Glossary: m

Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop
Final Round Conductor

One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop represents a powerful and inspiring voice. Convinced that music has the power to change lives, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, deep commitment to education, and championing of music’s importance in the world. The first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Britain, she is, as The New York Times put it, not only “a formidable musician and a powerful communicator” but also “a conductor with a vision.”

The 2023–2024 season marks Alsop’s fifth as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, which she leads at Vienna’s Musikverein and Konzerthaus, as well as on recordings, broadcasts, and international tours; her first as artistic director & chief conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony; and her first as principal guest conductor of London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. She also holds positions as chief conductor of the Ravinia Festival, where she curates and conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s annual summer residency, and as the first music director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F) at the University of Maryland, where she launched a new academy for young conductors and leads the NOI+F Philharmonic each June.

A full decade after becoming the first female conductor of London’s Last Night of the Proms, Alsop makes history again in September 2023, as both the first woman and the first American to guest conduct three Last Nights in the festival’s 128-year history. In spring 2024, she makes her company debut at the Metropolitan Opera, leading John Adams’s oratorio El Niño in a fully staged new production starring Julia Bullock and Davóne Tines. Other 2023–2024 highlights include a new production of Bernstein’s Candide with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony, an all-American program to inaugurate her four-season Philharmonia appointment, Penderecki’s seldom-heard opera The Black Mask with the Polish National Radio Symphony, and returns to the podiums of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

In 2021, Alsop assumed the title of music director laureate and OrchKids Founder of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which she continues to conduct each season. During her outstanding 14-year tenure as its music director, she led the orchestra on its first European tour in 13 years, released multiple award-winning recordings, and conducted more than two dozen world premieres, as well as founding OrchKids, its groundbreaking music education program for Baltimore’s most disadvantaged youth. In 2019, after seven years as music director, Alsop became conductor of Honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), with which she continues to undertake major projects each season. Deeply committed to new music, she was music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years, leading 174 premieres.

Alsop has longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras, and regularly guest conducts such major international ensembles as the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Budapest Festival Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris, besides leading the La Scala Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and others. In collaboration with YouTube and Google Arts & Culture, she spearheaded the “Global Ode to Joy” (GOTJ), a crowd-sourced video project to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020.

Recognized with BBC Music “Album of the Year” and EMMY® nominations in addition to GRAMMY®, Classic BRIT and Gramophone awards, Alsop’s discography comprises more than 200 titles. These include recordings for Decca, Harmonia Mundi and Sony Classical, as well as her acclaimed Naxos cycles of Brahms with the London Philharmonic, Dvořák with the Baltimore Symphony, and Prokofiev with the São Paulo Symphony. Recent releases include a live account of Candide with the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus; a Kevin Puts collection with the Baltimore Symphony; and the first installment of a complete Schumann symphonic cycle for Naxos with the Vienna RSO.

The first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Alsop has also been honored with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award. Amongst many other awards and academic positions, she served as both 2021-2022 Harman/Eisner Artist-in-Residence of the Aspen Institute Arts Program and 2020 Artist-in-Residence at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts; is director of graduate conducting at the Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute; and holds honorary doctorates from Yale University and the Juilliard School. To promote and nurture the careers of her fellow female conductors, in 2002, she founded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship, which was renamed in her honor as the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship in 2020. The Conductor, a documentary about her life, debuted at New York’s 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and has subsequently been broadcast on PBS television, screened at festivals and in theaters nationwide, and recognized with the Naples International Film Festival’s 2021 Focus on the Arts Award.

Momo Kodama

Momo Kodama – Japan

Praised for her “impeccable technique and facility for crystalline sounds” (American Record Guide), “her natural ease and keen sense for drama” (BBC Music Magazine), “deliciously pearly touch” (Classical-Music) and “crisp, pointed and sensuous playing” (San Francisco Chronicle), Momo Kodama has built up an impressive career with performances with world-renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, NHK Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Seiji Ozawa, Eliahu Inbal, Charles Dutoit, Kent Nagano, Roger Norrington, Lawrence Foster and André Previn. She has appeared at the Vienna Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonie, Berlin Konzerthaus, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Philharmonie de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam and the Wigmore Hall in London. 

She is a regular guests at festivals including Marlboro, Verbier, La Roque d’Anthéron, Festival Chopin, Festival d’Automne, Festival Saint-Denis, Enesco Festival, Tivoli Festival, Settembre Musica, Schleswig-Holstein, Miyazaki and Matsumoto (Seiji Ozawa). 

Momo Kodama enjoys making chamber music with partners including Christian Tetzlaff, Renaud Capuçon, Augustin Dumay, Gautier Capuçon, Steven Isserlis and Jörg Widmann. She also devised and performed a programme for the 100th anniversary of Debussy’s death, with actor Pascal Rénéric and bariton Josep-Ramon Olivé at La Bellevilloise in Paris with further repeats in France and China. 

Her repertoire ranges from the classical and romantic periods to contemporary works. Composers such as Toshio Hosokawa, Jörg Widmann and Christian Mason have written especially for her. Momo Kodama is regarded as a highly distinguished interpreter of Olivier Messiaen’s oeuvre (among which the Turangalîla-Symphonie, the Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus, the Catalogue d’Oiseaux), and premiered his Fantaisie for Violin and Piano with Isabelle Faust in 2006. 

Her latest recording for ECM, released in spring 2021, features concertos by Mozart and Toshio Hosokawa, with the Mito Chamber Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Prior to this, her CD “La vallée des cloches” and “Point and Line – Hosokawa/Debussy Etudes” also released by ECM, received outstanding reviews from The New York Times, BBC Music Magazine (recording of the month), Classica (“Choc”), Neue Zürcher Zeitung, In addition, Momo Kodama has recorded two CD’s for Pentatone together with her pianist sister Mari with works by Tchaikovsky and Martinů, as well as four CD’s for Triton with works by Chopin, Debussy and Messiaen.  On october 1st, Momo Kodama was appointed Professor at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. 

Born in Osaka in Japan, Momo Kodama spent her early years in Europe: educated at a German school, she attended the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris. She continued her studies under Murray Perahia, András Schiff, Vera Gornostaeva and Tatiana Nikolayeva. In 1991, she became the youngest laureate of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. 

Momo Kodama is based in Paris and Karlsruhe. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, especially for and with friends and family. 

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Malcolm Liu

Malcolm Liu

Pianist Guobi Malcolm Liu began studying the piano at the age of 6 and made his professional debut at age 9.  He graduated as the first-place student from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. Moving to the United States, he completed both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the School of Music at the University of Kansas. Malcolm is currently a teaching fellow at University of North Texas  where he studies with Artist-in-Residence and 1973 Cliburn Gold Medalist Vladimir Viardo.

Malcolm is a prizewinner of several piano competitions and music scholarships. But piano isn’t the only thing he plays well—he is also a professional gamer! He plays “League of Legends,” and once received a large scholarship to pay for his undergraduate degree by winning a tournament.

Mari Kodama

Mari Kodama – JAPAN/UNITED STATES

Mari Kodama is consistently praised for her virtuosity in a wide range of repertoire, including orchestral, chamber, and solo works by composers of all periods. She is also known for her natural musicality, tonal expressiveness with a clear form, and as a benchmark Beethoven interpreter.

In the 2023–2024 season, Ms. Kodama showcases her diverse talents with various international concert appearances, such as an open-air concert with Philharmonischen Staatsorchesters Hamburg (Kent Nagano); three season opening concerts with National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan (Lan Shui); debut concerts with Orchestra Haydn of Bolzano and Trento; and a return to Japan Philharmonic (Kahchung Wong). She will give a solo recital for Festival Louvre Lance, as well as duo recitals with Momo Kodama in Japan and at Salle Bourgie in Montreal. She will also give her first recital at Konzerthaus Blaibach, which marks the start of her series with all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas and new works written by Rodolphe Bruneau-Boulmier.

As a further demonstration of her versatility, she plays a central part in the hugely successful ballet production “Beethoven Projekt II” (John Neumeier) which re-opened the Staatsoper Hamburg after months of Covid-19 closures and which was revived in 2022–2023 with eight performances. In recital, she collaborated with Markus Hinterhäuser featuring Messiaen’s Visions de l’Amen. She also organized the Beethoven Festival “A Life in a Day” in San Francisco and presented all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas over two days by 14 different soloists.

Beethoven’s piano works form a focal point of Ms. Kodama’s recording activities with Pentatone and Berlin Classics. She is one of few female pianists to record the composer’s complete sonatas, with her 2014 box set from Pentatone receiving critical acclaim. In fall 2019, she released Beethoven’s Piano Concerto Nos. 0–5 with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Kent Nagano, which together with his Rondo for Piano and Orchestra Triple Concerto, and his Eroica Variations for solo piano complement the Beethoven CD (Berlin Classics). Kodama’s next release will be Mozart’s Concerto for Three Pianos and Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.

Through her performing activities, Ms. Kodama has brought infrequently heard gems of the piano repertoire to global audiences. She has performed Stenhammer’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in Gothenburg and New York, and has also collaborated with Viviane Hagner on Alban Berg’s Chamber Concerto for Piano and Violin, which they performed with both the Jyväskylä Sinfonia and the DSO Berlin. Additionally, in 2013, she premiered Jean-Pascal Beinthus’ Double Piano Concerto together with Momo Kodama and Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo. She also performed in the Canadian premieres of Jörg Widmann’s Valse Bavaroise and Humoresken, both at the Canadian Orford Festival in summer 2010.

In addition to her performances, she also plays an active role as a music festival artistic director. She co-founded the Forest Hill Musical Days Festival, a chamber music festival in San Francisco, with her husband Kent Nagano, and she has also led the chamber music series at the Orford Music Festival. In 2018, she assumed artistic directorship at the Festival Tra Luce e Sogno in Postignano, Italy, for which she secured artists such as Christian Gerhaher, Matt Haimovitz, and Gerold Huber, among others. Ms. Kodama is a Steinway Artist.

marikodama.com

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Michael Bukhman

Michael Bukhman

Passionate about collaboration, Michael Bukhman is active internationally as a chamber musician, adjudicator, and pedagogue. An award-winning pianist, he has been a top-prize winner and medalist in several international piano competitions.

Currently assistant professor of collaborative piano and chamber music at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Michael participated in the inaugural concerts of the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU. Working with musicians from the Dallas and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, he has also been featured in the Metamorphosis Dallas ensemble, the Spectrum Chamber Music Series, and the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth. He also established a local chapter of Music for Food, an international community outreach program, generating thousands of dollars to benefit the Tarrant Area Food Bank.

Prior to his appointment to TCU, Michael served as guest artist-in-residence at the Oberlin Conservatory, and on the staff and pre-college faculty of the New England Conservatory. He also taught at Bard and Vassar Colleges. While at Bard, he founded Play/Chat@Bard, a concert series showcasing young musicians in performance with informal conversation.

Michael attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he became the first in that institution’s history to graduate with Honors in Piano Performance. He holds MM and DMA degrees from The Juilliard School.

Melanie Yutong Liu

Melanie Yutong Liu

China  I  14

A resident of Mill Creek, Washington, Melanie Yutong Liu made her recital debut in Seattle in 2018, and her orchestral debut last year with the Bellevue Symphony. She is a prizewinner of 20 national and international competitions, in Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and has studied piano with Allan Park for 4 years. Melanie is a freshman at Henry M. Jackson High School, where she enjoys math and science. She also plays violin and loves reading philosophy, realism in art, and cycling.

 

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Modan Oyama

MODAN OYAMA 大山桃暖

Japan  I  17

“Music has emotions, like songs you hear when you’re sad and songs that give you courage. This is why I think it is possible to resonate with your heart by listening to it according to your current feelings. I think classical music has the ability to touch the heart; is deeply rooted in the people.”

Modan Oyama started studying classical ballet at 3 years old and piano at 4; both pursuits formed the foundation for his love of self-expression and of the stage at a very early age. When he was 12, he started focusing on the piano in earnest after he auditioned for the anime TV show “Forest of Piano” and was cast to record the main character’s childhood piano performances. He currently attends Osaka Gakugei Senior High School and has studied piano with Keiji Serizawa for 10 years and Ayami Serizawa for 6 years. His next piano revelation came in 2019, when he was attending the Imola Summer Piano Academy and Festival in Italy and first experienced the breadth of the global classical music family: “Ah, the world of the piano is so wide.” Having won eight competitions in Japan and placed in many others, Modan’s hopes for the Cliburn Junior include “being exposed to great music from all around the world” and “meeting and conversing with excellent musicians of my generation.” Outside of the piano, his free time is still very focused on ballet—both dancing and attending performances; he considers it “the foundation of my artistry.”

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 6 in A Major, op. 82 (II, IV)

Quarterfinal Round

MOZART Sonata No. 2 in F Major, K. 280 (I)
CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 9, no. 3
LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan

Semifinal Round – Recital

SCARLATTI Sonata in A Major, K. 24
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 7
CHOPIN Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, op. 44
LIEBERMANN Nocturne No. 4, op. 38
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka

Semifinal Round – Concerto Movement

SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22 (II)

Final Round – Concerto 

SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22

 

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Mi Hou

MI HOU 侯米

China  I  15

“Classical music is distant, holy, mysterious, and intimate to our generation. Through their music, composers paint a picture of the society and times in which they lived. I can experience the greatness and achievements of another generation through its music. Their music can help inspire many young generations nowadays, like me.”

Mi Hou’s exposure to music began before he was born; his mother plays many instruments, including piano, accordion, and guzheng. He was drawn to the piano in his home naturally and started lessons at the age of 4 in his native Yangzhong. When he was only 7, his talent and interest were so strong that he started down the path toward being a professional musician and finding a professional teacher. He studied with Chuan Qin from 2017 to 2018 in Shandong. His clear educational goals and higher artistic pursuits meant regularly taking 10-hour train trips to Beijing, winning several competitions in China, practicing or studying for eight hours per day, and eventually moving to the capital city over the following years. He began studies with Jin Zhang 4 years ago and was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in 2020. Of his teacher, Mi says: “he told me that artistry is about getting to the essence of the music to such an extent that the performance takes the audience beyond itself, transcending the everyday and transporting them to another place where they can dream or imagine.” Among his hobbies, he lists listening to music, watching movies, reading history books, traveling, and playing video games, board games, Lego, and golf.

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

BACH  Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
RACHMANINOV Étude-tableau in A Minor, op. 39, no. 6
LISZT Rhapsodie espagnole 

Quarterfinal Round

BACH–BUSONI Chaconne in D Minor (from Violin Partita No. 2, BWV 1004)
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3 (I)
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
RACHMANINOV Étude-tableau in D Major, op. 39, no. 9

Semifinal Round – Recital

LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 (“Rákóczi March”)
QIGANG CHEN Instants d’un opéra de Pékin
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83 (I)
LISZT Réminiscences de Norma

Final Round – Concerto 

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, op. 19

 

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Mikhail Berestnev

Mikhail Berestnev

Equally in demand as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician, Mikhail Berestnev brings to every performance the experiences of a career spanning the globe, including Australia, Ireland, Russia, Belgium, Brazil, and Spain, in addition to concert halls across the United States. Recent collaborations include solo appearances under the direction of Maestro Hector Guzman, and composer and conductor Dr. Robert Xavier Rodriguez; in chamber music with members of the Dallas Symphony; as part of the MAKE Trio; and with the Julius String Quartet.

Mr. Berestnev is artist in residence with the St. Matthews Cathedral Arts Program in Dallas, guest artist and collaborative pianist with the “Musica Nova” Ensemble at the University of Texas at Dallas, collaborative pianist at The Dallas Opera Family & Outreach Program and Texas Ballet Theater, and an artist of Cliburn in the Classroom.

Marcel Tadokoro

Marcel Tadokoro

France/Japan  I  Age 28

Marcel Tadokoro was born in Fukuoka, Japan, into a “literary family:” neither his French mother nor Japanese father are musicians. But he studied piano and had the opportunity to give a small public concert when he was 8; he says that was the moment he “immediately understood this would be my life.”

After graduating from high school in Nagoya, he moved to Paris at the age of 18 to pursue his dream. He earned his artist diploma from the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris with Olivier Gardon (2013), and his master’s degree from the Conservatoire National Supérieure de Paris under the guidance of Jean-François Heisser and Florent Boffard (2017). It was when he met Rena Shereshevskaya eight years ago, with whom he currently studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris “Alfred Cortot” as a scholarship student, that he has focused on major competitions and performance opportunities.

Marcel is a prizewinner of competitions in France, Russia, Germany, Panama, Austria, and Japan, and last year made strong appearances in both the Queen Elisabeth (semifinalist) and Montreal (finalist) Competitions. His orchestral debut took place in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010, where he performed with the Chamber Music Ensemble of the Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra during a concert in honor of the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth. He made his formal recital debut four years later in Nice, France. He has since performed with the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, National Philharmonic of Ukraine, and the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, and makes frequent recital appearances across France and in Belgium.

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

HOUGH Fanfare Toccata
RAMEAU “Musette en rondeau” from Suite in E Minor, RCT 2
BEETHOVEN Six Variations on an Original Theme in F Major, op. 34
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 5 “Feux follets”
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka

Quarterfinal Round

COUPERIN La visionnaire
SZYMANOWSKI Variations in B-flat Minor, op. 3
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit

Semifinal Round – Recital

RAMEAU “Le Rappel des Oiseaux” from Suite in E Minor, RCT 2
SCRIABIN Three Etudes, op. 65
RACHMANINOV Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op. 42
DEBUSSY Nocturne
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Paganini, op. 35, Books I and II

Semifinal Round – Mozart concerto

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595

Final Round – Concerto I

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15

Final Round – Concerto II

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26

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Masaya Kamei

Masaya Kamei

Japan  |  Age 20

A native of Aichi, Japan, Masaya Kamei—at the age of 20—has achieved major piano accolades in his home country. He was the first to be accepted to the Toho Gakuen College Music Department a year early (in 2019). At the same time, he was the first to win both of Japan’s largest national competitions, the Music Competition of Japan Piano Division and the PTNA Piano Competition Special Grade, in a single year. Other awards include the Masuzawa, Nomura, Iguchi, Kawai, Miyake, and Steinway Prizes; the Argerich Arts Promotion Foundation Award; and the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award.

Those early wins not only provided many invitations for engagements—they also changed the young artist’s performance perspective: “I realized that I would now be playing the piano as the champion of Japan’s largest competition. A new kind of professionalism sprouted in my heart that has always exceeded expectations.”

His vigorous concert schedule the past few years includes recitals and concertos at major halls in Japan, such as Suntory Hall, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, and Tokyo Metropolitan Theater; and with the Tokyo City Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Chiba Symphony, and 21st Century Tokyo Orchestras.

In 2021, Masaya was selected as a scholarship student of the Rohm Music and Ezoe Memorial Recruit Foundations. He is currently a fourth-year student at Toho Gakuen, under the guidance of Hisako Ueno, Michiko Okamoto, and Shoichi Hase. He recently placed third at the 2022 Maria Canals International Music Competition.

masaya-kamei.com

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

HOUGH Fanfare Toccata
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
BERG Sonata, op. 1
LISZT Réminiscences de Norma

Quarterfinal Round

BACH Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 4 “Mazeppa”
RACHMANINOV Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36 (1931)

Semifinal Round – Recital

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”)
LISZT Paganini Etude No. 3 “La campanella”
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
BALAKIREV Islamey: Oriental Fantasy

Semifinal Round – Mozart concerto

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major, K. 459

Final Round – Concerto I

SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, op. 103

Final Round – Concerto II

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30

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MICHAEL STEFANAKIS

MICHAEL STEFANAKIS

AGE 40  I  ATHENS, GREECE  I  GREECE
TAX ATTORNEY

Michael Stefanakis’s piano studies began when he was 7 and carried on through his first two years of law school in Athens. After a break from the instrument and the start of his career, he enrolled in the Athens Conservatory in 2014, going on to earn a diploma in piano performance and now doing post-diploma work. Now a senior manager of international tax with Deloitte Business Solutions, Michael advises some of the world’s largest private equity firms on their dealings with Greece. He sees the Cliburn Amateur as “an inspiration for people all over the world who—like me—believe that the development of their musical skills does not stop at a certain age… this development ultimately means facing one’s weaknesses and fears and becoming a better person overall.”

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

SCHUMANN Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 25, no. 11 (“Winter Wind”)

Semifinal Round 

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, op. 26
RACHMANINOV Prelude in C Minor, op. 23, no. 7

Final Round 

GRIEG Concerto in A Minor, op. 16 (I)

Mariangela Vacatello

Mariangela Vacatello
2009 Audience Award Winner
Cliburn Competition Preliminary Round Recital
Originally broadcast May 24, 2009

PROGRAM
HADYN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
BUSONI Ten Variations on a Prelude by Chopin
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka

ABOUT MARIANGELA
Hailed for her “superb zest, brio, and imaginative scope,” the 2009 audience favorite maintains an extensive performance schedule across Europe, Asia, and Africa, while also in demand as teacher and juror. Her musical curiosity and range are reflected in her lauded discography for Brilliant Classics—including the complete piano works of Ginastera, the Liszt Transcendental Etudes, and the complete Debussy Etudes—as well as her association with IRCAM, a Paris-based incubator for music and technology. She currently lives in Perugia, Italy with her husband, organist Adriano Falcioni.

MICHAEL SLAVIN

MICHAEL SLAVIN

AGE 71  I  MANHASSET, NEW YORK  I  UNITED STATES
NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGIST (RETIRED)

A graduate of the Albert Einstein Medical School, Michael Slavin practiced ophthalmology for 25 years, serving as professor and program director at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. His retirement several years ago has allowed him to refocus on playing the piano, a study he began at age 5 and continued through 10 years at Juilliard pre-college. His commitment to amateur pianism is strong: he’s recently recorded all four Chopin Scherzos and all 21 Chopin Nocturnes; he was the first prize winner in competitions in Chicago, Paris, Warsaw, and Washington, D.C.; and recitals have taken him to New York City, Fort Worth, and Washington, D.C., as well as abroad to Japan, Poland, and Germany—which also provide opportunities for him and his wife to enjoy visiting the world’s greatest art and history museums. His proudest musical accomplishment, he says, is his second-prize win in the 2016 Cliburn Amateur. “The amateur world is made up of those that put in a lot of time to perform for one reason and one reason only: their love of the art.”

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

RAVEL Jeux d’eau
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 in A Minor

Semifinal Round 

JANÁČEK In the Mists
CHOPIN Fantasie in F Minor, op. 49

Final Round 

BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15 (I)

MASANORI MURAKAMI

MASANORI MURAKAMI

AGE 38  I  TOKYO, JAPAN  I  JAPAN
CLINICAL PROJECT MANAGER

Masanori Murakami has had three piano teachers in his life: the first taught him “the pleasure of music;” the second, technical prowess and repertoire building; and the third, artistry and the connection with the audience. He won first prize at the 2007 International Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Paris, as well as in two Japanese competitions around the same time; he says he’s been waiting a long time—eight years—to be eligible for the Cliburn Amateur and is looking forward to making the audience happy with his music and to meeting new friends from around the world. An alumnus of the Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Masanori has worked in research since 2009, developing various new medicines through clinical trials in the fields of orthopedics, respiratory, cancer pain, and cancer. He enjoys cooking, and drinking wine and Japanese sake, as well as listening to jazz music—he’s a big Bill Evans fan.

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

GODOWSKY Alt Wien
GINASTERA Danzas Argentinas, op. 2
SCRIABIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 42, no. 5

Semifinal Round 

RAVEL Sonatine
LISZT Rhapsodie espagnole

Final Round 

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (III)

MARISA NAOMI HAINES

MARISA NAOMI HAINES

AGE 66  I  MURPHY, TEXAS  I  BRAZIL / UNITED STATES
BUSINESS STRATEGIST

The 2022 edition marks Marisa Naomi Haines’ sixth Cliburn Amateur appearance, including the inaugural in 1999. In her words: “It has been an exhilarating journey of 21 years, filled with joyful memories and meaningful growth. This competition has proven to be a very powerful catalyst to bring people together.” Her early piano training included studies at the National Conservatory of Music in her native Brazil. After earning an electrical engineering degree, she continued to study with Hans Boepple in Santa Clara, while building a career as a technology executive in California’s Silicon Valley. She is currently based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, working in strategic initiatives and corporate transformation with a global information technology company. Outside of family, career, and piano, she enjoys cooking, fine wines, reading, and the ocean.

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

SCHUMANN Kreisleriana, op. 16 (I, II)
MARLOS NOBRE “Capoeira” and “Cantiga de Cego” from Ciclo Nordestino No. 3

Semifinal Round 

BRAHMS Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, op. 1

Final Round 

TCHAIKOVSKY Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23 (III)

MICHAEL CHEUNG

MICHAEL CHEUNG

AGE 37  I  PARIS, FRANCE  I  FRANCE / CANADA
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT – HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Calgary-born Michael Cheung started the piano as therapy for a congenital malformation of his left hand. His academic credentials are considerable: in addition to a BS from the University of Toronto in biological studies and psychology, and an MBA from ESCP Europe (Paris and London), he holds diplomas in piano from three European conservatories. A management consultant specializing in healthcare, he currently works for IQVIA in Paris, and concerts and amateur competitions have taken him across Europe and North America. Fluent in five languages, he’s also not lacking from other passions, listing travel, nature, film, photography, and events design among his interests. Michael has never been to Texas before and considers the Cliburn “a ‘mecca’ of amateur piano gatherings.”

MIRIAM BERRO

MIRIAM BERRO

AGE 65  I  MONTRÉAL, CANADA  I  ARGENTINA / CANADA
SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Multiple passions have driven Miriam Berro’s life. While earning her master’s degree in piano performance from the Juan José Castro Conservatory of Music in her native Buenos Aires, she decided to also seriously study her other loves: mathematics and physics. She completed an electronics engineering degree from the University of Buenos Aires and a Master of Applied Sciences from the University of Sherbrooke in Canada. She went on to build a now 20-plus-year career in information technology and software development, the last decade as a business and functional analyst. Now working for the Desjardins Group, Miriam’s devotion to classical music has burned bright all the while. She’s performed well at amateur competitions across North America, including award-wins in Montréal, New York City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

SCHUMANN “Warum?” and “In der Nacht” from Fantasiestücke, op. 12
GINASTERA “Danza de la moza donosa” and “Danza del gaucho matrero” from Danzas Argentinas, op. 2

Semifinal Round 

BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, BWV 849
BERG Sonata, op. 1
DEBUSSY “Feux d’artifice” from Préludes, Book II
SCRIABIN Preludes, op. 11, nos. 1, 4, 11, 14

Final Round 

PROKOFIEV Concerto No. 3 in C Major, op. 26 (I)

MATTHEW BARNHILL

MATTHEW BARNHILL

AGE 38  I  CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA  I  UNITED STATES
ACCOUNTANT

Matthew Barnhill dreamt of being a pianist when he was a child. He earned a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Furman University, and—though his career went a different direction (he’s worked in finance since graduating with a master’s in accountancy in 2013)—that dream has never left him. His eye has been on the Cliburn Amateur for several years, waiting until he was old enough to enter. He sees it as a motivation and inspiration—“a path back into the world of music.” In addition to working as a senior manager in project finance and consulting for CohnReznick LLP, Matthew is an avid runner (his marathon count is in the double digits) and loves adventure travel (he summited Kilimanjaro in 2018 and trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal in March 2020, right before the world shut down).

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”) (I)
CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1
CHOPIN Etude in C Major, op. 10, no. 7
CHOPIN Etude in F Major, op. 10, no. 8

Semifinal Round 

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”) (III)
BACH Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, BWV 862
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Final Round 

MENDELSSOHN Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, op. 25 (III)

MARIN ALSOP, CONDUCTOR – FINAL ROUND

MARIN ALSOP – UNITED STATES
CONDUCTOR–FINAL ROUND

Marin Alsop, who also serves as 2022 Cliburn jury chair, is an inspiring and powerful voice, a conductor of vision and distinction who passionately believes that “music has the power to change lives.” She is recognized internationally for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, for her deep commitment to education and advocating for music’s importance in the world.

One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop represents a powerful and inspiring voice. The first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Britain, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, her deep commitment to education, and her advocacy for music’s importance in the world.

Ms. Alsop currently serves as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the first music director of the University of Maryland’s National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and the first chief conductor and curator of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She is also Conductor of Honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and holds the title of Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, after recently concluding an outstanding 14-year tenure as its music director.

As well as enjoying longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras, she regularly guest conducts such major international ensembles as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Orchestre de Paris, and The Cleveland, La Scala, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Philadelphia, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras. An ardent champion of new composition, she was music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years. Last season, in collaboration with YouTube, Google Arts & Culture, and a host of the world’s leading arts organizations, she spearheaded the #GlobalOdeToJoy, a crowdsourced video project to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary and amplify his Ninth Symphony’s call for tolerance, unity, and joy.

The first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Ms. Alsop has also been honored with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award and numerous honorary doctorates. Recognized with Grammy®, Classical BRIT, and Gramophone awards, her extensive discography includes recordings for Decca, harmonia mundi, Naxos, and Sony Classical. To promote and nurture the careers of her fellow female conductors, in 2002 she founded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship, now renamed in her honor as the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. The Conductor, an award-winning documentary about her life, debuted at New York’s 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.

marinalsop.com

CLIBURN COMPETITION LINKS
ABOUT  I  APPLICATION  I  JURY  I  ROUNDS & REPERTOIRE  I  ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS  I  CLIBURN COMPETITION HISTORY

Amy Stewart

Singer, organist, pianist, and conductor Amy Pummill Stewart currently teaches at the TCU School of Music, where she conducts the TCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Purple, White and Blues, and teaches classes in the theory and musicology departments. She has a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and a Master of Music in organ performance from TCU, and Doctor of Worship Studies degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. After graduating from TCU in 2000, she made her home in New York City. While there, Dr. Stewart appeared in many solo venues and was the featured soloist in four concerts with the New York Pops Orchestra and Skitch Henderson at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Stewart started her career in music as a young child performing on hundreds of recordings for educational and choral publications and commercials. She has been featured as soloist with the Windsong Chamber Choir, TCU Concert Chorale, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and Arlington Master Chorale, as well as the Fort Worth Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, and Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestras. Dr. Stewart has performed in productions with the Fort Worth Opera, Parterre Box Opera Troup in New York City, and Theaterhof Zwei Groschen Oper in Humbach, Germany. She occasionally tours around the country with her family’s four piano-four voice show, ClaviVoce. Dr. Stewart and her husband Jack reside in Fort Worth with their puppies, Bear and Callie.

MARIN ALSOP, jury chair

MARIN ALSOP – UNITED STATES
JURY CHAIR

In addition to her role as jury chair, she will conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the Competition’s Final Round. As chair, she will oversee the jury selection process, consult on jury rules and procedures, and set the tone and mandate of the jury; but she will abstain from voting throughout the Competition, except in the case of a tie after the Final Round.

One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop represents a powerful and inspiring voice. The first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Britain, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, her deep commitment to education, and her advocacy for music’s importance in the world.

Ms. Alsop currently serves as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the first music director of the University of Maryland’s National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and the first chief conductor and curator of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She is also Conductor of Honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and holds the title of Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, after recently concluding an outstanding 14-year tenure as its music director.

As well as enjoying longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras, she regularly guest conducts such major international ensembles as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Orchestre de Paris, and The Cleveland, La Scala, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Philadelphia, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras. An ardent champion of new composition, she was music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years. Last season, in collaboration with YouTube, Google Arts & Culture, and a host of the world’s leading arts organizations, she spearheaded the #GlobalOdeToJoy, a crowd-sourced video project to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary and amplify his Ninth Symphony’s call for tolerance, unity, and joy.

The first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Ms. Alsop has also been honored with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award and numerous honorary doctorates. Recognized with Grammy®, Classical BRIT, and Gramophone awards, her extensive discography includes recordings for Decca, harmonia mundi, Naxos, and Sony Classical. To promote and nurture the careers of her fellow female conductors, in 2002 she founded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship, now renamed in her honor as the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. The Conductor, an award-winning documentary about her life, debuted at New York’s 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.

marinalsop.com

CLIBURN COMPETITION LINKS
ABOUT  I  APPLICATION  I  JURY  I  ROUNDS & REPERTOIRE  I  ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS  I  CLIBURN COMPETITION HISTORY

Miyu Shindo

Miyu Shindo

Japan I Age 17

In addition to recitals in her home country of Japan, Miyu Shindo has performed in the Great Hall at the Moscow Conservatory and at Carnegie Hall, and in Austria and Italy. She has collaborated with the Nagoya Philharmonic, Central Aichi Symphony, and Obu Philharmonic Orchestras, and placed in several international competitions. Miyu recently moved to Russia to study with Valery Piassetski at the Central Music School in Moscow, where she notes that there are many different people from many different places. They speak Russian to each other, but “sometimes we can’t understand what the other person wants to say. When we talk about music, though, we can talk forever!” Outside of piano, she likes to listen to music and read books.

“If every human in this world will love music and tell each other ‘thank you for giving me wonderful happiness,’ we would not hate anyone. I believe that music has a big power to change the world.”

Competitor Profile

Repertoire

Preliminary Round
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870
LISZT La campanella from Paganini Etudes
TCHAIKOVSKY Theme and Variations in F Major, op. 19, no. 16

Quarterfinal Round
SCHUBERT Impromptuin G-flat Major, op. 90, D. 899, no. 3
LISZT Rhapsody espagnole
MOZART Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331 (I)

Semifinal Round

SCARLATTI Sonata in E Major, K. 380

SCARLATTI Sonata in A Minor, K. 149

RAVEL Jeux d’eau

LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan, S. 418

ROSENBLATT Paganini Variations

 

Final Round

RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, op. 18

Matt Ransdell

Matt Ransdell Jr. is a bilingual professional actor, touring motivational speaker, and theater educator. While attending the University of North Texas, Mr. Ransdell began a professional career as a performer with frequent audition opportunities in New York City, and was signed as a talent represented by the Mary Collins Agency. He continues growing his career as an actor on stage as well as in television and film, and is also a resident artist and teacher with Kids Who Care Musical Theatre in Fort Worth.

MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, COMMISSIONED WORK

MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, commissioned work

In addition to serving on the jury, renowned pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin has been commissioned to compose a new work for the 2017 Cliburn Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors. This marks the first time that the composer of the commissioned work will also serve on the jury. Details on the piece will be released in early 2017, and competitors will receive it no later than March 25, 2017.

Born in Montreal, Marc-André Hamelin is among the elite of world pianists for his unrivaled blend of musicianship and virtuosity in the great works of the established repertoire, as well as for his intrepid exploration of the neglected music of the 19th and 20th centuries. An acclaimed recitalist and soloist, he has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and in important venues throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

An exclusive Hyperion Records artist, Mr. Hamelin has released over 50 discs including concertos and solo piano works by such composers as Alkan, Godowsky, and Medtner as well as Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, and Shostakovich. For his recordings, Mr. Hamelin has been honored with nine Grammy® nominations, and was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the German Record Critic’s Association.

Although primarily a performer, Mr. Hamelin has composed music throughout his career; his works are published by Edition Peters.

He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada. In 1989, Mr. Hamelin was awarded the Virginia P. Moore Prize, the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian Arts Council. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

marcandrehamelin.com

MARI KODAMA

Pianist Mari Kodama has established an international reputation for her profound musicality and articulate virtuosity in performances of a broad repertoire across Europe, North America, and Japan. She has appeared with the Berlin, London and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras, the NHK Symphony, and Vienna Symphony orchestras and at the Aspen, Montpellier, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia and Verbier festivals.

Along with solo and concerto appearances, Ms. Kodama performs in duo concerts both with her daughter Karin Kei Nagano, and her sister, Momo Kodama. She marked a significant stage in her recording career in the fall of 2014 with the release of the complete Beethoven Sonatas box set on the Pentatone label, the culmination of a decade’s work. Her discography also features Carl Loewe’s Second Piano Concerto with the Russian National Orchestra (PentaTone); and Beethoven’s Piano Concerti Nos. 1-5 and the Triple Concerto with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Kent Nagano.

In addition to her performance activities, Ms. Kodama is the Artistic and Musical Director for the Musical Days in Forest Hill festival and curates a series for young musicians at the Bad Kissingen Festival.

MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN

Born in Montreal, Marc-André Hamelin is among the elite of world pianists for his unrivaled blend of musicianship and virtuosity in the great works of the established repertoire, as well as for his intrepid exploration of the neglected music of the 19th and 20th centuries. An acclaimed recitalist and soloist, he has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and in important venues throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

An exclusive Hyperion Records artist, Mr. Hamelin has released over 50 discs including concertos and solo piano works by such composers as Alkan, Godowsky, and Medtner as well as Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, and Shostakovich. For his recordings, Mr. Hamelin has been honored with nine Grammy® nominations, and was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the German Record Critic’s Association.

Although primarily a performer, Mr. Hamelin has composed music throughout his career; his works are published by Edition Peters.

He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada. In 1989, Mr. Hamelin was awarded the Virginia P. Moore Prize, the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian Arts Council. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

Madoka Fukami

Madoka Fukami

Japan | Age 28

Madoka Fukami studied at the Tokyo National University of the Arts, then earned two master’s degrees at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris, and a concert artist diploma at the Ecole normale de musique de Paris. She has been artist in residence at Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium under the direction of Maria João Pires. Ms. Fukami has won prizes at more than 10 international competitions and has performed with the NHK Orchestra, Porto National Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, and the Chamber Orchestra of Paris. Her recent recital and concerto appearances include the Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, among others. She has a particular passion for French music. She won the Maurice Ravel Foundation prize for her Ravel performances at the Long-Thibaud-Crespin competition, and her recital of Debussy’s complete etudes was broadcast by Radio France’s France Musique. She loves cooking, fitness, musical theater, and visiting art galleries.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Recital
GINASTERA Sonata No. 1, op. 22
BEETHOVEN Rondo in G Major, op. 51, no. 2
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
RAVEL “Ondine” from Gaspard de la nuit
CHOPIN Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61

Quarterfinal Recital
STRAVINSKY Piano-Rag-Music
RAVEL Miroirs
SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major, D. 664, op. posth. 120

Semifinal Recital
C.P.E. BACH Keyboard Sonata in A Minor, Wq. 49, no. 1 “Württemberg”
DEBUSSY Études, Book II
MENDELSSOHN Rondo capriccioso, op. 14
LISZT Après une lecture de Dante (Fantasia quasi sonata)

Semifinal Concerto
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467

Final Round Piano Quintet
DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81

Final Round Concerto
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major

 

Martin James Bartlett

Martin James Bartlett

United Kingdom | Age 20

Martin James Bartlett won the title of BBC Young Musician in 2014 and has since appeared regularly on BBC TV and radio broadcasts. In 2016, he performed as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, broadcast live on BBC One. He also was one of 27 international artists, including Elton John and Stevie Wonder, chosen by the BBC to record a cover of the Beach Boys’ classic God Only Knows. Mr. Bartlett is currently studying with Vanessa Latarche at the Royal College of Music as a Foundation Scholar. He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Usher Hall, and Steinway Hall in London. Internationally, he has performed across France, Monaco, Italy, Russia, and Serbia. He made his BBC Proms debut in 2015 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. He also has performed with the BBC Concert, BBC Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, and European Union Chamber orchestras. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and wine collecting.

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COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Recital
BACH Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUBERT Impromptu in G-flat Major, D. 899, op. 90, no. 3
BARBER Sonata for Piano, op. 26

Quarterfinal Recital
SCARLATTI Sonata in E Major, K. 380
SCARLATTI Sonata in B Minor, K. 27
GRANADOS “El amor y la muerte” from Goyescas, op. 11
SCHUMANN-LISZT Widmung
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83

Semifinal Recital
BACH Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3
LISZT Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, op. 28

Semifinal Concerto
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491

Final Round Piano Quintet
DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81

Final Round Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23

 

Mari Yoshihara

Mari Yoshihara, 48
Professor of American studies
Honolulu, Hawaii
United States/Japan

Mari Yoshihara, a 2011 Cliburn Amateur competitor, has studied piano since childhood. Upon entering graduate school, she took a break, she says, and kept music compartmentalized, away from her professional life—until she began research that led to the publication of two works: Musicians from a Different Shore: Asians and Asian-Americans in Classical Music and a Japanese-language book about the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Currently a professor of American studies at the University of Hawaii, she conducts research, teaching and writing on U.S. cultural history and United States-Asian relations. She was awarded first prize in the amateur division of the Aloha International Piano Festival in 2014; currently, she studies with Thomas Yee. Dr. Yoshihara has many great memories of her experience in Fort Worth, and she looks forward to reuniting with friends she made here. On a romantic note, she also met her current boyfriend, Jun Fujimoto, while participating in the 2011 Cliburn Amateur Competition.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
BARBER   Excursions, op. 20: III. Allegretto
BATES   White Lies for Lomax

Quarterfinal Round
BEACH   “Dreaming” from Four Sketches, op. 15
BERNSTEIN   Touches: Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda
BOLCOM   “The Serpent’s Kiss” from Garden of Eden

Semifinal Round
BUNCH   Etudes Nos. 3, 7, & 11 from Monica’s Notebook
BACH-BUSONI   Chaconne in D Minor

Final Round
SAINT-SAËNS   Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22: I. Andante sostenuto

Madalyn Taylor

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

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

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

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

Quarterfinal Round
BACH-KEMPFF   Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
SCHUMANN   Kinderszenen, op. 15

Semifinal Round
SCHUBERT   Impromptu in B-flat Major, op. 142, no. 3
SCHUBERT   Impromptu in F Minor, op. 142, no. 4
MUCZYNSKI   Desperate Measures (Paganini Variations), op. 48
COLES-RICH   A Poor Wayfaring Man

Final Round
MENDELSSOHN   Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, op. 25; III. Presto

Max Sung

Max Sung, M.D., 63
Physician
New York, New York
United States

In the early ’70s, Max Sung was the beneficiary of a German Academic Exchange Fellowship to study piano with Helmut Roloff at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts in Berlin, Germany. However, the call of medicine was too strong, and he left after one year to pursue premedical and medical studies at Harvard University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Since completing fellowships in hematology and medical oncology, Dr. Sung has been in full-time practice as a physician. He has continued playing the piano as much as his schedule allows and finds participating in amateur piano competitions stimulating. He was a semifinalist in the Chopin, Berlin, and Boston amateur competitions and a finalist in the Washington, D.C. amateur competition. A lifelong learner, Dr. Sung enjoys studying different cultures around the world.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
BACH   Prelude and Fugue in D Major, WTC II, BWV 874
SCHUBERT-LISZT   Gretchen am Spinnrade 

Quarterfinal Round
BACH   Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, WTC I, BWV 862
SCHUMANN  “In der Nacht” from Fantasiestücke, op. 12
BRAHMS   Intermezzo in E Major, op. 116, no. 4
SCHOENBERG   Klavierstück, op. 33b
DEBUSSY   “Poissons d’or” from Images, Book II 

Semifinal Round
BEETHOVEN   Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, op. 81a (“Les adieux”)
CHOPIN   Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61 

Final Round
SAINT-SAËNS   Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22: I. Andante sostenuto

Michael Slavin

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

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

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
CHOPIN   Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 31

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

Semifinal Round
RAVEL   Le Tombeau de Couperin, op. 68

Final Round
BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37: I. Allegro con brio

Mihono Kawamata

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.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

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

Quarterfinal Round
BEETHOVEN  Sonata No.12 in A-Flat Major, op. 26: I. Andante con Variazioni
MONTSALVATGE   Sonatina pour Yvette (1961): I. Vivo e spiritoso; II. Moderato molto; III. Allegretto

Semifinal Round
BACH   Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903
SZYMANOWSKI  Variations, op. 3

Final Round
SCHUMANN   Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 54: I. Allegro affetuoso

Marisa Naomi Haines

Marisa Naomi Haines, 59
Technology commercialization strategist
Murphy, Texas
United States/Brazil

A familiar face at the Cliburn Amateur Competition, Marisa Naomi Haines was a finalist in 2004, and also competed in 1999, 2007, and 2011. A DFW-area resident—she lives in Murphy, just east of Plano—she began playing the piano as a child and studied at the Conservatorio Brasileiro de Music in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and later with Hans Boepple in California. An electrical engineer by training, her career in both corporate and public sectors includes roles in research and development, P&L management, and strategic partnerships. She currently works with early stage businesses and global organizations, developing commercialization strategies for emerging technologies in the fields of nanotechnology, advanced materials, and biomedical engineering. Ms. Haines’ greatest joy is spending time with her family and children—her oldest son recently earned a Ph.D., and the youngest, born shortly after her third appearance in the Amateur Competition, is now in elementary school. Away from the keyboard she also enjoys the sun and surf, cooking, and fine wines.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
IVES   “The Alcotts” from Sonata No. 2 “Concord, Mass., 1840-60”
BACH   “Capriccio” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826

Quarterfinal Round
MEDTNER   Fairy Tale in B-flat Minor, op. 20, no. 1
BEETHOVEN   Sonata No. 22 in F Major, op. 54
VILLA-LOBOS   “Bruxa, a boneca de pano” from A prole do bebê, Suite No. 1

Semifinal Round
SHOSTAKOVICH   Fantastic Dance in C Major, op. 5, no. 1
BEETHOVEN   Fantasy in G Minor, op. 77
WAGNER-LISZT   Phantasiestück über Motive aus ‘Rienzi’

Final Round
BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, op. 19: I. Allegro con brio

Matthias Fischer

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.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

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

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

Semifinal Round
SCHUMANN   Davidsbündlertänze, op. 6

Final Round
BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, op. 15: I. Allegro con brio

Marco Di Marzio

Marco Di Marzio, 43
Clinical pharmacist
Dublin, Ireland
Italy

Marco Di Marzio credits his new teacher, Dr. Archie Chen at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, for reigniting his passion for piano, which began at age 8 after hearing Beethoven’s Für Elise. Born in Atri, Italy, Mr. Di Marzio was accepted into the Luisa d’Annunzio Conservatory in Pescara, Italy at age 10, but by 18 his enthusiasm waned for the instrument after studying under a difficult teacher. When he was 28, he left Italy to pursue a master’s degree in organic chemistry at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and was excited that the Royal Academy was nearby. He began to study the instrument again, receiving his Licentiate diploma in piano from Trinity College in 2014, and entered amateur competitions, master classes, and festivals. Three years ago, Mr. Di Marzio, who works as a senior clinical pharmacist at a Dublin hospital, took a six-week course at the Buddhism Centre. Since then, he has practiced meditation daily as well as yoga, both of which he says have had a huge impact on his piano practice.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
SCARLATTI   Sonata in B Minor, K. 27
GRANADOS   “Los requiebros” from Goyescas, op. 11

Quarterfinal Round
BACH-SILOTI   Prelude in B Minor, BWV 855a
LISZT   “Vallée d’Obermann” from Années de Pèlerinage

Semifinal Round
MOZART   Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576
CHOPIN   Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Brillante, op. 22

Final Round
SAINT-SAËNS   Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22: I. Andante sostenuto