH, “Capriccio” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
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:
BACH, “Sinfonia” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
DOHNÁNYI, Rhapsody in C Major, op. 11, no. 3
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Yvonne Liu, 45
Preschool music teacher
Foster City, California
China/United States
Born in Shanghai, China, in 1970, Yvonne Liu began private piano lessons at age 3. After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in international policy studies from Stanford University. Ms. Liu enjoyed being a full-time mother, but when her son was diagnosed with autism at 2, she discovered the healing power of music and began a career as an early childhood music educator. A competitor in 2011, she enjoys setting goals for herself and feels the Amateur Competition offers her an opportunity to become more disciplined in her practice, and she finds it inspirational. Ms. Liu likes to garden, hike, and cook in her free time.
Program:
BACH, “Sinfonia” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
SCHUMANN-LISZT, Widmung
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Simon Finlow, 60
Retired IT project manager/database engineer
Washington, D.C.
United Kingdom/United States
Born in Lincoln, England, Simon Finlow began playing piano at age 4 and studied with Imogen Cooper in his late teenage years. He received a bachelor’s degree in music from Oxford University in 1977, and a doctorate in musicology from Cambridge University in 1985. Highlights for Dr. Finlow during this time included performances of the Brahms B-flat Major Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue with orchestra. “Hard reality,” he says, forced him along another path towards a career in IT engineering and management, following his move to the United States in 1985. Two key events in 2013 changed the direction of Dr. Finlow’s life: He quit his high-stress job that was taking a serious toll on his health, and he attended the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. After learning about the Amateur Competition, he was inspired to find a new piano teacher, to rebuild his repertoire, and to perform again. When he is not playing, Dr. Finlow enjoys running marathons, delving into theories of cosmology and quantum physics, playing Gran Turismo on PlayStation, and helping his wife maintain a delicate peace between their 14-year-old twins.
Program:
BACH “Sarabande” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
DEBUSSY L’Isle joyeuse
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Jeanne Backofen Craig, 46
Homemaker/part-time minister of music and liturgy
Forest, Virginia
United States
Piano studies and competitions took up most of Jeanne Backofen Craig’s childhood, but after graduating from Virginia Tech, she stopped performing. In the ensuing 20 years, Ms. Craig stayed home with her three children while pursuing cooking, sewing, gardening, and home-improvement projects. At the encouragement of her husband and now-teenage children, Ms. Craig started to play again, and when she learned about amateur competitions, she says she was inspired to “dig out my old music and see if I could still play those pieces.” A self-taught webmaster, she designed and maintains websites for the Lynchburg Symphony Youth Orchestra as well as her church, where she is a part-time minister of music and liturgy. In her spare time, Ms. Craig enjoys long-distance running, and she qualified and ran in the 2011 Boston Marathon.
Program:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, WTC I, BWV 863
DEBUSSY, Arabesque No. 1 in E Major
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Max Sung, M.D., 63
Physician
New York, New York
United States
In the early ’70s, Max Sung was the beneficiary of a German Academic Exchange Fellowship to study piano with Helmut Roloff at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts in Berlin, Germany. However, the call of medicine was too strong, and he left after one year to pursue premedical and medical studies at Harvard University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Since completing fellowships in hematology and medical oncology, Dr. Sung has been in full-time practice as a physician. He has continued playing the piano as much as his schedule allows and finds participating in amateur piano competitions stimulating. He was a semifinalist in the Chopin, Berlin, and Boston amateur competitions and a finalist in the Washington, D.C. amateur competition. A lifelong learner, Dr. Sung enjoys studying different cultures around the world.
Program:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in D Major, WTC II, BWV 874
SCHUBERT-LISZT, Gretchen am Spinnrade
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
2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Preliminary Round
Van Cliburn Recital Hall
Robert Seppy, 58
Healthcare executive
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Robert Seppy began piano lessons at age 9 and went on to study at the Peabody Conservatory of Music and The Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. Since 1993, he has worked at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a charge entry manager. In 2011, Mr. Seppy placed first in the Music Minus One YouTube Video Contest. He looks to the Cliburn Amateur Competition as an opportunity to improve his playing, since it provides motivation to practice. He is also looking forward to meeting other like-minded competitors at this year’s event. Besides playing the piano, Mr. Seppy enjoys spending time with his wife and family. He also likes to attend concerts and values the increasingly important role social media plays in performing arts.
Program:
BACH-BUSONI, Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
BEETHOVEN, Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3: II. Scherzo: Allegretto vivace
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.”
Miyu Shindo
Japan | Age 17
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 8:54 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870
LISZT La campanella from Paganini Etudes
TCHAIKOVSKY Theme and Variations in F Major, op. 19, no. 16
In addition to recitals in her home country of Japan, Miyu Shindo has performed in the Great Hall at the Moscow Conservatory and at Carnegie Hall, and in Austria and Italy. She has collaborated with the Nagoya Philharmonic, Central Aichi Symphony, and Obu Philharmonic Orchestras, and placed in several international competitions. Miyu recently moved to Russia to study with Valery Piassetski at the Central Music School in Moscow, where she notes that there are many different people from many different places. They speak Russian to each other, but “sometimes we can’t understand what the other person wants to say. When we talk about music, though, we can talk forever!” Outside of piano, she likes to listen to music and read books.
“If every human in this world will love music and tell each other ‘thank you for giving me wonderful happiness,’ we would not hate anyone. I believe that music has a big power to change the world.”
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
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
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
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
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
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.”
Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia | Age 15
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 3:14 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 880
LISZT Chasse-Neige from Transcendental Etudes
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, S. 244/12
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
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
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
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.”
Benjamin T. Rossen
United States | Age 16
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 9:16 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
STRAVINSKY Serenade in A
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 878
LISZT Eroica from Transcendental Etudes
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.”
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
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.”
Xiaoxuan Li
China | Age 17
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 7:52 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60
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
United States | Age 17
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 7:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes
SCHUMANN Variations on the Name ‘Abegg,’ op. 1
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
Taiwan | Age 14
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 4:38 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
COUPERIN Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863
SCRIABIN Etude in B Major, op. 8, no. 4
RACHMANINOV Prelude in G Major, op. 32, no. 5
DEBUSSY Pour les huit doigts from Etudes, Book I
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes
Hao-Wei Lin enjoys studying geography in his free time, which fits with one of his favorite results of playing the piano: “Music takes me all over the world to meet new friends.” He gave his first recital at the age of 10, and has performed in Taiwan, Canada, China, the United States, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. His international young artist competition achievements include first-place finishes at Bradshaw & Buono in New York and Grotrian-Steinweg in Germany, as well as prizes at Cleveland, Aarhus, Ettlingen, and Fryderyk Chopin (Poland). He currently attends Taipei Municipal Zhongzheng Junior High School and studies piano with Chun-Chieh Yen.
“Music is like air to me. It can calm my mind and allows me to mature. I love the French composer Ravel, whose music reflects the real world we live in—his work has vibrant emotions and vivid colors, full of imagination.”
Hao Rao
China | Age 15
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 4:16 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA
Program:
MENDELSSOHN Songs without Words, op. 67, nos. 1 & 5
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Valse de l’opéra Faust (after Gounod)
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.”
Johann Zhao
Austria | Age 15
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 3:54 p.m.
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860
LISZT La campanella from Paganini Etudes
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, op. 87, no. 15
PROKOFIEV Toccata, op. 11
Salzburg-born Johann Zhao has five competition wins to his name in Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany, as well as a gold medal at the AADGT (American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented) in 2017, which led to his Carnegie Hall debut. A student of Cordelia Höfer-Teutsch at the University Mozarteum Salzburg since 2013, he made his recital and concerto debuts in 2015 at Salzburg’s Summer Schlosskonzerte Mirabell. He has performed with the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic and will perform with the Berliner Sinfonieorchester in Philharmonie in April. He is also a passionate chamber musician, a self-proclaimed YouTuber, runs marathons, sings in choir, and writes pop music.
“Through playing music, I came to understand the invisible world better, instead of relying on perception only. I am interested also in religion and history, and it seems to me that every religious movement or political change has always been accompanied by making music to awake emotion.”
Shunta Morimoto
Japan | Age 14
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 3:14 p.m.
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 854
CHOPIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 10, no. 4
SCRIABIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 42, no. 3
SCRIABIN Waltz in A-flat Major, op. 38
SCHUBERT-LISZT Der Erlkönig, S. 558, no. 4
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.”
Kasey Shao
United States | Age 15
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 2:52 p.m.
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 884
CHOPIN Etude in F Major, op. 10, no. 8
RACHMANINOV Prelude in D Major, op. 23, no. 4
ALBÉNIZ “Triana” from Iberia, Book II
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, op. 87, no. 15
A Louisville native who now lives in Cincinnati, Kasey Shao made her concerto debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center when she was 12 years old. She has 13 first-place finishes to her name at junior competitions across the Eastern United States and made her Carnegie Hall (Weill Hall) debut in 2013. A student of Ran Dank, she attends Walnut Hills High School, where she is a member of the Model UN Club, Science Olympiad team, French Club, and Student Congress. She has accompanied school choir, band, orchestra, and chamber groups since she was in third grade, and is interested in conducting and collaborations with other pianists.
“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.”
Ryan Zhu
Canada | Age 15
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 2:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU
Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54
In January 2014, Ryan Zhu made both his recital and concerto debuts in his hometown of Vancouver—just one week apart from each other. In addition to performances in Canada since, he was recently featured in the Mariinsky International Piano Festival in St. Petersburg and at the Oberlin School of Music as a prize-winner in the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition. A winner of several other competitions, Ryan attends Magee Secondary School and studies piano with Mira Yevtich and Michelle Mares. He enjoys reading and writing—especially poetry and history—as well as swimming and badminton.
“Music provides a means for humans to reach deep into the profundities of the soul. However, to do so requires the utmost precision, attention, and perseverance. Only by developing one’s intellectual ability and mental maturity can the highest level of artistry be attained.”
STEVEN LIN
United States| Age 24
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital I
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Overture in the French Style
MENDELSSOHN Fantasy in F-Sharp Minor, op. 28 (“Scottish Sonata”)
VINE Sonata No.1
Steven Lin made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall at the age of thirteen. Additional concerto appearances include those with the Baltimore Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Sendai Symphony, and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. He has made recital, chamber, and concerto appearances around the world at major venues, including the Louvre and Salle Cortot in France, National Dublin Hall in Ireland, Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, and Sendai Cultural Center in Japan, as well as at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall. At the age of ten, he entered the pre-college division of The Juilliard School, where he continues his studies today.
NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital II
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Toccata in F-sharp Minor, BWV 910
HAYDN Sonata in G Major, Hob. XVI:6
TANEYEV Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, op. 29
BABADJANIAN Six Pictures
Born into a family of professional musicians, Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at an early age. He gave his first public recital when he was ten, and one year later released his first recording of a live performance at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. Since then, Mr. Mndoyants has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has been invited to perform in several festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, and a festival dedicated to the World Economic Forum in Davos. His compositions are featured on two recordings released by Classical Records in 2007. Mr. Mndoyants is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received a degree in piano and composition.
SCIPIONE SANGIOVANNI
Italy | Age 25
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital I
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830
BUSONI Indianisches Tagebuch
BACH-BUSONI Komm, Gott, Schöpfer!
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
Nun freut euch, lieben Christen
Scipione Sangiovanni is a graduate of Italy’s Conservatory “Tito Schipa” of Lecce and the Mendelssohn Piano Academy of Lecce. He has performed throughout Italy, as well as in Austria, China, Croatia, France, Georgia, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. Mr. Sangiovanni has also been invited to perform as guest soloist with the Bacau Orchestra in Romania, the Orchestra of the Croatian Radio-Television, and the Orchestra Sinfonietta Italiana in Rome. Competition credits include top prizes at the Jaén, Maria Canals, Porto, and Tbilisi International Piano Competitions.
ALESSANDRO DELJAVAN
Italy | Age 26
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital I
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829
CHOPIN Twelve Études, op. 25
Alessandro Deljavan began studying piano before he was two years old, and went on to win top prizes at national and international competitions as a child and teenager. He has since performed in the major cities of Italy, as well as in Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States, and with the Haydn Orchester, as well as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. He has recorded the works of Alkan, Brahms, Busoni, Cramer, Rubinstein, Satie, Schubert, and Schumann for the Naxos, Brilliant, OnClassical, Piano Classics, and Stradivarius labels. He will also be featured alongside Evgeny Kissin, Antonio Pappano, and Charles Rosen in a film about Liszt, produced and broadcast by Italian RAI TV. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Sine Nomine Quartet, the Takács Quartet, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi, with which he also conducted. He plays regularly with his violinist partner Daniela Cammarano as well. Mr. Deljavan makes his home in Pescara, Italy, and is currently a Theo Lieven Scholar at the Conservatory of Lugano.
SEAN CHEN
2013 Bronze Medalist
United States | Age 24
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital I
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816
BARTOK Three Etudes, op. 18
CHOPIN Three Mazurkas, op. 59
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 5, op. 53
Second-prize winner at the 2011 Seoul International Music Competition and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Sean Chen has performed with several orchestras, including the Indianapolis Chamber, Juilliard, New West Symphony, and Suwon Philharmonic. He has presented solo recitals in Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Taipei, among other cities. Additional awards include top prize at the 2010 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at Juilliard, the 2010 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship, Best Performance of an American Work at the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Award, and an NFAA ARTS week award. Born in Florida, Mr. Chen grew up in Oak Park, California, and now resides in New Haven, Connecticut, where he is pursuing his artist diploma at the Yale School of Music. When not at the piano, he enjoys tinkering with computers and composing.
VADYM KHOLODENKO
2013 Gold Medalist
Ukraine | Age 26
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital II
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH-SILOTI Prelude in B Minor, BWV 855a
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, op. 109
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka
Born in Kiev, Vadym Kholodenko won first prize at both the International Schubert Competition in Dortmund in 2012, and the Sendai International Music Competition in 2010. He has worked with Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov, and other distinguished conductors, and has performed across the globe in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States. He released recordings of Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Medtner on Russia’s TV Culture label in 2009. An avid chamber musician as well, he performed and recorded a CD with violinist Alena Baeva, and formed a piano duo with Andrey Gugnin, which they dubbed “iDuo.” Mr. Kholodenko currently resides in Moscow, where he attends the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
LUCA BURATTO
Italy | Age 20
Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Recital II
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
SCHUMANN Novelette in D Major, op. 21, no. 2
Novelette in F-sharp Minor, op. 21, no. 8
BARTÓK Sonata (1926)
Luca Buratto made his debut in 2003 at the age of ten in the Sala Verdi of the Conservatory of Milan, performing music by his great-grandfather Renzo Massarani on Holocaust Remembrance Day. He has since performed with Milan’s I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi, and Magdeburgische Philharmonie, and in recital in France, Italy, and Switzerland. Mr. Buratto has received top prizes in several competitions, including third prize in the 2012 International Robert Schumann Competition and the Special Prize “Acerbi” at the Shura Cherkassky International Piano Competition. He currently resides in Milan while attending a two-year intensive course at the C. Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano; he is also studying at the Conservatory of Lugano as a Theo Lieven Scholar.
YURY FAVORIN
Russia | Age 30
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH-BUSONI Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
RACHMANINOFF Variations on a Theme by Corelli, op. 42
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 10, op. 70
LISZT Scherzo and March
Moscow native Yury Favorin started his music instruction at age 5, and pursued piano, clarinet, and composition at the Gnessins Moscow Secondary Special School. He continued his education at the Moscow Conservatory and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2016, he was invited to be on the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Mr. Favorin has won prizes at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels and the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris. He has played with conductors including Pierre Boulez and Marin Alsop, and given recitals in Russia, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Japan, and more. He is a regular participant in music festivals such as Crazy Days in Nantes, France, and in Japan; and La Rocque-d’Anthéron in France. Mr. Favorin enjoys premiering works by contemporary composers. His many recordings include Liszt and 20th-century Russian composers, but also new music and improvisations. He has been part of several groups devoted to freely improvised music, including his own “ERROR 404”.
ILYA SHMUKLER
Russia | Age 22
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Thursday, May 25, 2017 – 9:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
HAYDN Sonata in F Major, Hob XVI:23
BACH-SILOTI Prelude in B Minor, BWV 855a
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
Moscow native Ilya Shmukler studies piano with Elena Kuznetsova at the Moscow Conservatory. He has frequently performed in the leading concert halls of Russia, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, and Kazan, as well as in Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Mr. Shmukler has won awards at a number of piano competitions, including grand prizes of the 2009 Musica Classica and the 2012 Scriabin-Rachmaninoff competitions in Russia, and second prize in the 2012 International Rachmaninov Music Competition. He has played with several orchestras, most notably the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra. When not playing piano, he enjoys cinema, literature, art, swimming, and table tennis.
YUTONG SUN
China | Age 21
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 8:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
CHOPIN Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat Major, op. 29
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853
LIGETI Etude No. 13 “L’escalier du diable”
BARTÓK Sonata (1926)
Yutong Sun studies with Alexander Korsantia at the New England Conservatory. He has won awards at a number of competitions, including third prize at the 2016 Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona, first prize at the 2012 Jaén Award International Piano Competition (Spain), and second prize at the 2011 New Orleans International Piano Competition for Young Artists. He made his recital debut at age 10 in Beijing and his orchestra debut with the Orchestra of Granada in Spain at age 16. Mr. Sun has performed with orchestras and in recital in China, France, Spain, and the United States. In 2013, he released a recording of a recital performance as part of the Laureate Series on the Naxos label. When not playing music, he likes to watch movies and sports.
TRISTAN TEO
Canada | Age 20
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 3:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Toccata in D Minor, BWV 913
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
KAPUSTIN Variations, op. 41
Tristan Teo was born in Vancouver, where he started piano lessons at age 6. He graduated from high school with honors at 15 and is now enrolled in the accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program at The Juilliard School, studying with Jerome Lowenthal. He is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at Juilliard, where he is also a Secondary Piano Teaching Fellow, teaching instrumentalists at all degree levels. Since his orchestral debut at age 10, Mr. Teo has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He has won awards at several international piano competitions, including second place at the 2016 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and prizes at the Virginia Waring, ePiano International, Bösendorfer and Schimmel USASU, Cooper, and PianoArts competitions. Mr. Teo has given recitals in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy in venues such as Salle Cortot in Paris and the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and watching movies.
RACHEL KUDO
United States | Age 30
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Sunday, May 28, 2017 – 3:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Overture in the French Style in B Minor, BWV 831
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
BARBER Sonata for Piano, op. 26
A winner of the Gilmore Young Artist Award, Rachel Kudo gave her first performances with orchestra at age 16 in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and De Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has since performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic in Poland and the RTE National Symphony Orchestra in Ireland, among others. She has appeared in recital at Chopin’s birthplace in Poland, Salle Cortot in Paris, Musikverein in Vienna, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Aspen Music Festival, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, and Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall in New York. Born in Washington, D.C., to Japanese-Korean parents, Ms. Kudo began studying piano at age 4 with Emilio del Rosario and continued at The Juilliard School and the Mannes College of Music. Her past teachers include Richard Goode, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Gilbert Kalish, and she currently studies with Leon Fleisher. She enjoys yoga, cooking, and traveling.
SUN-A PARK
United States | Age 29
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 4:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Capriccio in B-flat Major, BWV 992 (“On the departure of a beloved brother”)
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUMANN Humoreske in B-flat Major, op. 20
Sun-A Park was born in Busan, South Korea, and grew up in New Jersey. She began piano at age 4 and studied at The Juilliard School, where she completed undergraduate and graduate programs. She currently studies with Boris Berman at the Yale School of Music. Ms. Park has won prizes at several competitions including the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition, 2011 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, and the 2000 Gina Bachauer Junior International Piano Competition. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, San Marino Republic Orchestra, Orchestra Haydn, New Jersey Symphony, and Albany Symphony. She has performed at Alice Tully Hall and Benaroya Hall in the United States, National Dublin Hall in Ireland, Sejong Arts Center in South Korea, the Miguel Delibes Cultural Center in Spain, and the Sendai Cultural Center in Japan. Ms. Park loves animals (especially dogs) and relishes traveling and visiting art galleries and museums.
Martin James Bartlett
United Kingdom | Age 20
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 26, 2017 – 3:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUBERT Impromptu in G-flat Major, D. 899, op. 90, no. 3
BARBER Sonata for Piano, op. 26
Martin James Bartlett won the title of BBC Young Musician in 2014 and has since appeared regularly on BBC TV and radio broadcasts. In 2016, he performed as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, broadcast live on BBC One. He also was one of 27 international artists, including Elton John and Stevie Wonder, chosen by the BBC to record a cover of the Beach Boys’ classic God Only Knows. Mr. Bartlett is currently studying with Vanessa Latarche at the Royal College of Music as a Foundation Scholar. He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Usher Hall, and Steinway Hall in London. Internationally, he has performed across France, Monaco, Italy, Russia, and Serbia. He made his BBC Proms debut in 2015 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. He also has performed with the BBC Concert, BBC Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, and European Union Chamber orchestras. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and wine collecting.
KENNY BROBERG
2017 CLIBURN SILVER MEDALIST
United States | Age 23
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 3:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
FRANCK-BAUER Prélude, Fugue et Variation, op. 18
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
BACH Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
BARBER Sonata for Piano, op. 26
A native of Minneapolis, Kenneth Broberg studied piano from age 6 through high school under Dr. Joseph Zins. He continued his studies with Nancy Weems at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. He is now a graduate student working with 2001 Cliburn gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Mr. Broberg has won first prizes at the Hastings and Dallas international piano competitions, in addition to medals at the Sydney, Seattle, New Orleans, and Wideman (Shreveport) competitions. Several of his performances at last year’s Sydney International Piano Competition were released on CD on the Universal Music label. He has performed as soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Chamber Symphony, and the Louisiana Philharmonic, among others. Mr. Broberg has had solo, chamber, and concerto performances broadcast on NPR and ABC (Australia) radio. His passions include hockey, baseball, books, and movies.
DANIEL HSU
2017 CLIBURN BRONZE MEDALIST
United States | Age 19
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 5:15 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall
Program:
BACH-BUSONI Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition
A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Daniel Hsu began piano studies with Larisa Kagan at 6. He was accepted at age 10 to the Curtis Institute of Music, where he is the Richard A. Doran Fellow and studies with Gary Graffman and Eleanor Sokoloff. In 2016, Mr. Hsu was named a Gilmore Young Artist and won the bronze medal at the 9th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. As first-prize winner of the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, Mr. Hsu made his Carnegie Hall debut in April 2017. He made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in June 2016, and concerto appearances this season include concerts with the Grand Rapids Symphony, New Haven Symphony, and Symphonia Boca Raton. His notable recitals include appearances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Concert Series; and Merkin Concert Hall’s Tuesday matinee series in New York. Mr. Hsu also is a film buff and enjoys computer programming. He contributed to the creation of the Workflow productivity app, which won a 2015 Apple Design Award and has improved the experience of mobile devices for visually impaired users.