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Jasmin Tiodang – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Jasmin Tiodang, 44
Stay-at-home mother
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Indonesia

Born in Indonesia, Jasmin Tiodang began private piano lessons at age 4, studied with Iravati M. Sudiarso in Indonesia, and continued to play until she moved to the United States to pursue her undergraduate studies. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Winthrop University (South Carolina), where she studied with Dr. Eugene Barban, and a master’s in music and an MBA from the University of Louisville. After several years teaching children at a local music academy and serving as music director at a Catholic church in Louisville, she relocated to Puerto Rico in 2003 with her husband. Now, she is focused on caring for her daughter full time, and she recognizes the importance of being a strong role model: “I need to set an example for my daughter,” she says. Competing at the Cliburn Amateur is Ms. Tiodang’s way of paying tribute to the special people who have encouraged her: her late parents as well as her husband, daughter, teachers, and mentors.

Program:
GINASTERA, Suite de Danzas Criollas, op. 15

Ken Isaka – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Ken Iisaka, 47
Software engineer
Foster City, California
Japan/Canada

Ken Iisaka, a Cliburn Amateur finalist in 2007 and 2011, says his previous participation was during “the most tumultuous time of my life.” But he views competing as a necessary vehicle for his musical improvement, and for his soul. Born in Tokyo, he immigrated to Canada with his family and took private lessons while studying computer science at the University of Ottawa. In recent years, he has appeared at Fullerton College Piano Ensemble Festival (2014) and at the Newport Music Festival (2015). Most recently, he performed in an ensemble concert in Tokyo with his partner, Yvonne Liu, whom he met at the Amateur Competition in 2011. Currently, he is a lead engineer for a software company whose clients are advertisers and publishers, in Sunnyvale, California. Mr. Iisaka enjoys writing concert reviews, photography, cooking, and wines from Northern California.

Program:
RAVEL, Sonatine

Clark Vann Griffith

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

Clark Vann Griffith, 52
Retired database programmer
Fort Worth, Texas
United States

Clark Vann Griffith was the third-prize winner here at 2007 and took second prize in 2011. The Fort Worth resident’s Cliburn connection doesn’t end there: As a child in Phoenix, he was a student of 1977 Cliburn Gold Medalist Steven De Groote. Mr. Vann Griffith was a composition major at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and in ensuing years, has worked as a programmer, website developer, classical music announcer, and orchestral pianist. A chamber-music aficionado, Mr. Vann Griffith is motivated to compete again this year because he enjoys being a performing conduit for the audience, enjoying helping “someone I’ve never met hear something familiar in an utterly new way.” When he’s not playing piano, Mr. Vann Griffith enjoys watching movies, solving puzzles, and the perks of being married and owning cats.

Program:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859
BRAHMS, Intermezzo in A Major, op. 76, no. 6

Jane Gibson King – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Jane Gibson King, 60
Stay-at-home mother
Provo, Utah
United States

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

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Eberhard Zagrosek – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Eberhard Zagrosek, 73
Retired physicist
Berlin, Germany
Germany

Eberhard Zagrosek, a retired physicist from Berlin, competed at the Cliburn Amateur in 2011. Growing up in Bavaria, he began playing piano at age 6, but gave up his musical pursuits for a career as a physicist. For nearly 30 years, Mr. Zagrosek worked in the electronics field, primarily for Siemens. Since his retirement in 1999, he has resumed piano lessons and has participated in amateur competitions in Colorado Springs, Colorado (second place), Washington, D.C. (second), and Boston (first). Mr. Zagrosek is the founder of an international piano competition in Berlin, which is supported by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In recent years, he has also organized festivals and over 60 recitals in Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart as an impresario for amateur pianists.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, op. 20

David Swenson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

David Swenson, M.D. 64
Physician
Butler, Pennsylvania
United States

David Swenson studied the piano for 12 years with Earle C. Voorhies. In 1972, he placed first in the Amateur Championship Concerto Competition, but then chose to embark on a medical career. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1982, and completed a residency in internal medicine. Dr. Swenson practiced medicine for 32 years, during which time he completely stepped away from the piano. Now semi-retired, he has redoubled his musical efforts, having been inspired by the extensive piano community he has found online. A new piano teacher aided him in preparing his application to this Competition. Dr. Swenson, who is active in his church, is looking forward to meeting other amateur piano acquaintances here whom he has connected with online.

Program:
CHOPIN, Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, op. 39

Lawrence Hsu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Lawrence Hsu, 58
Real estate agent
Seattle, Washington
United States

Lawrence Hsu began private piano lessons when he was 10, switched to the violin at 12, and then went back to piano at age 15. Mr. Hsu studied with Randolph Hokanson as a non-music major at the University of Washington, where he graduated with degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering. He worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Veterans Administration in a variety of capacities until 2014, when he transitioned into a completely different career as a real estate agent. Since then, he has focused on his clients, as well as the piano. For the past three years, he has attended a summer piano academy in Victoria, British Columbia, as well as master classes with Paul Robert at the Portland Piano Company in Portland, Washington. Among his diverse interests, Mr. Hsu lists gardening, foreign languages, singing, traveling, and cooking.

Program:
DEBUSSY, “Reflets dans l’eau” from Images, Book I
SCHUMANN, “Traumerei” from Kinderszenen, op. 15
BACH, “Praeludium” from Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829

Xavier Aymonod – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Xavier Aymonod, 40
Strategy consultant
Paris, France
France

Xavier Aymonod began his music studies at Aix-en-Provence Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of Monique Oberdoerffer and Michel Bourdoncle, and then went on to study science and technology at the prestigious École Polytechnique, outside Paris. He was a laureate of the International Competition for Outstanding Piano Amateurs from 1998–2000 in Paris, and in 2000, he was a semifinalist at “Piano20ème siècle” in Orléans. Mr. Aymonod has participated in master classes with William Aide, Jean-François Heisser, and Eric Heidsieck. Currently a principal at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, his work involves advising transportation companies on strategic issues. In his free time, Mr. Aymonod enjoys playing with his children (ages 4 and 5), traveling, running, golfing, and indulging in fine wine.

Program:
CHOPIN, Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
ALBÉNIZ, “El Albaicín” from Iberia, Book 3

John Gutheil – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

John Gutheil, M.D., 59
CEO/Medical oncologist
La Jolla, California
United States

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN, Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 2, no. 1: I. Allegro
CHOPIN, Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1 (“Aeolian Harp”)
CHOPIN, Etude in C Minor, op. 25, no. 12 (“Ocean”)

Kuan-Chuen Wu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kuan-Chuen Wu, 42
Mechanical engineering Ph.D. student
Ames, Iowa
Taiwan/United States

Kuan-Chuen Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1973, and nine years of piano lessons constitute his musical studies. Mr. Wu has excelled in academia, receiving his bachelor’s degree in electrical computer systems engineering from Harvard University in a five-year honors program, an MBA from Iowa State University, and a master’s degree in computational and mathematical engineering from Stanford University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Iowa State. (After graduating from Harvard, he spent five years surfing the dot-com wave before returning to school.) Mr. Wu competed in university-wide competitions at Iowa State. In 2014, he placed third in the American Protégé International Concerto Competition and in December 2015, performed at Carnegie Hall as part of a winner’s recital. Besides classical piano, Mr. Wu counts chess, mathematics, engineering, and physics among his interests.

Program:
CHOPIN, Prelude in B-flat Minor, op. 28, no. 16
LISZT, Transcendental Etude No. 4 in D Minor “Mazeppa”

Lana C. Marina – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Lana C. Marina, 47
Stay-at-home mother
New York, New York
United States

Lana C. Marina spent her childhood practicing the piano, under the assumption she would become a pianist. When she was 14, she won the Van Cliburn scholarship to the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, where she met Mr. Cliburn at a ceremony: “He complimented my playing and, memorably, kissed my hand.” But an accident—in which she slipped on ice and broke her left wrist—during her junior year at Northwestern University sidelined her budding career, and Ms. Marina decided to pursue a law degree at Cornell Law School. For 20 years, she worked as a trademark lawyer until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which forced her to take a step back. In participating at the Amateur Competition, Ms. Marina hopes to achieve her personal best and to be a role model for her 9-year-old daughter, Sydney, showing her that one can accomplish dreams in the face of obstacles.

Program:
HOROWITZ, Variations on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen
LISZT, Paganini Etude No. 3 in G-sharp Minor (“La Campanella”)

David Caldine – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

David Caldine, 61
Software engineer
Fairfax, Virginia
United States

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

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

Julie Saito – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Julie Saito, 57
International civil servant
Ile-de-France, France
Japan

Julie Saito began playing the piano in Tokyo at age 6. She studied with great American pianists during her upbringing in several countries, including Carol Colburn in Nairobi, Kenya, Gary Hammond in New York, and Ada Kopetz-Korf at the Manhattan School of Music in 1985–1986. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in musicology from Hunter College, she decided to change direction and attend Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. During her 20-year career, she won an Emmy Award for NBC News and worked for The Asahi Shimbun in Japan. She moved to Paris in 2006 with her three children and is currently working at UNESCO. Her passion for piano was rekindled only three years ago; she met her partner who is also an amateur pianist. Ms. Saito gives regular recitals in homes for the elderly. She also enjoys ballet and still writes articles on dance and music.

Program:
TAKEMITSU, Rain Tree Sketch II
LISZT, Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un sospiro”)

Yasuo Kurimoto – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Performance

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

Yasuo Kurimoto, M.D., 55
Ophthalmologist
Kobe, Japan
Japan

Dr. Yasuo Kurimoto says he has wanted to participate in the Cliburn Amateur Competition for 10 years, and his interest in the competition’s namesake goes back further: “Van Cliburn has been my hero since I was a child.” He took private piano lessons, but pursued medicine as a career, receiving his medical degree in 1986, and a Ph.D. in 1995 from Kyoto University. Currently, he is the director of the department of ophthalmology at Kobe City General Hospital. Dr. Kurimoto has found success competing in amateur contests around the world. In 2001, he was a semifinalist in the first Boston International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs; a semifinalist in 2002 at the Paris Concours des Grands Amateurs de Piano; first-prize winner at the 14th Osaka International Music Competition and first-prize winner at the International (Tokyo) Amateur Piano Competition in 2014. An opera buff who also enjoys skiing and wine, he looks forward to meeting piano-lovers from around the world in Fort Worth.

Program:
GRANADOS, Allegro de concierto, op. 46

Serena Costa – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47

Sean Sutherland – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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).

Program:
SCRIABIN, Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp Major, op. 30

Steven Boyce – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

Severe tendinitis 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.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Brad Dunn – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Debby Pearlberg – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Debby Pearlberg, 68
Math tutor
Southfield, Michigan
United States

Debby Pearlberg, from Southfield, Michigan, currently studies with 1981 Cliburn Competition Silver Medalist Panayis Lyras and previously studied with Mischa Kottler, pianist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. A graduate from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, she worked as a librarian at the New York Public Library and then stayed home full time to raise three children. Since learning about the Cliburn Amateur Competition, Ms. Pearlberg became determined to participate here, and she did just that in 2007. Four years later, she was also accepted into the Competition, but a tendinitis flare-up a few weeks before the event caused her to withdraw. Now, five years later, she is looking forward to performing for her grandchildren at the Competition. A math tutor who is taking some time off from crunching numbers, Ms. Pearlberg enjoys photography, reading, and dog training.

Program:
BARBER, Nocturne, op. 33 “Hommage to John Field”
LISZT, Paganini Etude No. 3 in G-sharp Minor (“La Campanella”)

Saffet Bayka – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

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

Keiko Kircher – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Keiko Kircher, 35
College physics instructor
Champaign, Illinois
Japan

A physics instructor at Parkland College, Dr. Keiko Kircher’s area of study is astrophysics, and her long-term research goal is to understand the final moments of black-hole evaporation. Her goal for participating in the Amateur Competition is to increase the enjoyment in her life. Dr. Kircher began learning music by playing the organ (called the “electone” in Japan), and she switched to the piano at 19. After having children, she put her practice on hold, finding she did not have the time. She recently returned to playing because she “had forgotten how satisfying it is to practice an instrument,” and her kids are older. Not lost on Dr. Kircher is the effect her playing has on her brain, she says. Other hobbies she finds equally stimulating are composing music for her family and practicing magic tricks.

Program:
RAVEL, “Fugue” from Le Tombeau de Couperin
RAVEL, Jeux d’eau

Shinji Wada – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Rebecca Kao Wang – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Rebecca Kao Wang, 47
Actuary
Tokyo, Japan
United States

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

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

Alfredo Garcia Jr. – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Hajime Kobayashi – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Hajime Kobayashi, 50
Management consultant
Niiza, Japan
Japan

Hajime Kobayashi, a 2011 Cliburn Amateur competitor, did not receive any formal music education, but was exposed to classical music as a child. He majored in architecture at the University of Tokyo, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. Later, he received an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. After a long interval away from the piano, he resumed playing in 2007 and has since won the Piano Teachers National Association Competition as well as the audition for the Artus Music Society. Mr. Kobayashi is looking forward to reuniting with competition friends this year, as well as brushing up on his piano skills. In his free time, he is interested in a broad array of academic concerns, from mathematics to Western history, and he likes to work out at his local gym, watch American television series, and garden.

Program:
MENDELSSOHN, Variations sérieuses, op. 54

Ipek Bozkurt – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Ipek Bozkurt, 36
Professor
Seabrook, Texas
Turkey

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

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

James Carter Cathcart

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

James Carter Cathcart, 62
Scriptwriter/voice actor
Fort Lee, New Jersey
United States

A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy in 1971, James Carter Cathcart won a Young Artist award as well as the concerto competition at the school; he also studied with Mollie Margolies at Roosevelt University in Chicago from 1969–1970. While piano has been a vital part of his life since “being in the womb,” he says, his professional pursuits led to scriptwriting and voice-acting. In the latter line of work, Mr. Cathcart’s voice has graced Pokémon, Sonic X, and Yu-Gi-Oh! projects. For the past two years, he has worked to raise money for soup kitchens and community centers across the country by giving benefit recitals. A fan of jazz and rock music, Mr. Cathcart also enjoys cooking and being a husband to his wife, Martha Jacobi, and father to his son, daughter, and stepdaughter.

Program:
CHOPIN Etude in A-flat Major, op. 25, no. 1 (“Aeolian Harp”)
CHOPIN Etude in E-flat Minor, op. 10, no. 6

Marisa Naomi Haines – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Marisa Naomi Haines, 59
Emerging 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 & 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.

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

Robert Biber – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Robert Biber, M.D., 64
Retired physician
Evergreen, Colorado
United States

During Dr. Robert Biber’s 37-year medical career, there was little time for regular piano practice or performance. He and his wife of 38 years have four daughters—three of whom are triplets and two of whom are professional musicians (cello and clarinet). Dr. Biber’s musical pursuits were limited to collaboration with his two daughters throughout high school and college recitals, the pinnacle of which, he says, was performing the Beethoven piano, cello, and clarinet trio for their respective senior college recitals. Upon his retirement as a urologic surgeon and a move to Colorado, Dr. Biber refocused his time with the goal of competing in amateur piano competitions to raise the level of his musicianship. Dr. Biber loves “all Colorado mountain pursuits”—hiking, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing—and revels in spending time with the six of his eight grandchildren who live nearby.

Program:
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, op. 20

Thomas Maurice – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Thomas Maurice, 56
Senior program manager
Baltimore, Maryland
Canada

Returning to this competition for the third time, Thomas Maurice is currently semi-retired from his career as a senior program manager at General Dynamics Information Technology. Mr. Maurice earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance at Towson University and the University of Maryland, College Park, respectively, and worked as a network engineer for years while also attaining honors at amateur competitions like the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition (2004) and the Vienna International Amateur Piano Competition (2008). In 2007 and 2011, he was a Cliburn Amateur semifinalist. Mr. Maurice says he was thrilled to learn the 2016 Cliburn Amateur features a concerto round, “as there are so few opportunities for amateur pianists to perform with an orchestra.” An active feral cat rescuer, Mr. Maurice also dabbles in home renovation and piano tuning, and is involved in his community association.

Program:
TCHAIKOVSKY-PLETNEV “Andante maestoso (Pas de deux)” from Concert Suite from The Nutcracker
SCHUMANN Toccata in C Major, op. 7

Summer Stone – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

Program:
GINASTERA Suite de Danzas Criollas, op. 15

Sandra Baumgarten – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

Program:
SCARLATTI Sonata in E Major, K. 380
LISZT Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un sospiro”)

Tessa Knipe – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Tessa Knipe, 53
Attorney
San Diego, California
South Africa/United States

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Tessa Knipe achieved much pianistic success from ages 8 to 18. Highlights included appearing on the “Young South Africa” show at age 9; performing the first movement of the Kabalevsky Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at 11; and receiving a four-year undergraduate scholarship at age 17 to the Royal College of Music in London—one of just eight offered per year. Instead of furthering her musical pursuits, Ms. Knipe turned the scholarship down to forge a career in law. Now a deputy attorney general for the department of justice in California, she has returned to music after 35 years away, realizing “how central the piano is to my life.” A mother of two grown daughters, Ms. Knipe is a lover of the performing arts, movies, and books, as well as a fan of good food and wine.

Program:
BACH, “Sinfonia” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
DOHNÁNYI, Rhapsody in C Major, op. 11, no. 3

Colleen Adent – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Colleen Adent, 54
Homemaker
Vancouver, Washington
United States

A self-professed explorer, Colleen Adent enjoys “finding out how things were made, where they came from, and what I can learn that I didn’t know about before.” She received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Biola University (La Mirada, California) in 1983. After several years as a stay-at-home mom, Ms. Adent now dedicates her time to leading her church’s music program, where she schedules musicians for services and helps lead band rehearsals as director of music. In addition, she gives piano lessons. For the last two years, Ms. Adent has appeared in “Ten Grands,” an evening showcase featuring 10 grand pianos and 10 pianists, in Portland, Oregon, and in Seattle. In her free time, Ms. Adent likes to wander through used bookstores for treasure—usually biographies of composers, statesmen, and inventors—and enjoys quilting.

Program:
BARBER, Excursions, op. 20: III. Allegretto
DEBUSSY, L’Isle joyeuse

Adrienne Johnson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Noah DeGarmo – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Noah DeGarmo, M.D., 38
Physician
Dallas, Texas
United States

Noah DeGarmo began private piano lessons at 7, and started playing the oboe at age 10. In addition to performing with the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble and Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, he took master classes at the New England Conservatory before entering medical school in New York. After a residency in emergency medicine at Northwestern University, he moved to Dallas, where he currently serves as medical director at Baylor Surgical Center at Las Colinas. Dr. DeGarmo was a semifinalist at the Chicago Amateur Piano Competition in 2010 (where he received Best Performance of a Contemporary Work) and a finalist at the contest in 2012. Since he was 18, Dr. DeGarmo has suffered from tendinitis, which he has lectured about as it relates to performing. In his downtime, he likes to cook, entertain, garden, travel, and spend time with his golden retriever, Mayzie.

Program:
PROKOFIEV, Sarcasms, op. 17, nos. 1-4

Yvonne Liu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Yvonne Liu, 45
Preschool music teacher
Foster City, California
China/United States

Born in Shanghai, China, in 1970, Yvonne Liu began private piano lessons at age 3. After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in international policy studies from Stanford University. Ms. Liu enjoyed being a full-time mother, but when her son was diagnosed with autism at 2, she discovered the healing power of music and began a career as an early childhood music educator. A competitor in 2011, she enjoys setting goals for herself and feels the Amateur Competition offers her an opportunity to become more disciplined in her practice, and she finds it inspirational. Ms. Liu likes to garden, hike, and cook in her free time.

Program:
BACH, “Sinfonia” from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826
SCHUMANN-LISZT, Widmung

Gorden Cheng – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Gorden Cheng, 35
Systems engineer
San Diego, California
United States

An information technology and network security executive, Gorden Cheng received a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2003 from the University of Texas at Dallas, and worked at two Dallas-area computer companies until 2004 before relocating to Southern California. He has taken private piano lessons for years, and the practice has netted results: From 2011–2015, he placed in amateur competitions in Paris (2011), Chicago (2012), Colorado Springs (2012), Warsaw (2012), Washington, D.C. (2012), and Boston (2015). Currently head of technology operations for eMolecules, Inc., Mr. Cheng calls himself a computer nerd and Internet plumber. He enjoys spending time with his wife and children and is a huge fan of FC Barcelona and the UFC.

Program:
SCHUMANN, Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
BRAHMS, Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor, WoO 1

J. Spencer Thompson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Mari Yoshihara – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

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

Joel Goodman – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Joel Goodman, 67
Cell Biologist / Professor of Pharmacology
Carrollton, Texas
United States

Joel Goodman’s first teacher was his mother, who taught him as a young boy. At college—where he petitioned the dean to have a piano in his dorm room—he minored in music. He took piano for a few years after college, and started up again in 1999, with Adam Wodnicki (University of North Texas) after being inspired by the first Cliburn Amateur Competition. Dr. Goodman plays regularly with the DFW Amateur Piano Club and often attends PianoTexas, where he has had the opportunity to perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra three times. Meanwhile, Dr. Goodman is on the faculty of University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (Dallas), where he directs a research program to understand how cells store fat, teaches medical and Ph.D. students, and administers the STARS outreach office to promote science education in secondary schools. Dr. Goodman enjoys riding his bicycle, attempts to read the New York Times 10 Best Books each year, and relaxes with his wife, daughter, and two young grandchildren.

Program:
SCHUMANN, Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
BRAHMS, Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor, WoO 1

Brianna Donaldson – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Brianna Donaldson, 35
Nonprofit director
Santa Cruz, California
United States

Brianna Donaldson began private piano lessons in 1988, and by the time she finished high school, her dream was to pursue a career as a piano teacher and performer. An injury during college, however, sidelined that goal, so Dr. Donaldson instead forged a career in cognitive psychology. She received her doctorate from Indiana University in 2008. When her husband’s job necessitated a move to Austin, she began studying under Dr. Betty Mallard at the University of Texas. Under Mallard’s tutelage, she realized: “Despite having a full and wonderful life as a working professional, wife, and mother of two young sons, it is the piano that completes me.” To that end, she says she looks forward to meeting other kindred spirits during the Amateur Competition. An avid reader and outdoorswoman, Dr. Donaldson enjoys spending time with her family and giving community concerts.

Program:
MEDTNER, “Phrygian Mode” from Fairy Tales, op. 42
MEDTNER, Two Fairy Tales, op. 20

Kevin Grigsby – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kevin Grigsby, 41
Marketing executive
Trussville, Alabama
United States

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

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

Simon Finlow – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Simon Finlow, 60
Retired IT project 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.

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

Andrea Davide Bonotto – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Andrea Davide Bonotto, 49
User interface engineer
New York, New York
United States

Born in Venice, Italy, Andrea Davide Bonotto received a diploma in piano performance from the Conservatory of Music in Milan, earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and then continued his musical pursuits at NYU in the late ’90s, taking classes in piano, harmony, and composition while pursuing a master’s in music technology. But, as Mr. Bonotto says, “life went in another direction,” and he gave up the idea of being married to music for a career in the field of user-interface engineering. A 2007 Cliburn Amateur competitor (at the time, he practiced on a Yamaha keyboard), Mr. Bonotto has since moved to a larger apartment and purchased a Baldwin baby-grand piano. Fluent in Italian and English and conversant in Spanish and French, Mr. Bonotto is a linguist and prolific writer whose work “fills whole drawers,” he says.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23

Deirbhile Brennan – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Deirbhile Brennan, 46
Accountant
Dublin, Ireland
Ireland

At age 5, Deirbhile Brennan began her piano studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and later studied with Frank Heneghan at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama for 10 years, winning many prizes and awards. Ms. Brennan holds a degree in music from Trinity College Dublin after which she took a lengthy break that included forging a career as an accountant; she currently works as senior operations manager at the National Treasury Management Agency. Ms. Brennan returned to the piano in 2009 studying with Dr. Hugh Tinney. She has won a number of awards at piano competitions including in the United Kingdom (finalist 2012), Ile De France, Paris (first prize 2012), and Chicago (first prize 2014). She performs regularly; but notably in 2014, she performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and last year she performed at the Les Amateurs Piano Festival in Morocco. The mother of four children ages 8 to 16, she enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as attending concerts and plays.

Program:
SOLER, Sonata in D Major, R. 84
LISZT, “Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este” from Années de Pèlerinage

David Lee – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

David Lee, 37
Software engineer
San Francisco, California
Taiwan/United States

David Lee asked his parents for piano lessons at age 12, and since then, his love for the instrument has only deepened. He studied with Marion Zarzeczna, whom Mr. Lee still calls one of his great friends. While pursuing his bachelor’s in computer science at Stanford University, he studied with Thomas Schultz. He also enjoyed master classes with John Perry, 1997 Cliburn Gold Medalist Jon Nakamatsu, and 1993 Cliburn Competition alum Frederic Chiu at Stanford from 1999­–2000. After an interlude that saw Mr. Lee receive his master’s degree in predictive analytics from Northwestern University, the software engineer resumed lessons three years ago with Corey McVicar of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. An avid traveler who loves pursuing new adventures, Mr. Lee comes to the Amateur Competition eager to refine the focus of his musical pursuits. While in Fort Worth, the avid cyclist also likely will be found checking out area museums and restaurants.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Thomas Yu – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Thomas Yu, D.M.D., 38
Periodontist
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

It is Thomas Yu’s belief that one can balance both a career and one’s passions. To that end, the periodontist from Calgary, Alberta, has maintained a private dental practice for seven years while successfully competing at amateur contests around the world. Dr. Yu has taken top honors at the Paris International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (2006), Chetham’s International Amateur Piano Competition in Manchester, United Kingdom (2012), Honens Pro Am Competition in Calgary (2014), and Canada’s CBC Piano Hero contest (2015). Dr. Yu hopes to grow public awareness about amateur piano pursuits through his continued participation in contests. Dr. Yu’s greatest joy, however, is spending time with his wife. Having recently lost his mother to cancer, he is dedicating every note of his performance here to her.

Program:
McINTYRE, Butterflies and Bobcats

Janne Backofen Craig – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Jeanne Backofen Craig, 46
Homemaker/part-time minister of music and liturgy
Forest, Virginia
United States

Piano studies and competitions took up most of Jeanne Backofen Craig’s childhood, but after graduating from Virginia Tech, she stopped performing. In the ensuing 20 years, Ms. Craig stayed home with her three children while pursuing cooking, sewing, gardening, and home-improvement projects. At the encouragement of her husband and now-teenage children, Ms. Craig started to play again, and when she learned about amateur competitions, she says she was inspired to “dig out my old music and see if I could still play those pieces.” A self-taught webmaster, she designed and maintains websites for the Lynchburg Symphony Youth Orchestra as well as her church, where she is a part-time minister of music and liturgy. In her spare time, Ms. Craig enjoys long-distance running, and she qualified and ran in the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Program:
BACH, Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, WTC I, BWV 863
DEBUSSY, Arabesque No. 1 in E Major

Marco Di Marzio – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

Program:
GRANADOS, “Los requiebros” from Goyescas, op. 11

Max Sung – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

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

Mihono Kawamata – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Mihono Kawamata, 47
Web designer
Yokohama City, Japan
Japan

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

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

Madalyn Taylor – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

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.

Program:
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

Kazuyuki Ohmura – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Kazuyuki Ohmura, 49
Software engineering manager
Tokyo, Japan
Japan

Kazuyuki Ohmura began studying the piano at age 3. Upon entering college in 1985, he began studying viola and joined an amateur orchestra where he gained valuable experience in chamber music performance. In 1991, he joined GE Healthcare as a software engineer. His passion for chamber music led him to begin studying piano again under the guidance of Utami Kaneko in 2006. One year later, Mr. Ohmura performed the complete Beethoven cello sonatas, and in 2009, he recorded the piano trios of Fauré, Saint-Saëns, and Ravel. In 2011, he won the top prize in the amateur division of the Chopin International Competition in Asia. He was a participant at the Cliburn Amateur Competition in 2011.

Program:
CHOPIN, Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Yumi Ahn – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Yumi Ahn, 35
Attorney
Singapore
South Korea

Yumi Ahn began her piano studies at age 5. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, she moved to suburban London to study at the Purcell School for Young Musicians with Tessa Nicholson. From 1996–1999, she gave performances in London at the Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), St. John’s Smith Square, and Buckingham Palace for Prince Charles’ 50th birthday celebration. She received the gold prize at the Hankook Ilbo National Piano Competition (Korea) in 1990 and the concerto award at the Ealing Festival of Music (United Kingdom) in 1998. However, Ms. Ahn, an energy infrastructure lawyer practicing in Singapore, took a break from the piano for 17 years, and it wasn’t until last year that she resumed playing: She was inspired after watching They Came to Play, the documentary about the 2007 Cliburn Amateur Competition.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, op. 47

Matthias Fischer – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Matthias Fischer, 42
Physician
Würzburg, Germany
Germany

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

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

Robert Seppy – 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

Robert Seppy, 58
Healthcare executive
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States

Robert Seppy began piano lessons at age 9 and went on to study at the Peabody Conservatory of Music and The Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. Since 1993, he has worked at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a charge entry manager. In 2011, Mr. Seppy placed first in the Music Minus One YouTube Video Contest. He looks to the Cliburn Amateur Competition as an opportunity to improve his playing, since it provides motivation to practice. He is also looking forward to meeting other like-minded competitors at this year’s event. Besides playing the piano, Mr. Seppy enjoys spending time with his wife and family. He also likes to attend concerts and values the increasingly important role social media plays in performing arts.

Program:
BACH-BUSONI, Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
BEETHOVEN, Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3: II. Scherzo: Allegretto vivace

Joseph Mercuri 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Joann Oh – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Joann Oh, 41
Office manager
Irvine, California
United States

Born in Los Angeles, Joann Oh earned degrees in German studies and pre-med at Pomona College (Claremont, California) and Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut). She was the winner of the Elizabeth Tishler prize in piano and a grant recipient of the Yale-Griffith Scholarship to study music and language in Vienna and Munich; in the former city, she studied piano with Rosario Marciano. Previously, Ms. Oh performed with orchestra in San Jose, California with the California Concerto Weekend Orchestra. Ms. Oh performed in recitals and participated in master classes at PianoTexas in Fort Worth this June. In addition to these honors, Ms. Oh was awarded a scholarship from the Korean-American Foundation for academic excellence. Currently a student of Anna Gliadkovskaya, Ms. Oh resides in Orange County, California, and works as an office manager. In high school, Ms. Oh was a nationally ranked synchronized swimmer.

Program:
LISZT   Concert Etude No. 3 in D-flat Major (“Un Sospiro”)
KORNGOLD   “Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse ” from Märchenbilder, op. 3

J. Todd Spangler – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

J. Todd Spangler, 54
Administrative law judge
Knoxville, Tennessee
United States

This year marks Todd Spangler’s fourth entry into the Cliburn Amateur Competition, having participated in 2002, 2004, and 2007. In his last appearance here, he was a semifinalist. Mr. Spangler received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and a master’s degree in music education from Morehead State University (Morehead, Kentucky), before embarking on a career in law. He is a graduate of the Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University and, for most of his professional life, has worked in all facets of litigation. Currently an administrative law judge working with the Social Security Administration in Knoxville, Mr. Spangler enjoys outdoor summer activities such as cycling, devotes time to his church choir, and likes to read.

Program:
CHOPIN, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia  | Age 16

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

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

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

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

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

J J Jun Li Bui
Canada  | Age 14

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

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

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 8:37 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
CHOPIN Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11 (I)

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

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

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

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

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

Eva Gevorgyan has received prizes in more than 40 international competitions for piano and composition—in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Malta, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. Born and raised in Moscow, she has studied with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and has performed across Russia, Europe (including a Royal Albert Hall debut in April), and in the United States. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in its intensive music weeks and activities. In 2017, Eva performed in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and she has taken part in a national television show for young talent, advancing to the final as the only pianist. Last year, she appeared on live television with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him about education reform. She likes composing, growing exotic plants, jogging, and playing table tennis.

“When I play, I hope people can hear words which I would never say in my real life. Being on stage at the Cliburn Junior Competition will charge me with energy and love for a long time forward.”

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

JiWon Yang
South Korea  | Age 17

Semifinal Round Concerto – Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 7:42 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
TCHAIKOVSKY Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23 (I)

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”

Avery Gagliano – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Concerto

Avery Gagliano
United States  | Age 17

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

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

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

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

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 9:12 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
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)

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

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

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

J J Jun Li Bui
Canada | Age 14

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 8:12 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
TCHAIKOVSKY-PLETNEV Concert Suite from The Nutcracker

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong | Age 16

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60
FRANK Nocturno Nazqueño

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

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

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Final Round Concerto

JiWon Yang
South Korea |  Age 17

Final Round Concerto – Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 4:12 p.m. CDT
Dallas Symphony Orchestra  I  Ruth Reinhardt, Conductor
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
TCHAIKOVSKY Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, op. 23

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”

Shuan Hern Lee- Cliburn Junior 2019 Final Round Concerto

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

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

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

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

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

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Final Round Concerto

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

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

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

Eva Gevorgyan has received prizes in more than 40 international competitions for piano and composition—in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Malta, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. Born and raised in Moscow, she has studied with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and has performed across Russia, Europe (including a Royal Albert Hall debut in April), and in the United States. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in its intensive music weeks and activities. In 2017, Eva performed in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and she has taken part in a national television show for young talent, advancing to the final as the only pianist. Last year, she appeared on live television with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him about education reform. She likes composing, growing exotic plants, jogging, and playing table tennis.

“When I play, I hope people can hear words which I would never say in my real life. Being on stage at the Cliburn Junior Competition will charge me with energy and love for a long time forward.”

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 4:12 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
SCHUMANN Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22
BOLCOM Butterflies, hummingbirds from Twelve New Etudes, Book II
HINDEMITH Suite ‘1922’, op. 26

Eva Gevorgyan has received prizes in more than 40 international competitions for piano and composition—in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Malta, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. Born and raised in Moscow, she has studied with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and has performed across Russia, Europe (including a Royal Albert Hall debut in April), and in the United States. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in its intensive music weeks and activities. In 2017, Eva performed in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and she has taken part in a national television show for young talent, advancing to the final as the only pianist. Last year, she appeared on live television with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him about education reform. She likes composing, growing exotic plants, jogging, and playing table tennis.

“When I play, I hope people can hear words which I would never say in my real life. Being on stage at the Cliburn Junior Competition will charge me with energy and love for a long time forward.”

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

JiWon Yang
South Korea  | Age 17

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 3:12 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
LIEBERMANN Gargoyles, op. 29
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”

Avery Gagliano – Cliburn Junior 2019 Semifinal Round Recital

Avery Gagliano
United States  | Age 17

Semifinal Round Recital – Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
ADÉS Mazurkas for Piano, op. 27, nos. 1 & 2
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

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

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

Miyu Shindo – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Miyu Shindo
Japan  | Age 17

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 8:54 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

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

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.”

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia  | Age 16

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

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

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

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

J J Jun Li Bui – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

J J Jun Li Bui
Canada  | Age 14

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, no. 2
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3 (I)
LISZT Gnomenreigen from Two Concert Etudes
CHOPIN Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, op. 22

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

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

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

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

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

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, June 3, 2019 – 3:52 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14, no. 2 (III)
RODRIGO “Seguidillas del diablo” from 4 Estampas andaluzas
CHOPIN Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, op, 27, no. 1
CHOPIN Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, op. 44
SAINT-SAËNS Étude en forme de valse, op. 52, no. 6

Eva Gevorgyan has received prizes in more than 40 international competitions for piano and composition—in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Malta, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. Born and raised in Moscow, she has studied with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and has performed across Russia, Europe (including a Royal Albert Hall debut in April), and in the United States. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in its intensive music weeks and activities. In 2017, Eva performed in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and she has taken part in a national television show for young talent, advancing to the final as the only pianist. Last year, she appeared on live television with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him about education reform. She likes composing, growing exotic plants, jogging, and playing table tennis.

“When I play, I hope people can hear words which I would never say in my real life. Being on stage at the Cliburn Junior Competition will charge me with energy and love for a long time forward.”

Chung Yue Tien – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Chung Yue Tien
Hong Kong  | Age 13

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

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

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

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

Naomi Yamaguchi – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Naomi Yamaguchi
United States/Japan  | Age 15

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

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

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

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

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

JiWon Yang
South Korea | Age 17

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 8:54 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22 (I)
CHOPIN Nocturne in G Major, op. 37, no. 2
LISZT Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”

Benjamin T. Rossen – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Benjamin T. Rossen
United States | Age 16

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 8:02 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3 (I)
SCHUBERT Impromptu in B-flat Major, op. posth. 142, D. 935, no. 3
SCRIABIN Deux Poèmes, op. 32
CHOPIN Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, op. 44

New Yorker Benjamin T. Rossen has won prizes in a number of U.S. competitions, including first-place finishes in contests held by Steinway & Sons, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Music Teachers National Association, and the National YoungArts Foundation. A student of Jeffrey Cohen at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division for five years, he made his recital debut at the school at age 9, and his concerto debut the following year with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta at Carnegie Hall. A junior at William A. Shine Great Neck South High School, Benjamin is founder and president of the Music Creators Society, which connects composers with artists to produce interdisciplinary works; plays piano in the school jazz band and French horn in operas and musicals; and is music editor for the school’s literary magazine.

“In society, music can bring awareness to many different facets of culture, from literature and art to political ideas and mathematical concepts. This medium allows for different communities to discover and acknowledge society’s achievements and challenges.”

Xiaoxuan Li – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Xiaoxuan Li
China | Age 17

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 7:30 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1

Since appearing as the youngest competitor in the first edition of the Cliburn Junior Competition in 2015, Xiaoxuan Li—the only returning competitor—moved from Shanghai to Philadelphia, where he studies with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald at the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a laureate of several international young artist competitions, including Cleveland (senior division, first prize, 2018); Zhuhai Mozart (first prize, 2015); Hilton Head (second prize, 2015); and Ettlingen (2012). He began piano at the age of 4 and has performed extensively throughout China, with other notable concerts including Salzburg Chamber Soloists and the orchestras of Canton, Hilton Head, Ashdod, and Macao.

“I would gladly spend the rest of my life studying the beauty and nuances of every composer, every piece, every iteration. Piano is the media of my emotion. It drives me, shapes me, and propels me to a higher place.”

Avery Gagliano – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Avery Gagliano
United States | Age 17

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

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

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

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

Hao-Wei Lin – Cliburn Junior Quarterfinal Round Recital

Hao-Wei Lin
Taiwan | Age 14

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

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

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

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

Hao Rao – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Hao Rao
China | Age 15

Quarterfinal Round Recital – Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 3:02 p.m. CDT
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
CHOPIN Nocturne in D-flat Major, op. 27, no. 2
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 7 (I)
DEBUSSY Revêrie
DEBUSSY Les collines d’Anacapri from Preludes, Book I
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Book II, op. 35

Hao Rao grew up in the mountainside town of Jishou, China. Every week, his mother would take him on a 16-hour train ride to his piano lesson; he never tired of the trip and instead saw it as “departing for a great music journey with unknown surprises.” He now attends the Middle School of Xinghai Conservatory of Music in the sprawling city of Guangzhou, but still studies with his teacher of almost seven years, Vivian Li (Suirong). He has won three major national competitions in China, received prizes at the 2018 Ettlingen Competition and the 2019 Aarhus Competition, and—at the age of 13—presented the complete Chopin etudes in recital. He listens to opera and enjoys reading fiction, playing sports, and sampling desserts.

“I’ve been to several competitions or festivals abroad, and every time it was a life-changing inspiration with unforgettable memories, but the Cliburn Fort Worth… that’s almost like the Vatican for pianists. For me, it almost seems like a fairy tale, and I will treasure every moment of this journey.”

Shunta Morimoto – Cliburn Junior 2019 Quarterfinal Round Recital

Shunta Morimoto
Japan | Age 14

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

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

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

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

Miyu Shindo – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Miyu Shindo
Japan | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 8:54 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
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

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.”

Ishan Loomba – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Ishan Loomba
United States | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 8:14 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873
SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major, D. 664 (III)
CHOPIN Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, op. 63, no. 3
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)

Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ishan Loomba made his solo recital debut at the age of 8 and orchestral debut at age 10. A student of Carol Leone since age 11, he is a pre-college student in SMU’s Gifted Students Institute and attends high school at Early College Academy. Ishan has given public performances in his home state and in Texas, Florida, California, New York, and Colorado, with appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, Texas State International Piano Festival, and Colburn Music Academy Piano Festival, among others. A three-time Chopin Foundation Scholarship recipient, he has been “enraptured” by the piano since his first encounter—so much so that his parents would threaten him with “no more piano until you finish dessert!” Ishan also enjoys singing, learning languages, and running.

“I feel that music is the most important part of my life for reasons that are innate and unquantifiable, but also because music has given me a purpose beyond my own passions. This purpose is grounded in the need to communicate with others and to move them.”

Shuan Hern Lee – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Shuan Hern Lee
Australia | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 7:52 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
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

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.”

Ray Ushikubo – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Ray Ushikubo
United States/Japan | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 7:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877
CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, op. 53 (“Heroic”)
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor

Ray Ushikubo made his recital debut at a Lang Lang and Friends concert at Segerstrom Concert Hall when he was 8 years old, and his Carnegie Hall debut the following year, playing piano and violin. Highlights of his already active performance career since include concertos with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (the latter in a double piano concerto with Jeffrey Kahane). In 2012, he played with Lang Lang on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and has also performed for From the Top, NPR’s Performance Today, TEDx, and Radio France (with Jean-Yves Thibaudet). Ray has won several piano competitions and is a 2014 Davidson Fellow laureate. He studied piano (with Ory Shihor) and violin at the Colburn Academy, and now attends the Curtis Institute also in both instruments under the piano tutelage of Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald. He listens to heavy metal, watches classic action movies, and loves driving cars.

“Through my music, I hope to make the people all over the world believe in themselves and become the best of what they can be. Music brings the best of my life.”

J J Jun Li Bui – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

J J JUN LI BUI
Canada | Age 14

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 4:38 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 874
CHOPIN Etude in C-sharp Minor, op. 10, no. 4
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Toronto-native J J Jun Li Bui won his first piano competition on the day he turned 7, which cemented his commitment to music: he went on to prizes in several Canadian contests, as well as the Hanoi (Vietnam), Aarhus (Denmark), and Midwest (United States) International Piano Competitions. Currently in his third year of full scholarship at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory Toronto under Michael Berkovsky, he also studies privately with Dang Thai Son. He has performed in recital across Canada, and with orchestras, including the China Guiyang Symphony, Greater Toronto Philharmonic, and Oakville Chamber. In his time away from the piano, J J enjoys cycling, reading, and table tennis.

“I feel that learning music is like a journey that never ends. A journey that is so wonderful and rewarding.”

Xingyu Zhou – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Xingyu Zhou
China  | Age 14

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 4:16 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514

Xingyu Zhou made his recital debut at the age of 8 in his native Beijing, and his concerto debut two years later in Canada with the St. Andrews Festival Orchestra. That was his second successful appearance in St. Andrews, where he won all top prizes in his age category at its international piano academy and festival in 2013. Among his accolades, he counts several top finishes in Chinese competitions, as well as concert appearances in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. He moved with his family three years ago to Philadelphia, where he studies with the Curtis Institute’s Meng-Chieh Liu. He also attends the Albert M. Greenfield School, where he excels academically, especially enjoying literature, math, and science, and is on the track team. He is also an adept athlete, having seriously studied badminton and speed skating, amongst others.

“When people converse, both sides talk. I think the case with music is similar. The performer does not simply give out everything he has—the music should also speak back to him. I often find my view on something has changed because of music.”

Chun Lam U – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Chun Lam U
Hong Kong  | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 3:54 p.m.

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 888
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54

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

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

Eva Gevorgyan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Eva Gevorgyan
Russia/Armenia  | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 3:14 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 880
LISZT Chasse-Neige from Transcendental Etudes
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, S. 244/12

Eva Gevorgyan has received prizes in more than 40 international competitions for piano and composition—in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Malta, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. Born and raised in Moscow, she has studied with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and has performed across Russia, Europe (including a Royal Albert Hall debut in April), and in the United States. She also receives a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in its intensive music weeks and activities. In 2017, Eva performed in front of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and she has taken part in a national television show for young talent, advancing to the final as the only pianist. Last year, she appeared on live television with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked him about education reform. She likes composing, growing exotic plants, jogging, and playing table tennis.

“When I play, I hope people can hear words which I would never say in my real life. Being on stage at the Cliburn Junior Competition will charge me with energy and love for a long time forward.”

Chung Yue Tien – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Chung Yue Tien
Hong Kong  | Age 13

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 2:52 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, SMU

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Chasse-Neige from Transcendental Etudes
LISZT La campanella from Paganini Etudes

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

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

Naomi Yamaguchi – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Naomi Yamaguchi
United States/Japan  | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 2:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 872
CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
DEBUSSY Feux d’artifice from Preludes, Book II
SCHUMANN Variations on the Name ‘Abegg,’ op. 1

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

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

JiWon Yang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

JiWon Yang
South Korea | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 9:38 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 848
CHOPIN Etude in C Minor, op. 10, no. 12 (“Revolutionary”)
SAINT-SAËNS Étude en forme de valse, op. 52, no. 6
CHOPIN Polonaise in A-flat Major, op. 53 (“Heroic”)

JiWon Yang made her recital debut in Seoul at age 9 and her concerto debut in Kazakhstan at 13. Among her competition accolades are several in her home country, as well as wins at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition in China, Astana Piano Passion Kazakhstan, and Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. She has participated in Russia’s International Music Festival “Stars on the Baikal,” as well as the St. Paul University Piano Festival. Notable performances include with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Philippines Chopin Society. A current student of HyoungJoon Chang, JiWon counts traveling and flute performance among her interests outside of piano.

“Music gives me the feeling of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and many different emotions. Also, music helps people to communicate with each other with our hearts.”