The Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition welcomed 30 young pianists from around the world to the Opening Dinner and Draw Party Tuesday evening at the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.
The competitors, members of the Jury, and host families received warm welcomes from Cliburn staff and patrons, and longtime Cliburn patron Martha Hyder was honored with a tribute delivered by Jury Chairman Emeritus John Giordano. Other speakers included Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis, Chairman of the Board Carla Kemp Thompson, and 2013 Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko.
After dinner, Vadym Kholodenko drew competitor names out of a chalice, Jacques Marquis read out the names, and each pianist came forward to choose his or her position in the order of play.
PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 25
2:30 p.m. Julia Kociuban, Poland, 25
3:20 p.m. Madoka Fukami, Japan, 28
4:25 p.m. Su Yeon Kim, South Korea, 23
7:30 p.m. Leonardo Pierdomenico, Italy, 24
8:20 p.m. Alina Bercu, Romania, 27
9:25 p.m. Ilya Shmukler, Russia, 22
Friday, May 26
10:00 a.m. Dasol Kim, South Korea, 28
10:50 a.m.Tristan Teo, Canada, 20
11:55 a.m. Caterina Grewe, Germany, 29
2:30 p.m. Philipp Scheucher, Austria, 24
3:20 p.m. Martin James Bartlett, United Kingdom, 20
4:25 p.m. Ilya Maximov, Russia, 30
7:30 p.m. Daniel Hsu, United States, 19
8:20 p.m. Yury Favorin, Russia, 30
9:25 p.m. Yutong Sun, China, 21
Saturday, May 27
10:00 a.m. Luigi Carroccia, Italy, 25
10:50 a.m. Nikolay Khozyainov, Russia, 24
11:55 a.m. Nikita Abrosimov, Russia, 28
2:30 p.m. Georgy Tchaidze, Russia, 29
3:20 p.m.Kenneth Broberg, United States, 23
4:25 p.m. Sun-A Park, United States, 29
7:30 p.m. Rachel Cheung, Hong Kong, 25
8:20 p.m. EunAe Lee, South Korea, 29
9:25 p.m. Sergey Belyavskiy, Russia, 23
Sunday, May 28
10:00 a.m. Tony Yike Yang, Canada, 18
10:50 a.m. Yekwon Sunwoo, South Korea, 28
11:55 a.m. Han Chen, Taiwan, 25
2:30 p.m. Honggi Kim, South Korea, 25
3:20 p.m. Rachel Kudo, United States, 30
4:25 p.m. Alyosha Jurinic, Croatia, 28