Composers: Sergei Rachmaninov

Wei Luo– Cliburn Junior 2015 Semifinal Round Concerto

WEI LUO
China  |  Age 16

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

Program:
RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, op. 1
accompanied by Natsuko Ejiri

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.

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.

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.

Alim Beisembayev – Cliburn Junior 2015 Preliminary Round Recital

ALIM BEISEMBAYEV
Kazahkstan  |  Age 17

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

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

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

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.

Jane Gibson King – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

JANE GIBSON KING, 60
Stay-at-home mother
Provo, Utah
United States

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

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

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op. 42

John Gutheil – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Quarterfinal Round Recital

JOHN GUTHEIL, M.D., 59
CEO/Medical oncologist
La Jolla, California
United States

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

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

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Prelude in B Minor, op. 32, no. 10
LISZT, Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un sospiro”)
ALBÉNIZ, “Asturias (Leyenda)” from Suite Española, op. 47

J. Spencer Thompson – 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

J. Spencer Thompson, 55
Radiation oncologist
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
United States

Born in Bountiful, Utah, J. Spencer Thompson studied piano with Lennox Larson and Gladys Gladstone Rosenberg at the University of Utah and received bachelor’s degrees in music, zoology, and Spanish from Brigham Young University in 1985. After attending the University of Utah School of Medicine, he completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Currently, he is an associate professor in the department of radiation and oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Thompson says: “Even though I chose not to make music my profession, I can’t really imagine my life without music in it,” and to that end, studies with Sergio Monteiro. A 2011 Cliburn Amateur competitor, he enjoys cooking, skiing, traveling, reading, and rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Program:
RAVEL, “Alborada del gracioso” from Miroirs
RACHMANINOV, Prelude in D Major, op. 23, no. 4
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in D Major, op. 39, no. 9

David Caldine – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

David Caldine, 61
Software engineer
Fairfax, Virginia
United States

“Expressing myself in music is my primary goal in the Cliburn Amateur Competition,” says David Caldine, a 2004 Amateur competitor who is returning to Fort Worth after the inspirational experience of meeting Van Cliburn. In addition, Mr. Caldine hopes to show others that one can come back from serious hand injury, which he suffered in December 2014. Initially, cubital tunnel syndrome caused a loss of strength in his left hand, but after surgery, he found the best therapy in practicing Blumenfeld’s Etude for Left Hand. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from George Mason University that included a minor in music, Mr. Caldine pursued electronics and software engineering. He is a nutrition fanatic as well as a writer, artist manager, and composer.

Program:
GRIFFES , The Night Winds, op. 5, no. 3
BLUMENFELD, Etude for Left Hand, op. 36
RACHMANINOV, Moment musical in E Minor, op. 16, no. 4

Brad Dunn – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Shinji Wada – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Shinji Wada, 40
Human resources director
Foster City, California
Japan

Largely self-taught, Shinji Wada learned how to read music himself and began playing piano in elementary school. By 13, he started private lessons, and he continued them after a move to the New York/New Jersey area. At that time, he met his longtime teacher, Seymour Bernstein, who continues to be a source of much inspiration for Mr. Wada. Back in Japan, he finished his bachelor’s degree (Keio University) in economics, and returned to the United States in 2014. A career loyalist to the Sony Corporation, Mr. Wada is a human resources director for Sony Interactive Entertainment (aka PlayStation) in Foster City, California. He views entering this Competition as a means to add balance to his work-heavy life. A father of two, he enjoys traveling to new places throughout the United States with his family in tow.

Program:
SCRIABIN, Poѐme in F-sharp Major, op. 32, no. 1
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in D Major, op. 39, no. 9

Rebecca Kao Wang – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Rebecca Kao Wang, 47
Actuary
Tokyo, Japan
United States

Rebecca Kao Wang was born in Hong Kong and lives in Tokyo, but she grew up in the Boston area, studying music under Jade Lin in Newton, Massachusetts and Beatrice Erdely in Concord, Massachusetts. She minored in music and majored in computer science engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1990. In the ensuing 25 years, Ms. Wang has worked in the corporate world, became an actuary, and then married and became the mother of two now-teenage boys. Asia beckoned again for Ms. Wang, so the family moved in 2007 for her husband’s job. She took some time off from work to stay home with her kids  (including one who has learning difficulties), but now that they’re nearly grown, Ms. Wang has found herself with more time to devote to playing the piano. She currently studies with Kaoru Fukuda in Tokyo. Entering the Amateur Competition is a dream of hers, giving her the incentive to return her music to performance-level, she says.

Program:
LISZT, Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un sospiro”)
RACHMANINOV, Prelude in E-flat Major, op. 23, no. 6

Alfredo Garcia Jr. – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Alfredo Garcia Jr., 62
Financial advisor
Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey
Cuba/United States

Born in Cuba, Alfredo Garcia Jr. began studying piano when he was 8, and was preparing to enter the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory at 14 when his family relocated to Madrid, Spain. After studying briefly at the Conservatorio Real de Madrid, he moved to New York City in 1970 to further his musical pursuits at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. But when his father became ill, he was drawn away from the piano and eventually became a financial analyst. Throughout his life—which has included a successful and busy career (he now serves as first vice president and senior international financial advisor for Merrill Lynch/Bank of America), marrying his college sweetheart and raising three daughters, and extensive travel—Mr. Garcia has never given up on his first love, the piano. He diligently practices daily and has continued to take lessons throughout his adult life. He is the winner of the 2014 Cliburn Amateur Piano Video Contest, which was determined by an online vote.

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Moment musical in C Major, op. 16, no. 6
SCRIABIN, Etude in D-sharp Minor, op. 8, no. 12

Ipek Bozkurt – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Ipek Bozkurt, 36
Professor
Seabrook, Texas
Turkey

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

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

Adrienne Johnson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Adrienne Johnson, 62
Elementary music school teacher/playwright
Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States

Around the time Adrienne Johnson’s fourth and youngest son left home five years ago, she realized she wanted to return to the piano. Thirty years ago, armed with a master’s from The Juilliard School where she studied under Adele Marcus, Ms. Johnson went on to forge a career as a playwright and elementary school music teacher while raising her children. Each year at her school, she writes two plays, one in the fall, one during spring; her most recent work focuses on tolerance and freedom, and highlights the music of Beethoven, The Supremes, and Woody Guthrie. As she inspires the next generation of music-makers, Ms. Johnson is humbled to have been nominated for a 2017 Grammy® Music Educator award. She placed second in solo piano at the Chicago Amateur Competition in 2014, and last year, she participated in PianoTexas International Academy & Festival.

Program:
RAVEL, “Ondine” from Gaspard de la nuit
RACHMANINOV, Prelude in G-sharp Minor, op. 32, no. 12

J. Spencer Thompson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

J. Spencer Thompson, 55
Radiation oncologist
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
United States

Born in Bountiful, Utah, J. Spencer Thompson studied piano with Lennox Larson and Gladys Gladstone Rosenberg at the University of Utah and received bachelor’s degrees in music, zoology, and Spanish from Brigham Young University in 1985. After attending the University of Utah School of Medicine, he completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Currently, he is an associate professor in the department of radiation and oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Thompson says: “Even though I chose not to make music my profession, I can’t really imagine my life without music in it,” and to that end, studies with Sergio Monteiro. A 2011 Cliburn Amateur competitor, he enjoys cooking, skiing, traveling, reading, and rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in E-flat Minor, op. 39, no. 5
GERSHWIN-WILD, I’ve Got Rhythm

Kevin Grigsby – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kevin Grigsby, 41
Marketing executive
Trussville, Alabama
United States

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1975, Kevin Grigsby studied piano from a young age. He received a master’s degree in music from the University of Oklahoma in 1998, and then went on to become a member of the adjunct faculty as a keyboard harmony/theory professor at Birmingham Southern College for four years, as well as serve as an orchestral pianist for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. A career in marketing followed—Mr. Grigsby is currently a market specialist at Alabama Power Co.—but he still makes plenty of time to practice the piano and to serve as a role model to his musically inclined son (10) and daughter (9). “Ultimately,” he says, “I hope that whatever the outcome for me [in this Competition], my children can appreciate the preparation, the experience, and the fact that one is always, always practicing the piano to improve.”

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in E-flat Minor, op. 39, no. 5
GERSHWIN-WILD, I’ve Got Rhythm

Mihono Kawamata – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Mihono Kawamata, 47
Web designer
Yokohama City, Japan
Japan

Mihono Kawamata, a web designer from Yokohama City, Japan, began her musical education with private piano lessons at age 3, and as an adult has augmented her practice by participating in amateur competitions and master classes in Tokyo. Her dedication has paid off, netting Ms. Kawamata outstanding performance awards at the PTNA Piano Competition in 2013 and 2014. Other events she has attended include the Washington International Piano Festival in 2009, a master class with Michel Michalakakos (viola) of the Paris Conservatory in 2012, master classes at the Boston Conservatory in 2013 and 2014, a chamber music master class with Markys Placci and Andrew Mark, and a piano solo master class in Japan with Nikita Fitenco and Katerina Zaitseva in 2014. Away from the piano bench, Ms. Kawamata goes to the movies, travels, and enjoys cooking and fine food.

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36 (1931): I. Allegro agitato

Matthias Fischer – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Matthias Fischer, 42
Physician
Würzburg, Germany
Germany

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

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in E-flat Minor, op. 39, no. 5
SCRIABIN, Etude in D-sharp Minor, op. 8, no. 12

Joseph Mercuri 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Joseph Mercuri, M.D., 56
Hospitalist physician
Saint Joseph, Minnesota
United States

Born in Washington, D.C., Joseph Mercuri came to Texas for his schooling, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983 and 1986. He turned his attention to medicine, however, graduating from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1994, and then completing a residency in internal medicine in Wisconsin. Since 2001, he was been a hospitalist in St. Cloud, Minnesota. In the many years since he stepped away from music, Dr. Mercuri has come to realize how intrinsic it is in his life and he began practicing again six years ago. A 2011 Cliburn Amateur semifinalist, he looks forward to the chance to grow artistically and personally. When he is not practicing his repertoire, Dr. Mercuri is an avid amateur golfer who enjoys road biking and all that Minnesota has to offer—especially in the summer.

Program:
RACHMANINOV, Prelude in D Major, op. 23, no. 4
RACHMANINOV, Étude-Tableau in E-flat Minor, op. 39, no. 5

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia  | Age 16

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 9:14 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30 (I)

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

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

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

J J Jun Li Bui
Canada  | Age 14

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 8:59 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, op. 1 (I)

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.”

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 8:04 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43 (Variations 13-24)

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.”

Avery Gagliano – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Avery Gagliano
United States  | Age 17

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, op. 18 (I)

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.”

Shuan Hern Lee- Cliburn Junior 2019 Final Round Concerto

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

Final Round Concerto – Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 3:12 p.m. CDT
Dallas Symphony Orchestra  I  Ruth Reinhardt, Conductor
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30

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.”

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Final Round Concerto

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

Final Round Concerto – Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Dallas Symphony Orchestra  I  Ruth Reinhardt Conductor
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43

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.”

Hao-Wei Lin – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Hao-Wei Lin
Taiwan | Age 14

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

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

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

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

Kasey Shao- Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

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.”

Shuan Hern Lee- Cliburn Junior 2019 Final Round Concerto

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

Final Round Concerto – Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 3:12 p.m. CDT
Dallas Symphony Orchestra  I  Ruth Reinhardt, Conductor
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30

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.”

Sara Daneshpour- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

SARA DANESHPOUR
United States I Age 26

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

Program:
SCHUMANN Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, op. 54
RACHMANINOV Étude-tableau in C Minor, op. 39, no. 1
Étude-tableau in A Minor, op. 39, no. 2
Étude-tableau in F-sharp Minor, op. 39, no. 3
Étude-tableau in E-flat Minor, op. 33, no. 6
Étude-tableau in A Minor, op. 39, no. 6

Since her debut in 2002 at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., Sara Daneshpour has performed on the stages of the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Salle Cortot in Paris, and the Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. She has appeared as soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, among others. Ms. Daneshpour has also been featured on 160 public radio stations nationwide. Competition credits include first prize at the XII Concours International de Musique du Maroc in 2012, second prize at the 2007 William Kapell International Piano Competition, and first prize and gold medal at the 2007 International Russian Music Piano Competition. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at The Juilliard School.

Marcin Koziak- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

MARCIN KOZIAK
Poland | Age 24

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

Program:

CHOPIN
Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 31
Nocturne in F-sharp Major, op. 15, no. 2

SZYMANOWSKI
Mazurkas, op. 50, nos. 1-4

RACHMANINOV
Sonta No. 2 in B-flat, Minor, op. 36 (1931)

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

Eric Zuber- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

ERIC ZUBER
United States | Age 28

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN
Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, op. 111

RACHMANINOV
Prelude in B Minor, op. 32, no. 10
Prelude in G-sharp Minor, op. 32, no. 12
Prelude in G Major, op. 32, no. 5
Prelude in B-flat Major, op. 23, no. 2

After making his orchestral debut at the age of twelve with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Eric Zuber went on to perform with the Calgary Philharmonic, Cleveland, Israel Philharmonic, and Minnesota Orchestras, in addition to various others. He has also given solo recitals at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Dublin National Theatre, the Kennedy Center, the Great Hall at the University of Leeds, and the Seoul Arts Center. He has been finalist and prizewinner at nine international piano competitions, including the Arthur Rubinstein, Bösendorfer, Cleveland, Dublin, and Honens. Mr. Zuber holds a bachelor’s degree and an artist diploma from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, as well as an artist diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, and a master’s degree from The Juilliard School. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Peabody Institute.

Tomoki Sakata- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

TOMOKI SAKATA
Japan | Age 19

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

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

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

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

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

Program:
RACHMANINOV Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op. 42
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
SCRIABIN Vers la flamme, op. 72
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Petrouchka

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.

Vadym Kholodenko- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

VADYM KHOLODENKO
2013 Gold Medalist
Ukraine | Age 26

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

Program:
ADAMS China Gates
RACHMANINOV Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, op. 28

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.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

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

Program:
RACHMANINOV
Prelude in D Minor, op. 23, no. 3
Prelude in D Major, op. 23, no. 4
Prelude in C Minor, op. 23, no. 7

PROKOFIEV
Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major, op. 84

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.

Yury Favorin – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

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”.

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.

Leonardo Pierdomenico – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

LEONARDO PIERDOMENICO
Italy | Age 24

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 10:50 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B Minor
RACHMANINOFF Variations on a Theme by Chopin, op. 22

Leonardo Pierdomenico is studying for his master’s degree under Benedetto Lupo at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Born in Pescara, he graduated from the Luisa D’Annunzio conservatory there, then studied at the Fiesole School of Music. Mr. Pierdomenico won the 2011 Premio Venezia piano competition in Venice and was a semifinalist at the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition, where his Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G Minor was included on the best-of-competition CD, released by harmonia mundi. Mr. Pierdomenico was named a fellow of the 2016 Music Academy of the West Festival in Santa Barbara, where he worked with artists such as Jeremy Denk, Jerome Lowenthal, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Julian Martin, and Leon Fleisher. He also has played solo recitals in Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, and in the major venues of Italy, and his performances have been featured on the radio in Belgium, Italy, and Santa Barbara, California. In 2011, he was awarded a medal for his artistic achievements by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. When not at the piano, Mr. Pierdomenico especially enjoys painting and soccer.

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.

Georgy Tchaidze- Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

GEORGY TCHAIDZE
Russia | Age 29

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 2:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

SCARLATTI Sonata in D Minor, K. 77
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, op. 110
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
RACHMANINOFF Étude-tableau in C Minor, op. 33, no. 3
RACHMANINOFF Étude-tableau in C-sharp Minor, op. 33, no. 9

Georgy Tchaidze was born in St. Petersburg and earned his master’s degree at the Moscow Conservatory. He has won prizes at several competitions, including first at the 2009 Honens International Piano Competition, fourth at the 2016 Cleveland International Piano Competition, and first at the 2015 Top of the World International Piano Competition in Tromsø, Norway. Mr. Tchaidze has performed throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, including at Wigmore Hall in London, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. He performed with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra under Pinchas Zukerman and with the Cleveland Orchestra with conductor Bramwell Tovey. As a chamber artist, he tours with the Cecilia and Borodin string quartets. Mr. Tchaidze has released three recordings on the Honens label: a live recording with the Cecilia String Quartet, an all-Schubert album, and a disc of works by Medtner, Mussorgsky and Prokofiev. He studies in Berlin, where his other passions include literature, cinema, and nature.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 11:55 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

RACHMANINOFF Variations on a Theme by Corelli, op. 42
HAMELIN Toccata on “L`homme armé”
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Petrouchka

Nikita Abrosimov was born in the Urals in Russia and began studying piano at age 6. After earning his undergraduate degree at the M.A. Balakirev Music College in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, he studied at Indiana University and the Royal College of Music. In 2011, he won the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, and the next year he was awarded the prestigious Gawon International Music Society Award in Seoul, South Korea. Mr. Abrosimov has performed at piano festivals in Russia, Europe, and the United States, and his notable concerto appearances include the Stars of the White Nights festival in St. Petersburg, where he performed with the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev. He also has played recitals in New York (Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall), Seoul (Yongsan Art Hall), and St. Petersburg (Mariinsky Concert Hall), among others. Mr. Abrosimov lives in Nizhny Novgorod with his wife and young son..

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.

Ilya Maximov – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

ILYA MAXIMOV
Russia | Age 30

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 26, 2017 – 4:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

FRANCK-BAUER Prélude, Fugue et Variations, op. 18
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
RACHMANINOFF Prelude in G-sharp Minor, op. 32, no. 12
RACHMANINOFF Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36 (1931)

Ilya Maximov, winner of the 2015 G.B. Viotti International Piano Competition in Italy, has been a top prizewinner at more than 15 competitions, including the Maria Canals, Hilton Head, Jose Iturbi, and the Scottish international piano competitions. In 2011, he received the audience award at Musical Olympus festival in St. Petersburg. He has performed at top concert halls and festivals in Europe, Asia, and the United States, including Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Hall, Chamber Hall of Berlin Philharmonie, and more. He regularly performs as a recitalist and with orchestras such as Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Teatro Carlo Felice Orchestra, Wuhan Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba. Born in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Mr. Maximov played his first concerto with the Yekaterinburg Philharmonic Orchestra at age 8. He graduated from Royal College of Music in London and Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. When not at the piano, Mr. Maximov enjoys chess.

Su Yeon Kim – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

SU YEON KIM
South Korea | Age 23

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

Program:

SCRIABIN Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, op. 19
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”)
KREISLER-RACHMANINOFF Liebesfreud

Su Yeon Kim began playing piano at age 5 and studied at the Korean Institute for the Gifted in Arts at Korea National University of Arts. Since 2013, she has continued her studies with Pavel Gililov at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg. Ms. Kim was a semifinalist at the 17th Chopin International Piano Competition in 2015 and at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2016. She also won first prize at the 2014 Johann Nepomuk Hummel International Piano Competition. In 2015, Ms. Kim performed a recital at Hercules Hall in Munich, Germany. She has appeared on KBS Classic FM (the Korean Broadcasting System) and performed extensively in Korea, Japan, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Italy, and Slovakia, including on a concert series sponsored by Kawai Piano.