Composers: Johannes Brahms

Wei Luo– Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal 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:
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, op. 87, no. 17
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Paganini, op. 35, Books I and II
RAVEL La valse

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.

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.

Xavier Aymonod– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Semifinal Round Recital

XAVIER AYMONOD, 40
Strategy consultant
Paris, France
France

2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
Semifinal Round – Thursday, June 23, 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:
BRAHMS, Rhapsody in G Minor, op. 79, no. 2
ROQUE ALSINA, Etudes Nos. 2 and 3 from Klaverstücke No. 7
LISZT, Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Lana C. Marina– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Semifinal Round Recital

LANA C. MARINA, 47
Stay-at-home mother
New York, New York
United States

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

Lana C. Marina spent her childhood practicing the piano, under the assumption she would become a pianist. When she was 14, she won the Van Cliburn scholarship to the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, where she met Mr. Cliburn at a ceremony: “He complimented my playing and, memorably, kissed my hand.” But an accident—in which she slipped on ice and broke her left wrist—during her junior year at Northwestern University sidelined her budding career, and Ms. Marina decided to pursue a law degree at Cornell Law School. For 20 years, she worked as a trademark lawyer until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which forced her to take a step back. In participating at the Amateur Competition, Ms. Marina hopes to achieve her personal best and to be a role model for her 9-year-old daughter, Sydney, showing her that one can accomplish dreams in the face of obstacles.

Program:
BRAHMS, Etude No. 5 (for left hand) after J.S. Bach’s Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1016
SCHULZ-EVLER, Concert Arabesques on Motifs by Johann Strauss (“By the Beautiful Danube”)

Jeanne Backofen Craig– Cliburn Amateur 2016 Semifinal Round Recital

JEANNE BACKOFEN CRAIG, 46
Homemaker/part-time minister of music and liturgy
Forest, Virginia
United States

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

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:
BRAHMS, Intermezzo in A Major, op. 118, no. 2
LISZT, “Vallée d’Obermann” from Années de Pèlerinage
LISZT, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 in A Minor

Stephen Stouder – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Stephen Stouder, 59
Healthcare executive
Apple Valley, Minnesota
United States

Stephen Stouder grew up performing music as a cellist, singer, and pianist. He began college as the principal cellist of the William and Mary College Community Orchestra, before transferring to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied under Julio Esteban and Edward Polochick, among others. Mr. Stouder graduated in a class of 10 student-pianists from Peabody and received his diploma from Leonard Bernstein in 1980. Currently, he studies with Julia Elkina and performs regularly at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. A return competitor from 2011, Mr. Stouder, a benefits consultant from Apple Valley, calls the competition “the greatest show on earth.” His diverse list of hobbies includes reading, traveling, golfing, and supporting the World Wildlife Fund.

Program:
BRAHMS, Intermezzo in B Minor, op. 119, no. 1
LISZT, Transcendental Etude No. 8 in C Minor “Wild Jagd”

Clark Vann Griffith

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

Gorden Cheng – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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:
SCHUMANN, Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
BRAHMS, Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor, WoO 1

Joel Goodman – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Joel Goodman, 67
Cell Biologist / Professor of Pharmacology
Carrollton, Texas
United States

Joel Goodman’s first teacher was his mother, who taught him as a young boy. At college—where he petitioned the dean to have a piano in his dorm room—he minored in music. He took piano for a few years after college, and started up again in 1999, with Adam Wodnicki (University of North Texas) after being inspired by the first Cliburn Amateur Competition. Dr. Goodman plays regularly with the DFW Amateur Piano Club and often attends PianoTexas, where he has had the opportunity to perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra three times. Meanwhile, Dr. Goodman is on the faculty of University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (Dallas), where he directs a research program to understand how cells store fat, teaches medical and Ph.D. students, and administers the STARS outreach office to promote science education in secondary schools. Dr. Goodman enjoys riding his bicycle, attempts to read the New York Times 10 Best Books each year, and relaxes with his wife, daughter, and two young grandchildren.

Program:
SCHUMANN, Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
BRAHMS, Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor, WoO 1

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.”

Marcin Koziak- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

MARCIN KOZIAK
Poland | Age 24

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 (“Pathetique”)
BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in C Major, op. 1

Marcin Koziak was born into a musical family in Krakow, and made his debut at the age of eleven with the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed with the Beethoven Academy, China National Symphony, Lodz Philharmonic, Poznan Philharmonic, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, and was invited to make appearances at the International Chopin (Duszniki-Zdroj), La Folle Jornée au Japon, La Roque d’Anthéron, and Rubinstein Festivals. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States as well. In 2011, he was privileged to give a recital in Warsaw for Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and the first lady of the Republic of Poland, Anna Komorowska; two months later he took part in a grand concert in Rome organized for the occasion of the beginning of the Polish presidency in the European Union. Mr. Koziak currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where he studies at Texas Christian University.

Oleksandr Poliykov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

OLEKSANDR POLIYKOV
Ukraine | Age 25

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

Program:
WAGNER-LISZT Isoldens Liebestod
BRAHMS Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, op. 5

Born in Kiev, Oleksandr Poliykov began studying piano at the age of three and gave his first concert with orchestra when he was eight. Third-prize winner at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht, he also took third prize at the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev, first prize at the Steinway Society Competition in Boston, and second prize at the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Weimar. As a member of the Lumière Piano Trio, he won third prize at the International New England Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Poliykov has appeared in solo recitals in Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States, and has played with such orchestras as the Kiev Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. He recently toured Poland by invitation of the Polish Liszt Society. Mr. Poliykov is currently pursuing an artist diploma at the Boston Conservatory and postgraduate studies at the National Music Academy of Ukraine.

Jayson Gillham- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

JAYSON GILLHAM
Australia-United Kingdom | Age 26

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

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

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

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24

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

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34

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.

Fei-Fei Dong- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

FEI-FEI DONG
China | Age 22

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

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34

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

Sean Chen- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

SEAN CHEN
2013 Bronze Medalist
United States | Age 24

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

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34

 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 ARTSweek 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.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

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

Program:
MOZART Fantasia in C Minor, K. 396
BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in C Major, op. 1

Nikita Abrosimov began studying piano at the age of six and made his recital debut when he was fourteen. He has since made appearances at La Scala in Milan, Alice Tully Hall in New York, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, and in venues throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has recently performed with the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony, Kostroma Symphony, and Stanford Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev in St. Petersburg’s Stars of the White Nights Festival. Mr. Abrosimov earned degrees at the Balakirev Music College and at Indiana University South Bend. He currently lives in London, where he studies at the Royal College of Music.

Rachel Cheung – Cliburn 2017 Final Quintet

RACHEL CHEUNG
Hong Kong | Age 25

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Final Round Quintet – Thursday, June 8, 2017
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34
with the Brentano String Quartet

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

Daniel Hsu – Cliburn 2017 Semifinal Recital

DANIEL HSU
2017 CLIBURN BRONZE MEDALIST
United States | Age 19

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Recital – Thursday, June 1, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCHUBERT Four Impromptus, D. 899, op. 90
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Handel, op. 24

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.