Glossary: s

Samuel Sabbah

Samuel Sabbah

Norway  I  14

Music runs in the family for Samuel Sabbah: his father, Daniel Sabbah, has been his piano teacher since age 5, and his siblings are international prizewinners in voice, violin, and cello. When he was 6, he and his father performed at 40 retirement homes in one year, and he did his first of many media interviews. He is the youngest pianist ever to win prizes in all three national competitions in Norway; he’s followed that with nine first-place finishes at international contests in Belgium, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. And in 2021, at the age of 13, he was named “Norway’s Best Musician” at the Midgard National Music Competition, for ages 8–21. Outside of music, he enjoys football, ping pong, swimming, card tricks, Legos, puzzles, and Rubik’s Cube.

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Asta Dora Finnsdottir

ASTA DORA FINNSDOTTIR

Iceland  I  16

Asta Dora Finnsdottir has won 19 competitions in 15 countries: Israel, Ukraine, Iceland, United Kingdom, Greece, France, Hungary, Sweden, Serbia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Russia, Canada, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. She made both her recital and concerto debuts in Iceland in 2021; currently studies with both Peter Máté at the Reykjavik College of Music (Iceland) and Marina Pliassova at the Barratt Due Institute of Music (Norway); and became an online sensation when at the age of 9 she wowed commuters—and then 2 million YouTube viewers—when she performed Mozart on a public piano while on vacation in London.

 

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Sizhe Wang

SIZHE WANG 王思哲

China  I  14

“To me, the existence of Classical Music in our modern generation is so mysteriously attractive, with such beautiful ancient color and light that nothing in this real world can compare with. It’s like a timeless fruit for the development of our civilization.”

Sizhe Wang began learning and practicing Chinese calligraphy at the age of 4, earlier than the piano. He remains deeply committed to the artform, which he says “constantly gives me fresh inspiration about music;” he is also “moved by the magical combination of ‘when East meets West,’” himself being “deeply rooted in East Asian culture” while learning and performing music from the West. He’s studied piano with with his current teacher, Vivian Li, for seven years and has attended the Middle School affiliated to Xinghai Conservatory of Music since 2021. Competition prizes include contests in Germany, Poland, China, and the United States; in 2017, at the age of 9, he made both his recital debut in Guangzhou and his concerto debut in Todi, Italy. The Cliburn Junior will be his first in-person piano competition in three years; “it will be the most phenomenal highlight of my life so far.”  Outside of the arts, Sizhe is a competitive swimmer who led his school’s swimming team to the national finals of the men’s 100m freestyle in the junior category. He’s also a big fan of trains and railroads, and has a significant collection of materials related to the railroad development of Southern China.

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

LYADOV “Prélude” and “Valse” from Trois morceaux, op. 57
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
RACHMANINOV Étude-tableau in F-sharp Minor, op. 39, no. 3
CHOPIN Rondo à la mazur in F Major, op. 5

Quarterfinal Round

CHOPIN Nocturne in D-flat Major, op. 27, no. 2
MOZART Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K. 330 (I)
KABALEVSKY Sonata No. 3 in F Major, op. 46
SANCAN Toccata

Semifinal Round – Recital

ZHANG ZHAO Hani Love Song
MOMPOU Variations on a Theme of Chopin
CHOPIN Andante spianato et Grande polonaise brillante, op. 22

Final Round – Concerto 

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

 

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Seoeun Lee

SEOEUN LEE 이서은

South Korea  I  14

“I think everything I experience inspires my artistry. I want to express everything I see, hear, smell, touch, and feel with my music. I also want to express all the emotions of joy, anger, love, and sorrow with my music.”

Seoeun Lee started playing the piano at the age of 6: she happened to pass by a piano academy near her house in Suwon, was attracted by the sound, and entered the piano academy holding her mother’s hand. She progressed very quickly and says she started dreaming of becoming a pianist in earnest just a year later, after seeing 2009 Cliburn Silver Medalist Yeol Eum Son perform. She has had great success in competitions, including eight first-place finishes in Korea. In 2021, she made both her recital and concerto debuts in Seoul, and was selected as a culture and arts scholarship recipient by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation. Seoneun currently studies with Yejin Nho and likes watching piano concert videos on YouTube and attending live concerts in her free time. Knowing that physical health is of vital importance to a performer, she also practices Pilates to develop flexibility, relieve stress, and serve as a mood changer. She comes to the Cliburn Junior wanting “to experience harmony with friends from all over the world through music; I hope those experiences can help me develop into a more sincere and mature musician.”

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

BACH Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 880
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54

Quarterfinal Round

HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52 (I)
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
LISZT Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata

Semifinal Round – Recital

CHOPIN Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 35
RAVEL “Scarbo” from Gaspard de la nuit
HOUGH Fanfare Toccata

Final Round – Concerto 

CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11

 

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Saehyun Kim

SAEHYUN KIM 김세현

South Korea  I  16

“Leonard Bernstein once said that a great artist ‘leaves us with a feeling that something is right in the world,’ and similarly, Robert Schumann wrote, ‘To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts—such is the duty of the artist.’ Inspired by these artists’ words, I endeavor every day to create music that will reach out a consoling hand to the audience so that they feel understood and reassured in a turbulent world.”

Growing up in Seoul, Saehyun Kim made both his recital and concerto debuts in the capital city, in 2018 and 2019 respectively. He attended the Yewon School for two years and notable engagements during that timeframe include a performance with the Korean Symphony Orchestra and appearances on KBS Classic FM and JTBC Classic Today. He moved to Boston in 2021, where he studies piano with HaeSun Paik at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and also attends the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. The last two years have seen four competition wins in the United States, at the Morningside Music Bridge International Concerto Competition, New England Conservatory Preparatory School Concerto Competition (Categories B and C), and the New York International Classical Music Competition; he is also a current Lang Lang International Music Foundation Young Scholar and last fall appeared on both the Lang Lang & Friends Virtual Concert and the organization’s Gala Concert. Saehyun is a member of the New England Tennis Academy (NETA) and has competed in USTA tournaments; he also heads the Table Tennis Club at his school.

 

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

BACH Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 854
SCRIABIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 42, no. 5
SCRIABIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 2, no. 1
LISZT Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H

Quarterfinal Round

HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:42
RAVEL “Scarbo” from Gaspard de la nuit
CHOPIN Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61

Semifinal Round – Recital

BOLCOM Nine Bagatelles
LISZT Sonata in B Minor

Final Round – Concerto 

CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11

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Seokyoung Hong

SEOKYOUNG HONG 홍석영
Bernice Gressman Meyerson First Prize Winner

South Korea  I  15

“I hope to be a pianist that can remind and somehow transfer the audience’s own personal stories. From those reminded experiences, I hope they find happiness, relief, and even nostalgia. Beyond thinking about the stories from the past, I also hope they can imagine lots of things while and after listening to my performance.”

Seokyoung Hong has had several first or second-place finishes at international competitions in Korea, Switzerland, and the United States. Following two years at the Yewon School in his native Seoul, he moved to Boston in 2022 to study piano at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School with HaeSun Paik while also attending the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. He’s found himself inspired by his new environment: “Nature inspires me in various ways—its huge size, marvelous detail, the beauty of nature itself, and a lot more. For instance, the enormous entities like the ocean and the universe motivate me but also make me feel that I am only a small human.” Seokyoung finds inspiration and motivation from the two most recent winners of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, South Korea’s Yekwon Sunwoo and Yunchan Lim, which was part of his motivation for taking part in the Cliburn Junior. He also hopes to develop his piano playing and artistry, as well as to build experience performing for large audiences. His interest in composing leads him to constantly study, he says, but he also enjoys riding his bike, playing chess, and participating in the table tennis club at school.

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

BACH  Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863
LISZT Concert Etude No. 2 “La leggierezza”
PROKOFIEV Visions fugitives, op. 22, nos. 2, 10, 3
PROKOFIEV Toccata in D Minor, op. 11

 

Quarterfinal Round

RACHMANINOV Prelude in G Major, op. 32, no. 5
HAYDN Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI:31 (I)
CHOPIN Ballade No. 2 in F Major, op. 38
DUTILLEUX “Choral et variations” from Sonata pour piano

Semifinal Round – Recital

JURI SEO  Doremi Variations
CHOPIN 12 Etudes, op. 25

Semifinal Round – Concerto Movement

RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43 (vars. 18-24)

Final Round – Concerto 

RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43

 

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Steven Ruochong Cui

STEVEN RUOCHONG CUI 崔若冲

United States  I  17

“The collective effort of all musicians in pursuing their craft, perfecting their sound, and holding faith in the power of their work, classical music can continue to reach more audiences, touch more hearts, and unite more through this universal language.”

Steven Ruochong Cui began piano at the age of 4 in his native Chengdu, China. After his family immigrated to the United States in 2015, he continued his studies with San-Qing Lu-Bennaman and won numerous regional competitions, as well as the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youth (Poland). Since 2017, he’s been in the pre-college division of The Juilliard School under Yoheved Kaplinsky and Yiheng Yang, and 2022 saw both a first-prize finish at the International ArtePiano Competition and full scholarships to the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Oxford Piano Festival. He is an alumnus of NPR’s From the Top and the Lang Lang Foundation Young Scholars. At school, in addition to serving as the class representative in student government and a member of the Ethics Bowl team, Steven is an editor for the student newspaper—an interest certainly driven by his aptitude as a storyteller. Of his music, he says: “What drives my artistry is the knowledge that every note I play is the authentic story of other human beings, which gives me the responsibility of handling it, of playing it, with the utmost care. These people could be from centuries ago, but their music—their story—never diminishes or dies out. In fact, their sentiments and emotions often resonate even more in the modern day.”

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

BACH  Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887
BRAHMS Klavierstücke, op. 118, nos. 1 and 2
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor

Quarterfinal Round

HAYDN Sonata in C Minor, Hob. XVI:20
CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 62, no. 1
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 1

Semifinal Round – Recital

VINE Sonata No. 1 (I)
CHOPIN Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58

Final Round – Concerto 

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37

 

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Spencer Myer

SPENCER MYER – UNITED STATES

Lauded for “superb playing” and “poised, alert musicianship” by the Boston Globe, and labeled “definitely a man to watch” by London’s The Independent after his 2012 Wigmore Hall recital debut, American pianist SPENCER MYER is one of the most respected and sought-after artists on today’s concert stage.

He has been soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cape Town and Johannesburg Philharmonics, the Indianapolis, New Haven and Phoenix Symphony Orchestras and Beijing’s China National Symphony, collaborating with conductors Yannick Nézét-Séguin, Michael Christie, Arthur Fagen Bernhard Gueller, Jahja Ling, Kevin Rhodes, Gerald Steichen, Thomas Wilkins and Victor Yampolsky. His 2005 tour of South Africa included a performance of Beethoven’s five piano concerti with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, followed by six subsequent return tours.  An in-demand chamber musician, he has appeared at the Lev Aronson Legacy Festival with cellists Lynn Harrell, Brian Thornton, Ralph Kirshbaum and Amit Peled, and enjoys a recurring partnership with the Miami String Quartet at the Kent/Blossom Music Festival.  Other artistic partners have included clarinetist David Shifrin, soprano Nicole Cabell, and the Jupiter and Pacifica String Quartets.

Spencer Myer’s career was launched with three important prizes: First Prize in the 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in South Africa, the 2006 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship from the American Pianists Association and the Gold Medal from the 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition. He was a member of Astral Artists’ performance roster from 2003-2010.

Spencer Myer served on the piano faculty of Boston’s Longy School of Music of Bard College from 2016 to 2022, and is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  He has released four CDs on the Steinway & Sons label — Piano Rags of William Bolcom, and three discs with cellist Brian Thornton encompassing repertoire of Brahms, Debussy and Schumann.

Spencer Myer is a Steinway Artist.

www.spencermyer.com

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Sergey Tanin

Sergey Tanin

Russia  I  Age 26

Sergey Tanin started piano lessons when he was 5 years old, and—though his parents were not musicians and never pushed him to practice—his commitment to the instrument grew quickly. By age 9, he had decided to be a pianist. Growing up in Yakutia in far Eastern Russia, a long way from major cities and the concerts they might offer, he drew inspiration from recordings by great artists, such as Argerich, Pletnev, Michelangeli, and Rubinstein. He was “taken by the power of music.”

He first gained international recognition in 2018 at the Géza Anda Competition in Switzerland (third prize and audience award), which he followed in 2020 by winning the Kissinger KlavierOlymp in Germany. After graduating in 2019 from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he studied with Irina Plotnikova, he moved to Switzerland to attend the Basel Musik Academie under the tutelage of Claudio Martinez-Mehner. He holds the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship, and, in 2020, the Swiss Television (SRF) released a documentary about him, entitled The Pianist Who Came in from the Cold.

As a soloist, he has performed with leading symphony orchestras, including the Tonhalle-Orchestra Zürich, Musikkollegium Winterthur, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Bremen Philharmonic, Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic, and Vogtland Philharmony. He has performed in recital in Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Finland, France, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. His debut CD, released in 2021 on the Prospero Classical label, was nominated for an International Classical Music Award.

His most vivid concert memory came in May 2020, during lockdown, when he was asked to perform a livestreamed concert at the famous Hotel Storchen Zurich. They lifted a Steinway by crane to the rooftop, where Sergey played with a view of the mountains, lakes, and people below. “I was so happy at that moment,” he said, “especially when I heard the applause from the streets.”

sergeytanin.com

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

CPE BACH Sonata in F-sharp Minor, H. 37
HOUGH Fanfare Toccata
LISZT “Sposalizio” from Années de pèlerinage
LISZT “Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este” from Années de pèlerinage
MESSIAEN “Regard de l’Esprit de joie” from Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus

Quarterfinal Round

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

Semifinal Round – Recital

SCHUBERT Sonata in C Minor, D. 958
SCHUBERT–LISZT “Sei mir gegrüsst”
PROKOFIEV Ten Pieces, op. 12

Semifinal Round – Mozart concerto

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466

Final Round – Concerto I

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, op. 58

Final Round – Concerto II

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

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Shuan Hern Lee

Shuan Hern Lee

Australia  I  Age 19

Born in Perth, Australia, Shuan Hern Lee started taking piano, vocal, music theory, and composition lessons with his father, Yoon Sen Lee, when he was 2½ years old. His childhood home was filled with music at all hours of the day, as both parents taught piano.

Among his many accolades are 14 international first prizes at piano competitions in Ukraine, Serbia, Netherlands, Germany, China, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Italy, France, and United States—including the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, where he became the first Australian ever to win a Cliburn competition.

Shuan Hern performed at Carnegie Hall at the age of 7, and has since concertized around the world, including with the Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphonic Orchestra of Ukraine, Vienna Pops Orchestra, Perth Symphony Orchestra, Armenia State Philharmonic Orchestra, Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, Imola Chamber Orchestra, and West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

He has made a number of major media appearances, including Australia’s Got Talent, New York’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Observance in 2016, and other TV and radio programs in Australia, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Shuan Hern recently completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Western Australia at the age of 18. He continues to study with Yoon Sen Lee and currently attends the Accademia Internazionale di Imola “Incontri col Maestro” under the tutelage of Ingrid Fliter.

shuanhernlee.net

REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round

HOUGH Fanfare Toccata
HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60
BALAKIREV Islamey: Oriental Fantasy

Quarterfinal Round

BACH Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903
CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83

Semifinal Round – Recital

SCHUMANN Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition
PROKOFIEV Toccata in D Minor, op. 11

Semifinal Round – Mozart concerto

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466

Final Round – Concerto I

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, op. 73

Final Round – Concerto II

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

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SEUNG-YEOP LEE

SEUNG-YEOP LEE

AGE 47  I  TAMPA, FLORIDA  I  SOUTH KOREA
MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR

After initial piano training in his native Korea from age 8 to 14, Seung-Yeop Lee says his passion for the instrument was ignited when he started taking lessons from his son’s piano teacher in 2018. His career has followed his other love, math. After earning a B.S. in physics from Seoul National University, Seung-Yeop moved to the United States, completing his master’s at Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. He’s lived in Tampa since 2013, currently serving as associate professor in mathematics at the University of South Florida. He sees the Cliburn Amateur as a chance to grow as a musician through learning and performance.

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

SCRIABIN Etude in D-sharp Minor, op. 8, no. 12
SCHUBERT–LISZT “Auf dem Wasser zu Singen”
CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, op. 53, (“Héroïque”)

Semifinal Round 

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, op. 57 (“Appassionata”) (I)
MOZART–VOLODOS Rondo alla turca
RAVEL La valse

Final Round 

BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37 (I)

 

Steven Lin

STEVEN LIN
2013 Cliburn Competition jury discretionary award
Cliburn Competition Preliminary Round Recital (originally broadcast May 24, 2013)

PROGRAM:
BACH Overture in the French Style, BWV 831
MENDELSSOHN Fantasie in F-sharp Minor, op. 28 (“Scottish Sonata”)
VINE Sonata No. 1

ABOUT STEVEN:
Steven Lin’s star has continued to rise, highlighted by recent performances with the Israel Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, National Taiwan Symphony, and the National Symphony of Mexico, as well as solo recitals at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Hailed as an immediately engaging and imaginative young artist, he has established a solo, chamber, and concerto career in Europe, Asia, and North America. A top prize winner of the 2013 Arthur Rubinstein Competition, Steven recently completed the Artist Diploma program at the Curtis Institute of Music, having finished both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Juilliard School.

Sean Chen

SEAN CHEN
2013 Cliburn Third-Prize Winner
Preliminary Round I Recital
webcast live from Bass Performance Hall on May 26, 2013

PROGRAM
BACH French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BMV 816
BARTOK Three Etudes, op. 18
CHOPIN Three Mazurkas, op. 59
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 5, op. 53

ABOUT SEAN
Sean has built a multi-faceted career as performer, composer, and educator. In performances worldwide, he often includes his lauded transcriptions of orchestral works, including Ravel’s La Valse and Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, as well as encore improvisations which been called “genuinely brilliant.” With his natural inclination for teaching and approachable personality, he is also in demand for master classes, juries for notable piano contests, and artist residencies. He currently lives in Kansas City, where he is artist in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Sean and his wife Betty, a violinist with the Kansas City Symphony, welcomed a baby girl into the family last summer. seanchenpiano.com

SEAN SUTHERLAND

SEAN SUTHERLAND

AGE 45  I  TORONTO, CANADA  I  SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES / CANADA
PRODUCT MANAGER

Sean Sutherland has a passion for innovation in education, a natural commitment given his own academic endeavors: he simultaneously earned bachelor’s degrees in music, and electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; one year later, he completed a master’s in the latter, again at MIT; nine years after that, an M.B.A. from McGill University; and another seven years later, an M.A. in Education, specializing in learning and design technology from Stanford University. He’s an entrepreneur at heart who loves finding solutions to pain points, particularly of students, teachers, and administrators; he ran a niche tutorial test prep service for a number of years. Now working as a product manager for TradeCafe in Toronto, Sean is helping to develop a trading platform for protein commodities. He’s an active amateur pianist, performing in the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, Italy, and throughout the Caribbean, including his native St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This year, he returns to the Cliburn after a semifinalist finish in 2016, and winning first prize at the Chopin Amateur Piano Competition in Warsaw.

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

CHOPIN Mazurka in F Minor, op. 63, no. 2
RAVEL La valse

Semifinal Round 

BONTEMPS Prelude No. 11 “Onirico”
GRANADOS “Quejas, o La Maja y el Ruiseñor” from Goyescas, op. 11
KAPUSTIN Sonata No. 1, op. 39 (“Sonata-Fantasia”)

Final Round 

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

SUZANNA LARAMEE

SUZANNA LARAMEE

AGE 66  I  NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND  I  UNITED STATES
FINANCIAL ADVISOR (RETIRED)

Oklahoman Suzanna Laramee’s early commitment to music led her to earn both undergraduate (Oklahoma City University) and graduate (The University of Kansas) degrees in piano performance. After completing her DMA coursework and serving as an assistant professor at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, she began the professional development program at Merrill Lynch and went on to a 17-year career in the financial industry. Now retired, Suzanna calls spending time with her grandchildren a bit of an obsession, and she’s stayed active in the arts world, as board president for Newport Classical and as an amateur pianist studying with Boston pianist, Michael Lewin. Her many competition appearances include two semifinalist finishes at the Cliburn Amateur, including the first in 1999, which she recalls brought her the warmth, support, and inspiration to “get back to the piano in earnest.” She’s also placed in a number of amateur contests, including in Paris, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C.

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

HANDEL “Air and Variations” from Suite No. 5 in E Major, HWV 430
ALBÉNIZ “Evocación” and “El Puerto” from Iberia, Book I

Semifinal Round 

HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:48
DEBUSSY Étude pour les cinq doigts
CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 11 “Harmonies du soir”

Final Round 

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

SIMON FINLOW

SIMON FINLOW

AGE 66  I  WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA  I  UNITED STATES / UNITED KINGDOM
IT PROJECT MANAGER/DATABASE ENGINEER (RETIRED)

What started with piano lessons at age 4 led Simon Finlow to study music at both Oxford (bachelor’s) and Cambridge (Ph.D.). He says “hard reality” led him to a career shift in the mid-80s. He emigrated from England to the United States, where he earned a master’s in computer science and information systems from American University and built a successful career in the field. In 2014, he quit his high-stress job and—having heard about the Cliburn Amateur while attending the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition the year prior—he rededicated himself to the piano. A former marathon runner, the physical and mental fortitude required for intensive training was not unfamiliar to him. Simon competed in the 2016 Cliburn Amateur and now performs regularly in the D.C. Metropolitan area. In his words: “I really feel as though I’ve been welcomed into an enormous, diverse, multi-national family of like-minded musicians.”

 

Repertoire

Preliminary Round

SCARLATTI Sonata in B Minor, K. 87
BEETHOVEN Bagatelle in B Major, op. 126, no. 4
LISZT “Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este” from Années de Pèlerinage

Semifinal Round 

SCRIABIN Nocturne for the Left Hand, op. 9, no. 2
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, op. 110

Final Round 

BACH Keyboard Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052 (III)

Sean Chen

2013 Cliburn Third-Prize Winner

Hailed as a charismatic rising star with “an exceptional ability to connect with an audience combined with an easy virtuosity” (Huffington Post), American pianist Sean Chen, winner of the 2013 American Pianists Awards and third-prize winner at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, has continued to earn accolades for “alluring, colorfully shaded renditions” (The New York Times) and “genuinely sensitive” (Los Angeles Times) playing. He was named a 2015 fellow by the prestigious Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for the Performing Arts.

Sean has performed with many prominent orchestras, including in Fort Worth, Indianapolis, and San Diego, and solo performances have brought him to major venues worldwide, including Jordan Hall in Boston, Subculture in New York City, the American Art Museum at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Salle Cortot in Paris. A multifaceted musician, Sean also transcribes, composes, and improvises. His transcription of Ravel’s La valse has been received with glowing acclaim, and his encore improvisations are lauded as “genuinely brilliant” (Dallas Morning News). An advocate of new music, he has collaborated with and performed works of many contemporary composers, including Lisa Bielawa, Jennifer Higdon, Michael Williams, Niccolo Athens, and Michael Gilbertson.

Born in Florida, Sean grew up in the Los Angeles area of Oak Park, California. His impressive achievements before college include the NFAA ARTSweek, Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight, and 2006 Presidential Scholars awards. These honors combined with diligent schoolwork facilitated offers of acceptance by MIT, Harvard, and The Juilliard School. Choosing to study music, Mr. Chen earned his Bachelor and Master of Music from Juilliard, meanwhile garnering several awards, most notably the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. He received his Artist Diploma in 2014 at the Yale School of Music as a George W. Miles Fellow. His teachers include Hung-Kuan Chen, Tema Blackstone, Edward Francis, Jerome Lowenthal, and Matti Raekallio.

Sean is currently living in Kansas City, where he is the Millsap Artist in Residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and his wife, Betty, is a violinist in the Kansas City Symphony.

Stephen Hough, Commissioned Work

In addition to serving on the jury, renowned pianist, composer, and one of Twenty Living Polymaths (The Economist) Stephen Hough has been commissioned to compose a new work for the 2021 Cliburn Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors. This marks the second time that the composer of the commissioned work will also serve on the jury. Details on the piece will be released in early 2021, and competitors will receive it no later than March 25, 2021.

ABOUT STEPHEN HOUGH

“The most perfect piano playing conceivable.” –The Guardian

Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer, writer, and painter. He was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours 2014.

Concerto highlights in 2019–2020 include performances with the New York, Dallas, Toronto, Singapore, Iceland, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Slovak Philharmonic, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. With the Malmö Symfoniorkester and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Mr. Hough performs Liszt’s First and Second piano concertos, and in May–June 2020, he tours Beethoven’s Third, Fourth, and Fifth Piano Concertos in China, performing with the China Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras, among others. Recent appearances include the Cleveland and Minnesota Orchestras; Finnish Radio, City of Birmingham, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestras; London and China Philharmonic Orchestras; and the Wiener Symphoniker.

Mr. Hough is a regular guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, La Roque-d’Anthéron, and BBC Proms, where he has made more than 25 appearances. Recitals in 2019–2020 span the United States, Europe, and beyond, including performances at the Taiwan National Concert Hall, Cliburn Concerts, Caramoor, London’s Royal Festival Hall (International Piano Series), and Wigmore Hall (chamber residency featuring Steven Isserlis, Renaud Capuçon, and Michael Collins, among others).

Mr. Hough’s extensive discography of over 60 CDs has garnered international awards including the Diapason d’Or de l’Année, several Grammy® nominations, and eight Gramophone Awards, including Record of the Year and the Gold Disc. Upcoming releases include Beethoven’s complete piano concertos (with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Hannu Lintu) and Final Piano Pieces of Brahms, while recent releases include solo piano works by Debussy, Hough’s Dream Album, and a live recording of Schumann and Dvořák’s piano concertos with Andris Nelsons and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, all for Hyperion Records. His award-winning iPad app The Liszt Sonata was released by Touch Press in 2013.

As a composer, Mr. Hough has been commissioned by Wigmore Hall, Musée du Louvre, London’s National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Genesis Foundation, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi, and the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. His music is published by Josef Weinberger Ltd.

Stephen Hough’s first novel, The Final Retreat, was published by Sylph Editions in March 2018, and in August 2019, his Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More was published by Faber & Faber; he has also written for The New York Times, The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, and the Evening Standard. Mr. Hough is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, an Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society, a 2019-22 Visiting Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, a Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, the International Chair of Piano Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, and is on the faculty of The Juilliard School in New York.

stephenhough.com

 

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Stephen Hough

STEPHEN HOUGH – UNITED KINGDOM

In addition to serving on the jury, Stephen Hough has been commissioned to compose a new work for the 2022 Cliburn Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors. This marks the second time that the composer of the commissioned work will also serve on the jury. 

Named by The Economist as one of Twenty Living Polymaths, Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer, writer, and painter. He was the first classical performer awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours 2014.

He is the BBC Philharmonic’s 2021–2022 artist in residence. Other season highlights include orchestra engagements with the Royal Concertgebouw, Tonkunstler Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony; tour of Asia; and recitals at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Estonia National Concert Hall, and in cities across North America. Mr. Hough is a regular guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, La Roque-d’Anthéron, and BBC Proms. In June 2020, he returned to London’s Wigmore Hall to give the UK’s first live classical music concert in a major venue since the nationwide lockdown earlier that year.

Mr. Hough’s extensive discography of over 60 CDs has garnered international awards including the Diapason d’Or de l’Année, several Grammy® nominations, and eight Gramophone Awards. Upcoming releases include Beethoven’s complete piano concertos and Final Piano Pieces of Brahms, both for Hyperion Records. His award-winning iPad app The Liszt Sonata was released by Touch Press in 2013.

As a composer, Mr. Hough has been commissioned by Wigmore Hall, Musée du Louvre, London’s National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi, and the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. His music is published by Josef Weinberger Ltd.

His first novel, The Final Retreat, released in March 2018, and his Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More was published a year later; he has also written for The New York Times, The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, and the Evening Standard. Mr. Hough is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society, Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, International Chair of Piano Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, and is on the faculty of The Juilliard School in New York.

stephenhough.com

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SARAH TUAN

SARAH TUAN

United States I Age 16

Sarah Tuan was born and raised in San Jose, California, and finds the music of Chopin and Rachmaninov particularly pertinent to her life as an Asian-American girl: “Their music expresses a sense of longing and a desire to belong, which reminds me of my two cultural identities and how I belong to both worlds.” A current student of Ning An, she made her concerto debut at 10 and recital debut at 12. Sarah has won several competitions in California, as well as the Philadelphia International Piano Competition, and has been featured on NPR’s From the Top and Philadelphia’s WRTI FM 90.1. The Valley Christian High School junior loves cooking (she specializes in handmade knife-cut noodles), origami, bubble milk tea, cats, and researching U.S. politics.

“In a world with social standards and expectations of ‘containing yourself,’ it is hard to express real, raw emotion and tell a story that people can truly accept and feel. That is why music is important to everyone—it doesn’t judge, it doesn’t criticize, and it will never abandon the people it befriends.”

Competitor Profile

Repertoire

Preliminary Round
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
CHOPIN Fantaisie in F Minor, op. 49

Quarterfinal Round

HAYDN Sonata in A-flat Major, Hob. XVI:46 (I)

CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 62, no. 1

MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54

RACHMANINOV Etude-tableau in A Minor, op. 39, no. 6

 

Semifinal Round

HANDEL Suite No. 2 in F Major, HWV 427

SCHUMANN Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnaval de Vienne), op. 26

WIESENBERG Metamorphosis II

 

Final Round

CHOPIN Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11

Shunta Morimoto

Shunta Morimoto

Japan I Age 14

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

“It is often said that music is beyond all boundaries. But at the same time, the individuality and musical personality of good musicians often reflect their national cultural background. I believe the cultural and musical exchanges that I will have during the competition will help me gain a better understanding and a broader perspective on art and music.”

Competitor Profile

Repertoire

Preliminary Round
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 854
CHOPIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 10, no. 4
SCRIABIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 42, no. 3
SCRIABIN Waltz in A-flat Major, op. 38
SCHUBERT-LISZT Der Erlkönig, S. 558, no. 4

 

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

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Semifinal Round

TOKUYAMA Musica Nara for Piano, op. 25

BEETHOVEN Rondo a capriccio in G Major, op. 129 (“Rage over a lost penny”)

CHOPIN Trois nouvelles études, B. 130

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

 

Final Round

LISZT Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124

Shuan Hern Lee

SHUAN HERN LEE
BERNICE GRESSMAN MEYERSON FIRST PRIZE WINNER

Australia I Age 16

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

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

Competitor Profile

Repertoire

Preliminary Round
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
BARTÓK Three Etudes, op. 18

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

Semifinal Round
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’hommè armé”
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83
BALAKIREV Islamey (Oriental Fantasy)

Final Round
RACHMANINOV Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30

Sara Doan

Sara Doan

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Sara Doan began studying piano at the age of 3 with Donna Edwards. Under her tutelage, Ms. Doan won top prizes in several state and regional competitions. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in piano performance at the University of North Texas, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at TCU.

Ms. Doan has performed with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra (Dallas) and the North Texas Symphony Orchestra (Denton). She has presented recitals across Texas, and in Oklahoma, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.  In December 2010, Ms. Doan served as guest artist in the First International Piano Festival of Bogota, Colombia where she performed, taught master classes, led discussions, and served on the competition jury.

Ms. Doan has served as collaborative pianist-in-residence at Southeastern Oklahoma State and adjunct professor of piano at the University of North Texas. She maintains a private studio in the DFW area and is an adjunct professor at Tarrant County College -Northwest Campus, while performing regularly with her chamber groups, Trio 8831 and Apana Trio. She also presents lectures and educational programs through the Fort Worth Music Fund and Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth.

Sun-A Park

Sun-A Park

United States | Age 29

Sun-A Park was born in Busan, South Korea, and grew up in New Jersey. She began piano at age 4 and studied at The Juilliard School, where she completed undergraduate and graduate programs. She currently studies with Boris Berman at the Yale School of Music. Ms. Park has won prizes at several competitions including the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition, 2011 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, and the 2000 Gina Bachauer Junior International Piano Competition. Concerto engagements have included performances with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, San Marino Republic Orchestra, Orchestra Haydn, New Jersey Symphony, and Albany Symphony. She has performed at Alice Tully Hall and Benaroya Hall in the United States, National Dublin Hall in Ireland, Sejong Arts Center in South Korea, the Miguel Delibes Cultural Center in Spain, and the Sendai Cultural Center in Japan. Ms. Park loves animals (especially dogs) and relishes traveling and visiting art galleries and museums.

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COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Recital
BACH Capriccio in B-flat Major, BWV 992 (“On the departure of a beloved brother”)
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUMANN Humoreske in B-flat Major, op. 20

Quarterfinal Recital
MOZART Sonata No. 2 in F Major, K. 280
CHOPIN Nocturne in B Major, op. 62, no. 1
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, op. 54
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 5, op. 53

Semifinal Recital
CORIGLIANO Etude Fantasy
COUPERIN “L’exquise” from Vingt-septième ordre
DEBUSSY Images, Book I
BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in C Major, op. 1

Semifinal Concerto
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271

Final Round Piano Quintet
SCHUMANN Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, op. 44

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

 

Su Yeon Kim

Su Yeon Kim

South Korea | Age 23

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.

INSTAGRAM

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Recital
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

Quarterfinal Recital
SCHUMANN Kreisleriana, op. 16
LISZT Vallée d’Obermann

Semifinal Recital
BACH-PETRI Schafe können sicher weiden, BWV 208
CHOPIN Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 6 in A Minor, op. 82

Semifinal Concerto
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466

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

Final Round Concerto
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11

Sergey Belyavskiy

Sergey Belyavskiy

Russia | Age 23

Born in Moscow to a family of musicians, Sergey Belyavskiy began playing piano at age 5 and enrolled at Central Music School under the Moscow State Conservatory at age 9. He won his first piano competition at 11, and has since won prizes at the Liszt, Sydney, Canals, and eMuse competitions, among others. His concerto appearances include the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva, the Symphony Orchestra of Valles, and the Moscow and Kazakhstan state orchestras. His recitals at major concert venues include Carnegie Hall in New York, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and Salle Cortot in Paris. Mr. Belyavskiy has attended master classes with Van Cliburn (in Moscow in 2011), Andrzej Jasinski, Leslie Howard, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and András Schiff, and completed studies at the Moscow Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze in 2016. He now studies with Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. Mr. Belyavskiy has released three solo CDs, most recently of Chopin’s 24 Etudes. Besides music, his passions include swimming, running, dancing, and reading.

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COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Recital
SCHUBERT Fantasie in C Major, D. 760, op. 15 (“Der Wanderer”)
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
TANEEV Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, op. 29
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp Minor

Quarterfinal Recital
BEETHOVEN Variations and Fugue in E-flat Major, op. 35 (“Eroica”)
LISZT Faribolo Pasteur in G Minor
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, op. 14

Semifinal Recital
TCHAIKOVSKY Grand Sonata in G Major, op. 37
DEBUSSY La plus que lente
SIBELIUS Valse triste, op. 44, no. 1
LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan

Semifinal Concerto
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488

Final Round Piano Quintet
FRANCK Piano Quintet in F Minor

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

 

Shinji Wada

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.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
SCRIABIN   Poѐm in F-sharp Major, op. 32, no. 1
RACHMANINOV   Etude-Tableau in D Major, op. 39, no. 9

Quarterfinal Round
SCHUMANN-LISZT   Widmüng
RAVEL   La Valse

Semifinal Round
CHOPIN   Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58

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

Sean Sutherland

Sean Sutherland, 39
Entrepreneur/lecturer
Montréal, Québec
St. Vincent and The Grenadines/Canada

Born in St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Sean Sutherland serendipitously discovered the piano as a child and was instantly enamored. His opportunities for pursuing his studies were limited on St. Vincent, however, so he resumed his studies upon his arrival at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while earning bachelor’s degree in music, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science; he went on to receive an MBA from McGill University in Montreal. Since graduating, he has founded a niche tutorial service and lectures at McGill University as an adjunct professor of international finance and information systems. Mr. Sutherland is keenly interested in “exploring opportunities for leveraging technology to promote learning” and is passionate about adapting classical music for the steelpan (drum).

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
SCRIABIN   Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp Major, op. 30

Quarterfinal Round
SCHUBERT-LISZT   Soirée de Vienne No. 6 in A Minor
LISZT   Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Semifinal Round
CHOPIN   Preludes, op. 28, nos. 13-18, 20-24
GERSHWIN-SAY   Summertime Variations

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

Stephen Stouder

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

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

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

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

Quarterfinal Round
BEETHOVEN   Sonata No. 22 in F Major, op. 54
RAVEL   “Alborada del gracioso” from Miroirs

Semifinal Round
BEETHOVEN   Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, op. 90
CHOPIN   Fantaisie in F Minor, op. 49

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

Summer Stone

Summer Stone, 39
Client relations
Woodland Hills, California
United States

Born in Dallas, Summer Stone started playing at the age of 4, and says she practiced relentlessly for decades, receiving a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Kansas. Her career took a tangential turn; she worked with composers and publishers at ASCAP in New York and negotiated music licenses for films at 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios in California. After years away from the piano—and watching They Came to Play, the 2007 Cliburn Amateur Competition documentary—she realized she wanted to play again too. Aside from the time she now devotes to practicing, Ms. Stone also enjoys being with her husband, 8-year-old son, and 5-year-old daughter. An “insane-but-charming” Rhodesian Ridgeback named Basil completes the familial quintet.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
GINASTERA   Suite de Danzas Criollas, op. 15

Quarterfinal Round
SOLER   Sonata in D-flat Major, R. 88
CHOPIN   Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 5

Semifinal Round
RAVEL   Le Tombeau De Couperin, op. 68

Final Round
BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, op. 73: III. Rondo (allegro)

Simon Finlow

Simon Finlow, 60
Retired IT manager/database engineer
Washington, D.C.
United Kingdom/United States

Born in Lincoln, England, Simon Finlow began playing piano at age 4 and studied with Imogen Cooper in his late teenage years. He received a bachelor’s degree in music from Oxford University in 1977, and a doctorate in musicology from Cambridge University in 1985. Highlights for Dr. Finlow during this time included performances of the Brahms B-flat Major Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue with orchestra. “Hard reality,” he says, forced him along another path towards a career in IT engineering and management, following his move to the United States in 1985. Two key events in 2013 changed the direction of Dr. Finlow’s life: He quit his high-stress job that was taking a serious toll on his health, and he attended the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. After learning about the Amateur Competition, he was inspired to find a new piano teacher, to rebuild his repertoire, and to perform again. When he is not playing, Dr. Finlow enjoys running marathons, delving into theories of cosmology and quantum physics, playing Gran Turismo on PlayStation, and helping his wife maintain a delicate peace between their 14-year-old twins.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
BACH   “Sarabande” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
DEBUSSY   L’Isle joyeuse

 Quarterfinal Round
CHOPIN   Fantaisie in F Minor, op. 49
PROKOFIEV   Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83: III. Precipitato

Semifinal Round
BEETHOVEN   Six Bagatelles, op. 126
BALAKIREV   Islamey (Oriental Fantasy)

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

Serena Costa

Serena Costa, 36
Homemaker
Milan, Italy
Italy

Serena Costa graduated from law school in Milan in 2005, and from 2005–2006, she worked in a civil law practice. But then musical aspirations took hold, and she obtained a piano degree from Mantova Conservatory and a master’s from Bergamo Conservatory in 2011. Despite the intensive musical training, Ms. Costa has never entered a competition—until now. The mother of three, who had a great passion for music as a child, says “the piano is back as a star in my life.” In addition to practicing for amateur competitions, she has performed as part of the Piano City Milano House Concert Series and at Bergamo Conservatory-associated benefits. Ms. Costa, a homemaker, makes time for skiing in the Alps during the winter and weekly tennis games during the summer. She also relaxes by cooking and reading with her children, as well as savoring good food and wine with her husband.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
CHOPIN   Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47

Quarterfinal Round
SCHUMANN   Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22

Semifinal Round
SCRIABIN   Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, op. 19
PROKOFIEV   Sonata No. 4 in C Minor, op. 29

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

Steven Boyce

Steven Boyce, 64
Risk manager
New York, New York
United States

Severe tendonitis in both arms curtailed a budding piano career for Steven Boyce, who began studying at 10 and attended Manhattan School of Music. As a result, Mr. Boyce went on to attain an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business, and to pursue a career in financial services. Currently chief risk officer of broker-dealer services at Bank of New York Mellon, Mr. Boyce returned to the piano in 2013, and was rewarded for his diligent focus: he won first prize at The Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New York in 2014, and last year, was a semifinalist at the Boston Piano Amateurs Competition. He enjoys the news of the budding careers of his two children as well as his wife’s expert bread baking and other food explorations. In addition to music-making and risk-avoidance, Mr. Boyce is a tree lover who teaches a semi-annual program through Trees New York on how to perform basic pruning and tree care.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
CHOPIN   Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Quarterfinal Round
LISZT   “Vallée d’Obermann” from Années de Pèlerinage
SHCHEDRIN   Basso Ostinato (1961)

Semifinal Round
MUSSORGSKY   Pictures at an Exhibition

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

Saffet Bayka

Saffet Bayka, 57
Electrical engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Turkey

Saffet Bayka started playing the piano at 11, studying with Tulga Cetiz, a renowned teacher at Ankara State Conservatory. After appearing in school recitals, he performed with the Baskent Chamber Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in his 20s. Mr. Bayka graduated with honors from a piano program for amateurs at Hacettepe University-Ankara State Conservatory; today, he continues his musical pursuits, giving community concerts as part of a duo with clarinetist Ekrem Oztan. Mr. Bayka, an electrical engineer, cites performing with a professional orchestra as a personal goal. An amateur sailor in the summer and skier during the winter, Mr. Bayka says competing in Fort Worth will become an “honorable memory” that he looks forward to sharing with his fellow engineers upon his return to Ankara.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
CHOPIN   Nocturne in B Major, op. 9, no. 3
CHOPIN   Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 10, no. 4

Quarterfinal Round
CHOPIN   Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23
GINASTERA   “Danza de la moza donosa” and “Danza del gaucho marrero” from Danzas Argentinas, op. 2

Semifinal Round
BEETHOVEN   Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2, no. 3
CHOPIN   Prelude in D Minor, op. 28, no. 24

Final Round
MOZART   Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488: III. Allegro assai

Sandra Baumgarten

Sandra Baumgarten, 37
Stay-at-home mother
Brush Prairie, Washington
United States

Sandra Baumgarten received a degree in piano performance from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 2001, worked briefly as a flight attendant, and then, as a stay-at-home mother, became active in her church. Inspired by the Amateur Competition, she aims to prove to herself that she is not a “has-been pianist,” but rather one who continues to grow and refine her skills. Also a voice soloist, Ms. Baumgarten is a fan of musical theater and sacred choral music. In addition to her musical pursuits, she enjoys running, dancing, and painting. An avid baker, she maintains a cooking blog and has reviewed recipes for Clean Eating magazine. Her own recipe for chocolate-covered candy canes was featured in A Taste of Home magazine in 2013.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
SCARLATTI   Sonata in E Major, K. 380
LISZT   Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un Sospiro”)

Quarterfinal Round
BACH   Fantasia in C Minor, BWV 906
MOZART   Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332: I. Allegro
CHOPIN   Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47

Semifinal Round
BACH   Prelude and Fugue in E Major, WTC II, BWV 878
MOMPOU   Cancion y Danza No. 6
BRAHMS   Two Rhapsodies, op. 79

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