Composers: Joseph Haydn

Evelyn Mo – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

EVELYN MO
United States |  Age 16

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

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

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

Youlan Ji – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

YOULAN JI
China |  Age 16

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

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

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

Gavin Bala – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary 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:
HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:51
MENDELSSOHN Rondo capriccioso in E Major, op. 14
LIZST Concert etude No. 3 “Un sospiro”

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.

Wai Yuen Won – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

WAI YUEN WON
Hong Kong  |  Age 17

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

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

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

Anna Larsen – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ANNA LARSEN
United States  |  Age 15

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

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

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

Adam Balogh – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ADAM BALOGH
Hungary  |  Age 17

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

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

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

Roger Shen– Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ROGER SHEN
United States  |  Age 16

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

Program:
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, op. 14: IV. Vivace
HAYDN Sonata in C Minor, Hob. XVI:20: I. Moderato
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 4 “Mazeppa”

A winner of top prizes at the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, Walgreens National Concerto Competition, Aloha International Piano Concerto Competition, and Chicago Steinway Young Artist Competition, Roger Shen has played with the Northbrook Symphony, Midwest Young Artist Symphony, Hawaii Youth, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Most Arts Orchestras. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Hall in 2010, and has been featured on WFMT’s Introductions. Currently enrolled at Phillips Exeter Academy, Roger is a student of Dr. Jon Sakata; when at home in Illinois, he studies with Dr. Matt Hagle. As an active member of the Academy’s student music outreach group, he performs bi-weekly concerts for various nursing homes around New Hampshire. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, swimming, chess, fishing, and ping pong.

Misha Galant– Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

MISHA GALANT
United States  |  Age 17

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50: I. Allegro
RACHMANINOV Etude-Tableau in C Minor, op. 39, no. 1
RACHMANINOV Prelude in B Minor, op. 32, no. 10
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor

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

Wei Luo– Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

WEI LUO
China  |  Age 16

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

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

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

Xiaoxuan Li – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

XIAOXUAN LI
China  |  Age 13

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

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

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

Jeanne Backofen Craig – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

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

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:
GRIEG, “Notturno” from Lyric Pieces, op. 54
HAYDN, Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52: I. Allegro
LISZT, Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un sospiro”)

Utako Tanigawa – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Utako Tanigawa, 61
Computer science/information systems advisor
Dawsonville, Georgia
United States

Utako Tanigawa, a native of Japan, started playing the piano at the age of 3, but she stopped after 10 years. Later, she came to the United States and earned degrees in mathematics, computer science, software engineering, management science and engineering, and a Ph.D. in information systems. Dr. Tanigawa, who competed at the Cliburn Amateur in 2011, has been engaged in executive positions at global corporations such as American Express and Walmart for more than two decades, and she is also passionate about leadership development. About five years ago, she was diagnosed with cancer; at the same time, her love of music returned and provided what she calls a “tangible lifeline.” Today, music continues to play a key healing role as her recovery continues.

Program:
HAYDN, Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52: I. Allegro
SCHUMANN-LISZT, Widmung

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia  | Age 16

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

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

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

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

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

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

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

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

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

Chung Yue Tien – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Chung Yue Tien
Hong Kong  | Age 13

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

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

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

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

Naomi Yamaguchi – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Naomi Yamaguchi
United States/Japan  | Age 15

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

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

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

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

Avery Gagliano – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Avery Gagliano
United States | Age 17

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

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

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

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

Hao-Wei Lin – Cliburn Junior Quarterfinal Round Recital

Hao-Wei Lin
Taiwan | Age 14

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

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

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

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

Shunta Morimoto – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Shunta Morimoto
Japan | Age 14

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

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

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

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

Kuan-Ting Lin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

KUAN-TING LIN
Taiwan | Age: 21

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob VXI:52
SCHUBERT-LISZT Gretchen am Spinnrade
LISZT From Annees de pelerinage, Book I

Born in Taipei, Kuan-Ting Lin began piano studies at the age of four. Ten years later, he moved to Russia, first studying at Moscow’s Gnessin State Musical College, and then enrolling at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He was awarded several prizes in Taiwan as a teenager, and recently received top prize at the International Competition ofYoung Artists “A Step Towards Mastery”and second prize at the International Vladimir Viardo Competition in Ukraine.Mr. Lin has performed with the Gnessin State Musical College Orchestra, the Parlarte Symphony Orchestra in Italy, the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei SymphonyOrchestra, and in recital throughout Asia and Europe.

Jie Yuan- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

JIE YUAN
China| Age 27

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

Program:
SCHUMANN    Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
HAYDN           Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI: 50
STRAVINSKY    Trois mouvenments de Petrouchka

Born in Changchun, Jie Yuan received major prizes at both the 2009 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition and the 2007 Shanghai International Piano Competition. He maintains an active performance schedule and has appeared with the China Philharmonic, Haydn Festival, Morocco Royal Philharmonic, Shenzhen Symphony, and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Yuan earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Christian University. He currently resides in New York City, where he studies at The Juilliard School.

Ruoyu Huang- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital

RUOYU HUANG
China| Age 24

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI: 31
CHOPIN Etude in E Minor, op. 28
CHOPIN Twenty-four Preludes, op. 28

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

Steven Lin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

STEVEN LIN
United States| Age 24

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
CHOPIN Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat Major, op. 29 I Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp Major, op. 36 I Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat Major, op. 51
LISZT Reminiscences de Don Juan (after Mozart)

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.

Nikolay Khozyainov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV
Russia | Age 20

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:33
CHOPIN Étude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1
LISZT Transcendental Étude No. 5: Feux follets
SCRIABIN Étude in C-sharp Minor, op. 42, no. 5
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit

Nikolay Khozyainov made his debut at age seven in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He has since garnered numerous prizes, including top prizes at the Dublin and Sydney International Piano Competitions and the Moscow International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Additionally, he was the youngest finalist competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010. He has appeared with the Sydney Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, among others. Mr. Khozyainov released his first CD, featuring works by Chopin and Liszt, on the Accord label in 2010. He followed this in 2012 with an all-Chopin disc released by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw and another recording on the JVC Victor label in Japan. He is currently enrolled at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

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.

Luca Buratto – Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

LUCA BURATTO
Italy | Age 20

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, op. 17

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.

EunAe Lee – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

EUNAE LEE
South Korea | Age 29

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

Program:

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

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

Ilya Shmukler – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

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.

Honggi Kim – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

HONGGI KIM
South Korea | Age 25

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

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI:31
RACHMANINOFF Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, op. 28

Honggi Kim won the Isang Yun International Music Competition in Korea and also has earned top prizes at the Geneva International Music Competition and China International Piano Competition. He was born in Seoul and pursued music at the Seoul Arts High School and Korea National University of Arts. He is a graduate of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and is now studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt with Arnulf von Arnim. Mr. Kim has given recitals in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, China, Singapore, Japan, and Korea, and performed with orchestras including Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Macau Orchestra, Changwon Symphony Orchestra, Wonju Symphony Orchestra, and Korean Symphony Orchestra. Away from the piano, Mr. Kim enjoys jogging and cooking.

Han Chen – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

HAN CHEN
Taiwan| Age 25

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Sunday, May 28, 2017 – 11:55 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

CARTER Caténaires (2006)
RACHMANINOFF Étude-tableau in G Minor, op. 33, no. 8
RACHMANINOFF Étude-tableau in C-sharp Minor, op. 33, no. 9
HAYDN Sonata in D Major Hob.XVI:42
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan

Han Chen, a native of Taichung, Taiwan, studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky at The Juilliard School, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in part on a Van Cliburn Alumni Scholarship. He continues his studies at the New England Conservatory with Wha Kyung Byun. As first-prize winner of the Sixth China International Piano Competition, Mr. Chen released his debut CD, of Liszt opera transcriptions, on Naxos Records. He has performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (under Vladimir Ashkenazy), Aspen Music Festival Brass Ensemble, China Symphony Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, and National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and given recitals in New York, Taiwan, and China. A modern-music enthusiast, Mr. Chen collaborated closely with Juilliard’s new-music ensemble, AXIOM (as in John Cage’s Concerto for Prepared Piano), and is on the roster of the New York-based Ensemble Échappé. His program of all New York-based composers at the new-music venue Spectrum was a Time Out New York critic’s pick. Mr. Chen also is an avid composer whose works have been performed in Taiwan, New York, Aspen, and beyond.

Yekwon Sunwoo – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

YEKWON SUNWOO
2017 CLIBURN GOLD MEDALIST
South Korea | Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Sunday, May 28, 2017 – 10:50 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:48
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUBERT-LISZT Litanei auf das Fest Aller Seelen
RACHMANINOFF Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36 (1931)

Yekwon Sunwoo earned his bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music and his master’s at The Juilliard School, and also studied with Richard Goode at the Mannes School of Music. He currently studies under Bernd Goetzke in Hannover. Mr. Sunwoo won first prizes at the 2015 International German Piano Award in Frankfurt, the 2014 Vendome Prize held at the Verbier Festival, the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition, and the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition. He has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra under Itzhak Perlman at Avery Fisher Hall, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop, Houston Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. He has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo, Wigmore Hall in London, Radio France and Salle Cortot in Paris, and Kumho Art Hall in Seoul. Mr. Sunwoo has been featured on WQXR’s McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase, and has performed chamber music for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, with Ida Kavafian and Peter Wiley as part of Curtis On Tour, and with Roberto Diaz on the Bay Chamber Concerts.

Nikolay Khozyainov – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV
Russia| Age 24

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 10:50 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:33
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1
RACHMANINOFF Étude-Tableau in C Minor, op. 39, no. 1
LISZT Après un lecture de Dante (Fantasia quasi sonata)
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”

Nikolay Khozyainov was born in Blagoveshchensk in far eastern Russia and made his debut at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory at age 7 in a Handel piano concerto. He won first prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition, second prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition, and was a finalist at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. Mr. Khozyainov has performed at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, and Lincoln Center in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, the Théâtre de Champs-Élysées and the Louvre in Paris, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. He has recorded several CDs and has performed concertos with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, and many others. Mr. Khozyainov is now pursuing an advanced degree at the Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien Hannover, where he studies with Arie Vardi. When he’s not playing piano, he likes listening to opera and often visits opera theaters.

Caterina Grewe – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

CATERINA GREWE
Germany | Age 29

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 26, 2017 – 11:55 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:33
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp Minor, op. 23
LISZT Trübe Wolken (Nuages gris)
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 8 “Wilde Jagd”

Born in Tokyo, German-Japanese pianist Caterina Grewe is a Steinway Artist who has given recitals at Royal Albert Hall, at Steinway Halls in London and Hamburg, and at venues in Dublin, Barcelona, and Moscow. Her recitals have been broadcast by the BBC, NDR in Hamburg, and Radio France in Paris. She has made concerto appearances with the Classic Philharmonic Orchestra Hamburg, Oldenburg State Orchestra, Jove Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona), and RTE National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland). She was a prize winner at the 2015 Maria Canals International Piano Competition and the 2015 Dublin International Piano Competition. Ms. Grewe was listed as “an artist to watch” by Gramophone after her debut CD (2016), which features Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze and his Sonata No. 3. Ms. Grewe studied at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal College of Music, where she was awarded the HRH Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Rose Bowl by the Prince of Wales for her achievements. She is completing her Konzertexamen under the tutelage of Alfredo Perl at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold. Ms. Grewe enjoys travel and all forms of art, from painting to fashion, and is a big tennis fan.

Dasol Kim – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

DASOL KIM
South Korea | Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 26, 2017 – 10:00 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI:31
ALBENIZ “Triana” from Iberia, Book II
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit

Dasol Kim has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and many more, and with notable conductors including Alan Gilbert, Marin Alsop, and David Zinman. He was a first-prize winner of the 2015 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, 2010 Young Concert Artists European Auditions, and 2011 Epinal International Piano Competition. Mr. Kim has appeared at festivals including La Roque-d’Anthéron in France, the Kissinger Sommer in Germany, and the PyeongChang Music Festival in Korea. His chamber-music collaborators include cellists Gautier Capuçon and Myung-wha Chung, violinist Svetlin Roussev, and violist Maxim Rysanov, among others. His debut CD, Dasol Kim Plays Schumann, was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 2015. He currently studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover with Arie Vardi. Away from the piano, Mr. Kim loves literature, movies, and running, as well as restaurants and wine.