Archives: Videos

Benjamin T. Rossen – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Benjamin T. Rossen
United States | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 9:16 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
STRAVINSKY Serenade in A
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 878
LISZT Eroica from Transcendental Etudes

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.”

Sarah Tuan – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Sarah Tuan
United States | Age 16

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 8:54 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU  I  Dallas, Texas, USA

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

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

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

Boao Zhang – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Boao Zhang
China | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 8:14 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870
CHOPIN Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
CHOPIN Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61

Boao Zhang is a multiple competition prize winner in his native China, and also took home second at the Frederic Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Poland. He made his recital debut a year ago at the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing and followed that appearance with a concert at the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology last fall. Having studied with Manchun Chen at the middle school of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, for three years, Boao counts classical music as his “most important hobby,” noting that he “listens to music every day, without exception.” He was fascinated by ancient cultures at an early age, visits exhibitions of Western art as often as he can, and likes to read, swim, and play table tennis.

“When I was a young child, I thought music was interesting—as if I was listening to a person tell a story about his experience. So I enjoy classical music each night before bed, just as every child likes to listen to bedtime stories.”

Xiaoxuan Li – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Xiaoxuan Li
China | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 7:52 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

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 Preliminary Round Recital

Avery Gagliano
United States | Age 17

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 7:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes
SCHUMANN Variations on the Name ‘Abegg,’ op. 1

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 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Hao-Wei Lin
Taiwan | Age 14

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

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

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

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

Hao Rao – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Hao Rao
China | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 4:16 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU I Dallas, Texas, USA

Program:
MENDELSSOHN Songs without Words, op. 67, nos. 1 & 5
BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Valse de l’opéra Faust (after Gounod)

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.”

Johann Zhao – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Johann Zhao
Austria | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 3:54 p.m.

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860
LISZT La campanella from Paganini Etudes
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, op. 87, no. 15
PROKOFIEV Toccata, op. 11

Salzburg-born Johann Zhao has five competition wins to his name in Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany, as well as a gold medal at the AADGT (American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented) in 2017, which led to his Carnegie Hall debut. A student of Cordelia Höfer-Teutsch at the University Mozarteum Salzburg since 2013, he made his recital and concerto debuts in 2015 at Salzburg’s Summer Schlosskonzerte Mirabell. He has performed with the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic and will perform with the Berliner Sinfonieorchester in Philharmonie in April. He is also a passionate chamber musician, a self-proclaimed YouTuber, runs marathons, sings in choir, and writes pop music.

“Through playing music, I came to understand the invisible world better, instead of relying on perception only. I am interested also in religion and history, and it seems to me that every religious movement or political change has always been accompanied by making music to awake emotion.”

Shunta Morimoto – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Shunta Morimoto
Japan | Age 14

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 3:14 p.m.

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

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.”

Kasey Shao- Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Kasey Shao
United States | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 2:52 p.m.

Program:

BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 884
CHOPIN Etude in F Major, op. 10, no. 8
RACHMANINOV Prelude in D Major, op. 23, no. 4
ALBÉNIZ “Triana” from Iberia, Book II
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, op. 87, no. 15

A Louisville native who now lives in Cincinnati, Kasey Shao made her concerto debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center when she was 12 years old. She has 13 first-place finishes to her name at junior competitions across the Eastern United States and made her Carnegie Hall (Weill Hall) debut in 2013. A student of Ran Dank, she attends Walnut Hills High School, where she is a member of the Model UN Club, Science Olympiad team, French Club, and Student Congress. She has accompanied school choir, band, orchestra, and chamber groups since she was in third grade, and is interested in conducting and collaborations with other pianists.

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

Ryan Zhu – Cliburn Junior 2019 Preliminary Round Recital

Ryan Zhu
Canada | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 2:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54

In January 2014, Ryan Zhu made both his recital and concerto debuts in his hometown of Vancouver—just one week apart from each other. In addition to performances in Canada since, he was recently featured in the Mariinsky International Piano Festival in St. Petersburg and at the Oberlin School of Music as a prize-winner in the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition. A winner of several other competitions, Ryan attends Magee Secondary School and studies piano with Mira Yevtich and Michelle Mares. He enjoys reading and writing—especially poetry and history—as well as swimming and badminton.

“Music provides a means for humans to reach deep into the profundities of the soul. However, to do so requires the utmost precision, attention, and perseverance. Only by developing one’s intellectual ability and mental maturity can the highest level of artistry be attained.”

2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition

For the first time, the best 13- to 17-year-old pianists from around the globe are coming to Dallas, Texas, May 31—June 8, 2019. These elite young artists will showcase their virtuosity and touch our hearts with their sincere musicality through four stunning rounds of competition. Don’t miss this chance to witness Cliburn history, once again. Watch live online or purchase tickets to attend in person, all at Cliburn.org

Sara Daneshpour- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

SARA DANESHPOUR
United States I Age 26

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

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

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

Scipione Sangiovanni- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

SCIPIONE SANGIOVANNI
Italy | Age 25

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2, no. 3
FRANCK Prelude, Chorale and Fugue

Scipione Sangiovanni is a graduate of Italy’s Conservatory “Tito Schipa” of Lecce and the Mendelssohn Piano Academy of Lecce. He has performed throughout Italy, as well as in Austria, China, Croatia, France, Georgia, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. Mr. Sangiovanni has also been invited to perform as guest soloist with the Bacau Orchestra in Romania, the Orchestra of the Croatian Radio-Television, and the Orchestra Sinfonietta Italiana in Rome. Competition credits include top prizes at the Jaén, Maria Canals, Porto, and Tbilisi International Piano Competitions.

Yekwon Sunwoo- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

YEKWON SUNWOO
South Korea | Age 24

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

Program:
GRUNFELD Soiree de Vienne, concert paraphrase on Strauss’ waltzes, op. 56
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, op. 27, no. 1 (“Quasi una fantasia”)
SCHUBERT Fantasy in C Major, D. 760, op. 15 “Der Wanderer”

First-prize winner of the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition and 2012 Piano Campus International Concours, Yekwon Sunwoo has appeared with the Baltimore Symphony, Orchestre National de Belgique, l’Orchestre Philharmonique du Maroc, and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, among others, with such conductors as Marin Alsop, Paul Goodwin, David Lockington, and Christopher Wilkins. He made his New York debut at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 2009 and performed at Avery Fisher Hall as soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra in 2012. He has also performed in Canada, France, Germany, Morocco, Switzerland, and throughout the United States. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with Roberto Diaz, Gary Hoffman, Ida Kavafian, Michael Tree, and Peter Wiley. Mr. Sunwoo currently resides in New York, where he is pursuing his master’s degree at The Juilliard School.

Yury Favorin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

YURY FAVORIN
Russia | Age 26

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

Program:
LISZT From Harmonies poetiques et religieuses

Yury Favorin has played in many of the world’s major concert halls, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Cite de la musique in Paris, Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, and the Rachmaninov Hall at the Moscow Conservatory. He has given recitals in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, and has worked with such leading conductors as Marin Alsop, Pierre Boulez, and Kazuhiro Koizumi, among others. Currently a postgraduate student at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Mr. Favorin began learning piano at age five, and entered the Gnessin Specialized Musical Primary School in Moscow three years later. Competition credits include major prizes at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, the Olivier Messiaen Competition, and from the György Cziffra Foundation. He also received a diploma from Russia’s Ministry of Culture.

Gustavo Miranda-Bernales – Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

GUSTAVO MIRANDA-BERNALES
Chile | Age 22

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

Program:

CHOPIN Mazurka in G Major, op. 50, no. 1
FAURE Valse caprice No. 2 in D-flat Major, op. 38 S
SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, op. 17

Born in Santiago, Gustavo Miranda-Bernales began studying piano at the age of nine. He has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra, Orquesta de Cámara del Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile. Competition credits include first prize at the Juilliard Concerto Competition, and first prizes in 2001, 2003, and 2005, at the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition in Quilpué, Chile. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree there.

Ruoyu Huang- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

RUOYU HUANG
China | Age 24

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

Program:
SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, op. 17
DEBUSSY From Preludes, Book I
BALAKIREV Islamey

Ruoyu Huang was born in Chengdu and began learning piano at four years of age. He made his debut recital at the age of fourteen, and has since performed with the Chengdu, China, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras. Competition credits include major prizes at the Asian Chopin International Concerto Competition, China International Piano Competition, and Oberlin International Piano Competition. Mr. Huang moved to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2002. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at The Juilliard School.

François Dumont- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

FRANÇOIS DUMONT
France | Age 27

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

Program:
DEBUSSY Estampes
CHOPIN Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58

Born in Lyon, François Dumont entered the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique when he was fourteen years old, and later studied at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He has performed in many of the major venues in France, and has been invited to perform as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland with Antoni Wit, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has taken the stage in Belgium, China, France, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and the United States. Mr. Dumont’s recording of the complete Mozart sonatas for Anima Records received the Maestro Award from Pianiste magazine. Other solo recordings include works by Chopin and the complete piano works of Ravel. Mr. Dumont currently resides in Brussels, Belgium.

Alex McDonald- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

ALEX MCDONALD
United States | Age 30

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

Program:
RAVEL From Miroirs, Osieaux tristes, Alborada del gracioso
LISZT Les jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’Este
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
STRAVINSKY Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka

Alex McDonald gave his orchestral debut at the age of eleven, and has since taken the stage as soloist with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México in Toluca, the Utah Symphony, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, among others. He has performed across the United States, as well as in Canada, Israel, South Korea, and in Japan, where he also organized relief concerts for displaced survivors of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Additionally, he has been featured on NPR, PBS, WQXR, and WRR. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School and earned his bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. His doctoral document, a source study on manuscripts and editions for Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor, has been cited in the most recent edition of the sonata by Alfred Publishers, edited by Nancy Bricard. Dr. McDonald currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Marcin Koziak- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

MARCIN KOZIAK
Poland | Age 24

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 (“Pathetique”)
BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in C Major, op. 1

Marcin Koziak was born into a musical family in Krakow, and made his debut at the age of eleven with the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed with the Beethoven Academy, China National Symphony, Lodz Philharmonic, Poznan Philharmonic, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, and was invited to make appearances at the International Chopin (Duszniki-Zdroj), La Folle Jornée au Japon, La Roque d’Anthéron, and Rubinstein Festivals. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States as well. In 2011, he was privileged to give a recital in Warsaw for Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and the first lady of the Republic of Poland, Anna Komorowska; two months later he took part in a grand concert in Rome organized for the occasion of the beginning of the Polish presidency in the European Union. Mr. Koziak currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where he studies at Texas Christian University.

Yury Favorin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

YURY FAVORIN
Russia | Age 26

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

Program:
SCHUBERT Sonata in E-flat Major, D. 568
WAGNER-LISZT Overture from Tannhauser
BOUCOURECHLIEV Orion 3

Yury Favorin has played in many of the world’s major concert halls, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Cite de la musique in Paris, Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, and the Rachmaninov Hall at the Moscow Conservatory. He has given recitals in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, and has worked with such leading conductors as Marin Alsop, Pierre Boulez, and Kazuhiro Koizumi, among others. Currently a postgraduate student at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Mr. Favorin began learning piano at age five, and entered the Gnessin Specialized Musical Primary School in Moscow three years later. Competition credits include major prizes at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, the Olivier Messiaen Competition, and from the György Cziffra Foundation. He also received a diploma from Russia’s Ministry of Culture.

Lindsay Garritson- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

LINDSAY GARRITSON
United States | Age 25

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

Program:
LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B Minor
SCHUBERT Klavierstuck in E-flat Major, D. 946, no. 2
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83

Second-prize winner at the 2011 Montreal International Musical Competition and winner of the 2011 Yale School of Music Woolsey Concerto Competition, Lindsay Garritson has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and at Steinway Hall in New York. She has taken the stage as soloist with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, the European Philharmonic Orchestra in France, the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal, the Orquestra Sinfónica Barra Mansa in Brazil, the St. Louis Youth Orchestra, and the Yale Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Ms. Garritson holds a Bachelor of Arts in music from Principia College and a Master of Music and artist diploma from the Yale School of Music.

Kuan-Ting Lin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

KUAN-TING LIN
Taiwan | Age: 21

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob VXI:52
SCHUBERT-LISZT Gretchen am Spinnrade
LISZT From Annees de pelerinage, Book I

Born in Taipei, Kuan-Ting Lin began piano studies at the age of four. Ten years later, he moved to Russia, first studying at Moscow’s Gnessin State Musical College, and then enrolling at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He was awarded several prizes in Taiwan as a teenager, and recently received top prize at the International Competition ofYoung Artists “A Step Towards Mastery”and second prize at the International Vladimir Viardo Competition in Ukraine.Mr. Lin has performed with the Gnessin State Musical College Orchestra, the Parlarte Symphony Orchestra in Italy, the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei SymphonyOrchestra, and in recital throughout Asia and Europe.

Jie Yuan- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital II

JIE YUAN
China| Age 27

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

Program:
LIGETI Musica ricercata Nos. 3, 6, and 10
CHOPIN Twenty-four Preludes, op. 28

Born in Changchun, Jie Yuan received major prizes at both the 2009 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition and the 2007 Shanghai International Piano Competition. He maintains an active performance schedule and has appeared with the China Philharmonic, Haydn Festival, Morocco Royal Philharmonic, Shenzhen Symphony, and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Yuan earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Christian University. He currently resides in New York City, where he studies at The Juilliard School.

Jie Yuan- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Round Recital I

JIE YUAN
China| Age 27

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

Program:
SCHUMANN    Variations on the Name “Abegg,” op. 1
HAYDN           Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI: 50
STRAVINSKY    Trois mouvenments de Petrouchka

Born in Changchun, Jie Yuan received major prizes at both the 2009 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition and the 2007 Shanghai International Piano Competition. He maintains an active performance schedule and has appeared with the China Philharmonic, Haydn Festival, Morocco Royal Philharmonic, Shenzhen Symphony, and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Yuan earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Christian University. He currently resides in New York City, where he studies at The Juilliard School.

Ruoyu Huang- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital

RUOYU HUANG
China| Age 24

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI: 31
CHOPIN Etude in E Minor, op. 28
CHOPIN Twenty-four Preludes, op. 28

Ruoyu Huang was born in Chengdu and began learning piano at four years of age. He made his debut recital at the age of fourteen, and has since performed with the Chengdu, China, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras. Competition credits include major prizes at the Asian Chopin International Concerto Competition, China International Piano Competition, and Oberlin International Piano Competition. Mr. Huang moved to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2002. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at The Juilliard School.

Steven Lin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

STEVEN LIN
United States| Age 24

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

Program:
BACH     Overture in the French Style
MENDELSSOHN     Fantasy in F-Sharp Minor, op. 28 (“Scottish Sonata”)
VINE     Sonata No.1

Steven Lin made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall at the age of thirteen. Additional concerto appearances include those with the Baltimore Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Sendai Symphony, and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. He has made recital, chamber, and concerto appearances around the world at major venues, including the Louvre and Salle Cortot in France, National Dublin Hall in Ireland, Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, and Sendai Cultural Center in Japan, as well as at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall. At the age of ten, he entered the pre-college division of The Juilliard School, where he continues his studies today.

Steven Lin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

STEVEN LIN
United States| Age 24

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
CHOPIN Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat Major, op. 29 I Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp Major, op. 36 I Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat Major, op. 51
LISZT Reminiscences de Don Juan (after Mozart)

Steven Lin made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall at the age of thirteen. Additional concerto appearances include those with the Baltimore Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Sendai Symphony, and Tulsa Symphony Orchestras. He has made recital, chamber, and concerto appearances around the world at major venues, including the Louvre and Salle Cortot in France, National Dublin Hall in Ireland, Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, and Sendai Cultural Center in Japan, as well as at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall. At the age of ten, he entered the pre-college division of The Juilliard School, where he continues his studies today.

Lindsay Garritson- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

LINDSAY GARRITSON
United States | Age 25

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

Program:
MOZART Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333
LISZT Les jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’este I Transcendental Etude No. 8: Wilde Jagd
CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Second-prize winner at the 2011 Montreal International Musical Competition and winner of the 2011 Yale School of Music Woolsey Concerto Competition, Lindsay Garritson has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and at Steinway Hall in New York. She has taken the stage as soloist with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, the European Philharmonic Orchestra in France, the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal, the Orquestra Sinfónica Barra Mansa in Brazil, the St. Louis Youth Orchestra, and the Yale Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Ms. Garritson holds a Bachelor of Arts in music from Principia College and a Master of Music and artist diploma from the Yale School of Music.

Beatrice Rana- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

BEATRICE RANA
2013 Silver Medalist
Italy | Age 20

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCHUMANN Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, op. 44

Born into a family of musicians, Beatrice Rana began musical studies at the age of four and made her concerto debut when she was nine. She has been invited to perform at the Busoni, La Folle Journée, La Roque d’Antherón, Lanaudière, and Radio-France Festivals, and as soloist with the Aarhus Symfoniorkester, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. First prize winner of the 2011 Montreal International Musical Competition, Ms. Rana also took first prize at the Muzio Clementi and Bang & Olufsen Piano Competitions. She released her first CD in 2012 of works by Scriabin and Chopin on ATMA Classique. She currently studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, having previously graduated from the Nino Rota Conservatory of Music.

Alessandro Deljavan- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

ALESSANDRO DELJAVAN
Italy | Age 26

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

Program:

SOLER Sonata in F-sharp Major, R. 90 I Sonata in F Major, R. 89
MENDELSSOHN Variations serieuses, op. 54
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

Alessandro Deljavan began studying piano before he was two years old, and went on to win top prizes at national and international competitions as a child and teenager. He has since performed in the major cities of Italy, as well as in Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States, and with the Haydn Orchester, as well as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. He has recorded the works of Alkan, Brahms, Busoni, Cramer, Rubinstein, Satie, Schubert, and Schumann for the Naxos, Brilliant, OnClassical, Piano Classics, and Stradivarius labels. He will also be featured alongside Evgeny Kissin, Antonio Pappano, and Charles Rosen in a film about Liszt, produced and broadcast by Italian RAI TV. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Sine Nomine Quartet, the Takács Quartet, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi, with which he also conducted. He plays regularly with his violinist partner Daniela Cammarano as well. Mr. Deljavan makes his home in Pescara, Italy, and is currently a Theo Lieven Scholar at the Conservatory of Lugano.

Nikolay Khozyainov- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV
Russia | Age 20

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCHUMANN Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, op. 44

Nikolay Khozyainov made his debut at age seven in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He has since garnered numerous prizes, including top prizes at the Dublin and Sydney International Piano Competitions and the Moscow International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Additionally, he was the youngest finalist competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010. He has appeared with the Sydney Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, among others. Mr. Khozyainov released his first CD, featuring works by Chopin and Liszt, on the Accord label in 2010. He followed this in 2012 with an all-Chopin disc released by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw and another recording on the JVC Victor label in Japan. He is currently enrolled at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Nikolay Khozyainov- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV
Russia | Age 20

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, op. 110
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
LISZT-BUSONI Fantasy on Two Themes from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro

Nikolay Khozyainov made his debut at age seven in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He has since garnered numerous prizes, including top prizes at the Dublin and Sydney International Piano Competitions and the Moscow International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Additionally, he was the youngest finalist competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010. He has appeared with the Sydney Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, among others. Mr. Khozyainov released his first CD, featuring works by Chopin and Liszt, on the Accord label in 2010. He followed this in 2012 with an all-Chopin disc released by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw and another recording on the JVC Victor label in Japan. He is currently enrolled at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Nikolay Khozyainov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV
Russia | Age 20

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

Program:
CHOPIN
Barcarolle in F-fharp Major, op. 60
Etude in A Minor, op. 10, no. 2
Berceuse in D-flat Major, op. 57

LISZT
Sonata in B Minor

Nikolay Khozyainov made his debut at age seven in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He has since garnered numerous prizes, including top prizes at the Dublin and Sydney International Piano Competitions and the Moscow International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Additionally, he was the youngest finalist competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010. He has appeared with the Sydney Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, among others. Mr. Khozyainov released his first CD, featuring works by Chopin and Liszt, on the Accord label in 2010. He followed this in 2012 with an all-Chopin disc released by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw and another recording on the JVC Victor label in Japan. He is currently enrolled at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Nikolay Khozyainov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV
Russia | Age 20

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:33
CHOPIN Étude in C Major, op. 10, no. 1
LISZT Transcendental Étude No. 5: Feux follets
SCRIABIN Étude in C-sharp Minor, op. 42, no. 5
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit

Nikolay Khozyainov made his debut at age seven in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He has since garnered numerous prizes, including top prizes at the Dublin and Sydney International Piano Competitions and the Moscow International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Additionally, he was the youngest finalist competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010. He has appeared with the Sydney Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, among others. Mr. Khozyainov released his first CD, featuring works by Chopin and Liszt, on the Accord label in 2010. He followed this in 2012 with an all-Chopin disc released by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw and another recording on the JVC Victor label in Japan. He is currently enrolled at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Marcin Koziak- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

MARCIN KOZIAK
Poland | Age 24

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

Program:

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

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

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

Marcin Koziak was born into a musical family in Krakow, and made his debut at the age of eleven with the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed with the Beethoven Academy, China National Symphony, Lodz Philharmonic, Poznan Philharmonic, and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras, and was invited to make appearances at the International Chopin (Duszniki-Zdroj), La Folle Jornée au Japon, La Roque d’Anthéron, and Rubinstein Festivals. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States as well. In 2011, he was privileged to give a recital in Warsaw for Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and the first lady of the Republic of Poland, Anna Komorowska; two months later he took part in a grand concert in Rome organized for the occasion of the beginning of the Polish presidency in the European Union. Mr. Koziak currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where he studies at Texas Christian University

Gustavo Miranda-Bernales- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

GUSTAVO MIRANDA-BERNALES
Chile | Age 22

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

Program:

SCHUBERT  Four Impromptus, D. 935, op. 142
CHOPIN  Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60

Born in Santiago, Gustavo Miranda-Bernales began studying piano at the age of nine. He has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra, Orquesta de Cámara del Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile. Competition credits include first prize at the Juilliard Concerto Competition, and first prizes in 2001, 2003, and 2005, at the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition in Quilpué, Chile. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree there.

Eric Zuber- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

ERIC ZUBER
United States | Age 28

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

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

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

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

Eric Zuber- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

ERIC ZUBER
United States | Age 28

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

Program:
MOZART Rondo in A Minor, K. 511
CHOPIN Twelve Etudes, op. 10

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

Alessandro Taverna- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

ALESSANDRO TAVERNA
Italy | Age 29

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

Program:
MENDELSSOHN Sonata No.3 in B-flat Major, op.106
MEDTNER Sonata in F Minor, op. 53, no.2 (“Sonata minacciosa”)
LIGETI Etude No. 13: L’escalier du diable
MESSIAEN Regard de l’esprit de joie (from Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jesus)

Alessandro Taverna has performed throughout Africa, Europe, and North America, in such venues as Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica, Fazioli Concert Hall, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Salle Cortot in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London, and the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York. He has also appeared with the Hallé, London Philharmonic, Minnesota, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. In 2009, Mr. Taverna was chosen by the Keyboard Charitable Trust in London to perform at Steinway Halls in Berlin, London, Hamburg, Munich, and New York, and to open the season of Lorin Maazel’s Châteauville Foundation in Castleton—a performance that led to an invitation to tour with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2012–2013 season. A native of Venice, Mr. Taverna received his master’s degree from the Accademia Pianistica Internazionale “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola. He currently attends the International Piano Academy Lake Como and the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24

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

Program:

 BACH  Toccata in F-sharp Minor, BWV 910
HAYDN Sonata in G Major, Hob. XVI:6
TANEYEV Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, op. 29
BABADJANIAN Six Pictures

Born into a family of professional musicians, Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at an early age. He gave his first public recital when he was ten, and one year later released his first recording of a live performance at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. Since then, Mr. Mndoyants has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has been invited to perform in several festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, and a festival dedicated to the World Economic Forum in Davos. His compositions are featured on two recordings released by Classical Records in 2007. Mr. Mndoyants is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received a degree in piano and composition.

Scipione Sangiovanni- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

SCIPIONE SANGIOVANNI
Italy | Age 25

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

Program:
BACH Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830
BUSONI Indianisches Tagebuch
BACH-BUSONI Komm, Gott, Schöpfer!
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
Nun freut euch, lieben Christen

Scipione Sangiovanni is a graduate of Italy’s Conservatory “Tito Schipa” of Lecce and the Mendelssohn Piano Academy of Lecce. He has performed throughout Italy, as well as in Austria, China, Croatia, France, Georgia, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. Mr. Sangiovanni has also been invited to perform as guest soloist with the Bacau Orchestra in Romania, the Orchestra of the Croatian Radio-Television, and the Orchestra Sinfonietta Italiana in Rome. Competition credits include top prizes at the Jaén, Maria Canals, Porto, and Tbilisi International Piano Competitions.

Oleksandr Poliykov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

OLEKSANDR POLIYKOV
Ukraine | Age 25

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

Program:
WAGNER-LISZT Isoldens Liebestod
BRAHMS Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, op. 5

Born in Kiev, Oleksandr Poliykov began studying piano at the age of three and gave his first concert with orchestra when he was eight. Third-prize winner at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht, he also took third prize at the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev, first prize at the Steinway Society Competition in Boston, and second prize at the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Weimar. As a member of the Lumière Piano Trio, he won third prize at the International New England Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Poliykov has appeared in solo recitals in Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States, and has played with such orchestras as the Kiev Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. He recently toured Poland by invitation of the Polish Liszt Society. Mr. Poliykov is currently pursuing an artist diploma at the Boston Conservatory and postgraduate studies at the National Music Academy of Ukraine.

Oleksandr Poliykov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

OLEKSANDR POLIYKOV
Ukraine | Age 25

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

Program:
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

Born in Kiev, Oleksandr Poliykov began studying piano at the age of three and gave his first concert with orchestra when he was eight. Third-prize winner at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht, he also took third prize at the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev, first prize at the Steinway Society Competition in Boston, and second prize at the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Weimar. As a member of the Lumière Piano Trio, he won third prize at the International New England Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Poliykov has appeared in solo recitals in Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States, and has played with such orchestras as the Kiev Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. He recently toured Poland by invitation of the Polish Liszt Society. Mr. Poliykov is currently pursuing an artist diploma at the Boston Conservatory and postgraduate studies at the National Music Academy of Ukraine.

Jayson Gillham- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

JAYSON GILLHAM
Australia-United Kingdom | Age 26

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

Program:
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
CHOPIN Rondo in E-flat Major, op. 16
DEBUSSY From Études, Book II
No. 7: Pour les degrés chromatiques
No. 11: Pour les arpegés composes
No. 12: Pour les accords
BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, op. 24

Jayson Gillham has performed with the United Kingdom’s Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, China’s Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, and in major venues throughout Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He plays regularly in Australia, returning each year for recital, concerto, chamber music, and festival appearances. Mr. Gillham was named Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2012, upon winning the Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, and received a gold medal from HRH Princess Alexandra. A graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, he relocated to London in 2007 to pursue a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music. Mr. Gillham is also a cultural ambassador for the Hearts for Africa (Amani) Foundation.

Jayson Gillham- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

JAYSON GILLHAM
Australia-United Kingdom | Age 26

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCHUMANN Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, op. 44

Jayson Gillham has performed with the United Kingdom’s Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, China’s Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, and in major venues throughout Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He plays regularly in Australia, returning each year for recital, concerto, chamber music, and festival appearances. Mr. Gillham was named Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2012, upon winning the Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, and received a gold medal from HRH Princess Alexandra. A graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, he relocated to London in 2007 to pursue a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music. Mr. Gillham is also a cultural ambassador for the Hearts for Africa (Amani) Foundation.

Jayson Gillham- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

JAYSON GILLHAM
Australia-United Kingdom | Age 26

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 (“Waldstein”)
LISZT   Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
Spanish Rhapsody

Jayson Gillham has performed with the United Kingdom’s Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, China’s Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, and in major venues throughout Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He plays regularly in Australia, returning each year for recital, concerto, chamber music, and festival appearances. Mr. Gillham was named Commonwealth Musician of the Year in 2012, upon winning the Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, and received a gold medal from HRH Princess Alexandra. A graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, he relocated to London in 2007 to pursue a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music. Mr. Gillham is also a cultural ambassador for the Hearts for Africa (Amani) Foundation.

Claire Huangci- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

CLAIRE HUANGCI
United States | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Recital
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
THEOFANDIS Birichino
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, op. 81a (“Les adieux”)
SCHUMANN Symphonic Études, op. 13
PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet before Parting, op. 75, no. 10

Born in Rochester, New York, Claire Huangci has made debuts with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and with various other orchestras across Europe and the United States. She has appeared in recital as part of the Ravinia, Verbier, International Keyboard Institute, and Kissinger Summer Festivals, and at the Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, Bonn Beethovenhaus, and in other venues throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. She recently recorded her first CD for Berlin Classics, which will be released in fall of 2013. Ms. Huangci graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007 and has studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover since 2007.

Claire Huangci- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

CLAIRE HUANGCI
United States | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
DVORAK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81

Born in Rochester, New York, Claire Huangci has made debuts with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and with various other orchestras across Europe and the United States. She has appeared in recital as part of the Ravinia, Verbier, International Keyboard Institute, and Kissinger Summer Festivals, and at the Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, Bonn Beethovenhaus, and in other venues throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. She recently recorded her first CD for Berlin Classics, which will be released in fall of 2013. Ms. Huangci graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007 and has studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover since 2007.

Claire Huangci- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

CLAIRE HUANGCI
United States | Age 24

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

Program:
SCHUBERT Drei Klavierstucke, D. 946
TCHAIKOVSKY-PLETNEV Excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty

Born in Rochester, New York, Claire Huangci has made debuts with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and with various other orchestras across Europe and the United States. She has appeared in recital as part of the Ravinia, Verbier, International Keyboard Institute, and Kissinger Summer Festivals, and at the Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, Bonn Beethovenhaus, and in other venues throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. She recently recorded her first CD for Berlin Classics, which will be released in fall of 2013. Ms. Huangci graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007 and has studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover since 2007.

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal  Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCARLATTI Sonata in G Minor, K. 476 Sonata in B Minor, K. 87 Sonata in G Major, K. 125
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
DEBUSSY From Preludes, Books I and II La cathedrale englouitie La puerta del vino Feux d’artifice
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

Born into a family of professional musicians, Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at an early age. He gave his first public recital when he was ten, and one year later released his first recording of a live performance at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. Since then, Mr. Mndoyants has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has been invited to perform in several festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, and a festival dedicated to the World Economic Forum in Davos. His compositions are featured on two recordings released by Classical Records in 2007. Mr. Mndoyants is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received a degree in piano and composition.

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34

Born into a family of professional musicians, Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at an early age. He gave his first public recital when he was ten, and one year later released his first recording of a live performance at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. Since then, Mr. Mndoyants has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has been invited to perform in several festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, and a festival dedicated to the World Economic Forum in Davos. His compositions are featured on two recordings released by Classical Records in 2007. Mr. Mndoyants is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received a degree in piano and composition.

Nikita Mndoyants- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

NIKITA MNDOYANTS
Russia | Age 24

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, op. 11
CHOPIN Polonaise-fantaise in A-flat Major, op. 61
PROKOFIEV Scherzo, op. 12, no. 10

Born into a family of professional musicians, Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at an early age. He gave his first public recital when he was ten, and one year later released his first recording of a live performance at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. Since then, Mr. Mndoyants has toured throughout China, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has been invited to perform in several festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, and a festival dedicated to the World Economic Forum in Davos. His compositions are featured on two recordings released by Classical Records in 2007. Mr. Mndoyants is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received a degree in piano and composition.

Tomoki Sakata- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

TOMOKI SAKATA
Japan | Age 19

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
SCHUMANN Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, op. 44

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

Tomoki Sakata- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

TOMOKI SAKATA
Japan | Age 19

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

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

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

Tomoki Sakata- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

TOMOKI SAKATA
Japan | Age 19

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

Program:
MOZART Variations on a Minuet by Duport, K. 573
ALBENIZ Iberia, Book II
TCHAIKOVSKY-PABST Concert Paraphrase on Eugene Onegin

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

Tomoki Sakata- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

TOMOKI SAKATA
Japan | Age 19

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 22 in F Major, op. 54
LISZT Apres une lecture de Dante (Fantasia quasi sonata) La campanella (from Etudes d’execution transcendantes d’apres Paganini)
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 5, op. 53

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

François Dumont- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

FRANÇOIS DUMONT
France | Age 27

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

Program:
MOZART Sonata in A Minor, K. 310
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
CHOPIN Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, op. 39

Born in Lyon, François Dumont entered the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique when he was fourteen years old, and later studied at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He has performed in many of the major venues in France, and has been invited to perform as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland with Antoni Wit, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has taken the stage in Belgium, China, France, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and the United States. Mr. Dumont’s recording of the complete Mozart sonatas for Anima Records received the Maestro Award from Pianiste magazine. Other solo recordings include works by Chopin and the complete piano works of Ravel. Mr. Dumont currently resides in Brussels, Belgium.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

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

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

Nikita Abrosimov began studying piano at the age of six and made his recital debut when he was fourteen. He has since made appearances at La Scala in Milan, Alice Tully Hall in New York, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, and in venues throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has recently performed with the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony, Kostroma Symphony, and Stanford Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev in St. Petersburg’s Stars of the White Nights Festival. Mr. Abrosimov earned degrees at the Balakirev Music College and at Indiana University South Bend. He currently lives in London, where he studies at the Royal College of Music.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
DVORAK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81

Nikita Abrosimov began studying piano at the age of six and made his recital debut when he was fourteen. He has since made appearances at La Scala in Milan, Alice Tully Hall in New York, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, and in venues throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has recently performed with the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony, Kostroma Symphony, and Stanford Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev in St. Petersburg’s Stars of the White Nights Festival. Mr. Abrosimov earned degrees at the Balakirev Music College and at Indiana University South Bend. He currently lives in London, where he studies at the Royal College of Music.

Alexey Chernov- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

ALEXEY CHERNOV
Russia | Age 30

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

Program:
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
BARTOK Étude, op. 18, no. 3
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 5, op. 53
PURCELL Suite in C Major, Z. 666
SCHUMANN Symphonic Études, op. 13

Born in Moscow to a family of musicians, Alexey Chernov began studying music at the age of four. A graduate of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Royal College of Music in London, he has won prizes at more than twenty international piano competitions, including first prize at the 2012 International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Cantù, Italy; second prize at the 2011 Cleveland International Piano Competition; and fifth prize at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition, also in 2011. Since his 2005 debut in Moscow’s Rachmaninov Hall, Mr. Chernov has performed under the batons of Mikhail Pletnev, Enrique Bátiz, Alexander Sladkovsky, and Dmitry Orlov, among others. He maintains a busy concert schedule, performing solo recitals and with orchestras throughout Russia and Europe.

Alexey Chernov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

ALEXEY CHERNOV
Russia | Age 30

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, op. 111
LIGETTI Etude No. 6: Automne a Varsovie
GRIEG Waltz in A Minor, op.12, no.2
Waltz in E Minor, op. 38, no.7
Valse-impromptu in E Minor, op.47, no.1
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No.1

Born in Moscow to a family of musicians, Alexey Chernov began studying music at the age of four. A graduate of the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Royal College of Music in London, he has won prizes at more than twenty international piano competitions, including first prize at the 2012 International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Cantù, Italy; second prize at the 2011 Cleveland International Piano Competition; and fifth prize at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition, also in 2011. Since his 2005 debut in Moscow’s Rachmaninov Hall, Mr. Chernov has performed under the batons of Mikhail Pletnev, Enrique Bátiz, Alexander Sladkovsky, and Dmitry Orlov, among others. He maintains a busy concert schedule, performing solo recitals and with orchestras throughout Russia and Europe.

Fei-Fei Dong- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Round Recital

FEI-FEI DONG
China | Age 22

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

Program:
MOZART Sonata in D Major, K. 576
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
CHOPIN Twenty-four Preludes, op. 28

Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei Dong gave her first recital at age ten; this was followed three years later by her orchestral debut with the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has since made debuts in Alice Tully Hall and the Louvre Auditorium, and with the Aspen Music Festival, Hong Kong, Juilliard, Shanxi, and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Dong is a first-prize winner of several competitions in China, including the Schumann International Piano Competition for Young Musicians, the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition, and the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition. Ms. Dong currently lives in New York, where she is pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School.

Fei-Fei Dong- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

FEI-FEI DONG
China | Age 22

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34

Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei Dong gave her first recital at age ten; this was followed three years later by her orchestral debut with the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has since made debuts in Alice Tully Hall and the Louvre Auditorium, and with the Aspen Music Festival, Hong Kong, Juilliard, Shanxi, and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Dong is a first-prize winner of several competitions in China, including the Schumann International Piano Competition for Young Musicians, the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition, and the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition. Ms. Dong currently lives in New York, where she is pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School.

Alessandro Deljavan- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

ALESSANDRO DELJAVAN
Italy | Age 26

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
DVORAK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81

Alessandro Deljavan began studying piano before he was two years old, and went on to win top prizes at national and international competitions as a child and teenager. He has since performed in the major cities of Italy, as well as in Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States, and with the Haydn Orchester, as well as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. He has recorded the works of Alkan, Brahms, Busoni, Cramer, Rubinstein, Satie, Schubert, and Schumann for the Naxos, Brilliant, OnClassical, Piano Classics, and Stradivarius labels. He will also be featured alongside Evgeny Kissin, Antonio Pappano, and Charles Rosen in a film about Liszt, produced and broadcast by Italian RAI TV. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Sine Nomine Quartet, the Takács Quartet, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi, with which he also conducted. He plays regularly with his violinist partner Daniela Cammarano as well. Mr. Deljavan makes his home in Pescara, Italy, and is currently a Theo Lieven Scholar at the Conservatory of Lugano.

Alessandro Deljavan- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

ALESSANDRO DELJAVAN
Italy | Age 26

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

Program:

MOZART Variations on Gluck’s Unser dummer Pobel meint,” K. 455
SCHUMANN Fantasy in G Major, op. 17
SCHUBERT Variation on a Waltz by Diabelli, D. 718

 

Alessandro Deljavan began studying piano before he was two years old, and went on to win top prizes at national and international competitions as a child and teenager. He has since performed in the major cities of Italy, as well as in Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States, and with the Haydn Orchester, as well as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. He has recorded the works of Alkan, Brahms, Busoni, Cramer, Rubinstein, Satie, Schubert, and Schumann for the Naxos, Brilliant, OnClassical, Piano Classics, and Stradivarius labels. He will also be featured alongside Evgeny Kissin, Antonio Pappano, and Charles Rosen in a film about Liszt, produced and broadcast by Italian RAI TV. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Sine Nomine Quartet, the Takács Quartet, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi, with which he also conducted. He plays regularly with his violinist partner Daniela Cammarano as well. Mr. Deljavan makes his home in Pescara, Italy, and is currently a Theo Lieven Scholar at the Conservatory of Lugano.

Alessandro Deljavan- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

ALESSANDRO DELJAVAN
Italy | Age 26

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

Program:
BACH Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829
CHOPIN Twelve Études, op. 25

Alessandro Deljavan began studying piano before he was two years old, and went on to win top prizes at national and international competitions as a child and teenager. He has since performed in the major cities of Italy, as well as in Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States, and with the Haydn Orchester, as well as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. He has recorded the works of Alkan, Brahms, Busoni, Cramer, Rubinstein, Satie, Schubert, and Schumann for the Naxos, Brilliant, OnClassical, Piano Classics, and Stradivarius labels. He will also be featured alongside Evgeny Kissin, Antonio Pappano, and Charles Rosen in a film about Liszt, produced and broadcast by Italian RAI TV. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Sine Nomine Quartet, the Takács Quartet, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi, with which he also conducted. He plays regularly with his violinist partner Daniela Cammarano as well. Mr. Deljavan makes his home in Pescara, Italy, and is currently a Theo Lieven Scholar at the Conservatory of Lugano.

Beatrice Rana- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Recital

BEATRICE RANA
2013 Silver Medalist
Italy | Age 20

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Recital
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

SCRIABIN Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, op. 19 (“Sonata-Fantasy”)
THEOFANIDIS Birichino
CHOPIN Twenty-four Preludes, op. 28

Born into a family of musicians, Beatrice Rana began musical studies at the age of four and made her concerto debut when she was nine. She has been invited to perform at the Busoni, La Folle Journée, La Roque d’Antherón, Lanaudière, and Radio-France Festivals, and as soloist with the Aarhus Symfoniorkester, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. First prize winner of the 2011 Montreal International Musical Competition, Ms. Rana also took first prize at the Muzio Clementi and Bang & Olufsen Piano Competitions. She released her first CD in 2012 of works by Scriabin and Chopin on ATMA Classique. She currently studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, having previously graduated from the Nino Rota Conservatory of Music.

Sean Chen- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

SEAN CHEN
2013 Bronze Medalist
United States | Age 24

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Chamber Recital
Bretano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34

 Second-prize winner at the 2011 Seoul International Music Competition and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Sean Chen has performed with several orchestras, including the Indianapolis Chamber, Juilliard, New West Symphony, and Suwon Philharmonic. He has presented solo recitals in Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Taipei, among other cities. Additional awards include top prize at the 2010 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at Juilliard, the 2010 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship, Best Performance of an American Work at the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Award, and an NFAA ARTSweek award. Born in Florida, Mr. Chen grew up in Oak Park, California, and now resides in New Haven, Connecticut, where he is pursuing his artist diploma at the Yale School of Music. When not at the piano, he enjoys tinkering with computers and composing.

Vadym Kholodenko- Cliburn 2013 Semifinal Chamber Recital

VADYM KHOLODENKO
2013 Gold Medalist
Ukraine | Age 26

Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Chamber Recital
Brentano String Quartet
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
FRANCK Piano Quintet in F Minor

Born in Kiev, Vadym Kholodenko won first prize at both the International Schubert Competition in Dortmund in 2012, and the Sendai International Music Competition in 2010. He has worked with Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov, and other distinguished conductors, and has performed across the globe in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States. He released recordings of Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Medtner on Russia’s TV Culture label in 2009. An avid chamber musician as well, he performed and recorded a CD with violinist Alena Baeva, and formed a piano duo with Andrey Gugnin, which they dubbed “iDuo.” Mr. Kholodenko currently resides in Moscow, where he attends the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Beatrice Rana- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

BEATRICE RANA
2013 Silver Medalist
Italy | Age 20

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

Program:
CLEMENTI Sonata in B Minor, op. 40, no. 2
SCHUMANN Etudes en forme de variations, op. 13

Born into a family of musicians, Beatrice Rana began musical studies at the age of four and made her concerto debut when she was nine. She has been invited to perform at the Busoni, La Folle Journée, La Roque d’Antherón, Lanaudière, and Radio-France Festivals, and as soloist with the Aarhus Symfoniorkester, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. First prize winner of the 2011 Montreal International Musical Competition, Ms. Rana also took first prize at the Muzio Clementi and Bang & Olufsen Piano Competitions. She released her first CD in 2012 of works by Scriabin and Chopin on ATMA Classique. She currently studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, having previously graduated from the Nino Rota Conservatory of Music.

Sean Chen- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

SEAN CHEN
2013 Bronze Medalist
United States | Age 24

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

Program:
Beethoven Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, op. 106 (“Hammerklavier”)

 Second-prize winner at the 2011 Seoul International Music Competition and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Sean Chen has performed with several orchestras, including the Indianapolis Chamber, Juilliard, New West Symphony, and Suwon Philharmonic. He has presented solo recitals in Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Taipei, among other cities. Additional awards include top prize at the 2010 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at Juilliard, the 2010 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship, Best Performance of an American Work at the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Award, and an NFAA ARTSweek award. Born in Florida, Mr. Chen grew up in Oak Park, California, and now resides in New Haven, Connecticut, where he is pursuing his artist diploma at the Yale School of Music. When not at the piano, he enjoys tinkering with computers and composing.

Sean Chen- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

SEAN CHEN
2013 Bronze Medalist
United States | Age 24

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

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

Second-prize winner at the 2011 Seoul International Music Competition and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Sean Chen has performed with several orchestras, including the Indianapolis Chamber, Juilliard, New West Symphony, and Suwon Philharmonic. He has presented solo recitals in Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Taipei, among other cities. Additional awards include top prize at the 2010 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at Juilliard, the 2010 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship, Best Performance of an American Work at the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Award, and an NFAA ARTS week award. Born in Florida, Mr. Chen grew up in Oak Park, California, and now resides in New Haven, Connecticut, where he is pursuing his artist diploma at the Yale School of Music. When not at the piano, he enjoys tinkering with computers and composing.

Vadym Kholodenko- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

VADYM KHOLODENKO
2013 Gold Medalist
Ukraine | Age 26

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

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

Born in Kiev, Vadym Kholodenko won first prize at both the International Schubert Competition in Dortmund in 2012, and the Sendai International Music Competition in 2010. He has worked with Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov, and other distinguished conductors, and has performed across the globe in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States. He released recordings of Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Medtner on Russia’s TV Culture label in 2009. An avid chamber musician as well, he performed and recorded a CD with violinist Alena Baeva, and formed a piano duo with Andrey Gugnin, which they dubbed “iDuo.” Mr. Kholodenko currently resides in Moscow, where he attends the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Vadym Kholodenko- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

VADYM KHOLODENKO
2013 Gold Medalist
Ukraine | Age 26

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

Program:
BACH-SILOTI Prelude in B Minor, BWV 855a
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, op. 109
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka

 Born in Kiev, Vadym Kholodenko won first prize at both the International Schubert Competition in Dortmund in 2012, and the Sendai International Music Competition in 2010. He has worked with Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov, and other distinguished conductors, and has performed across the globe in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States. He released recordings of Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Medtner on Russia’s TV Culture label in 2009. An avid chamber musician as well, he performed and recorded a CD with violinist Alena Baeva, and formed a piano duo with Andrey Gugnin, which they dubbed “iDuo.” Mr. Kholodenko currently resides in Moscow, where he attends the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Giuseppe Greco- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

GIUSEPPE GRECO
Italy | Age 23

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

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3
LISZT Ballade No. 2 in B Minor
DEBUSSY L’Isle joyeuse

Giuseppe Greco began studying piano at the age of ten, and just five years later graduated with highest marks. He has performed at the Tuscia Opera festival with the Viterbo Orchestra and in major venues throughout Italy. He was first-prize winner at the 2009 Arcangelo Speranza International Piano Competition in Taranto, Italy, and in 2011, was awarded the Yamaha Scholarship, offered to the top Italian pianist by the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. In 2010, he received a medal from the president of Italy. Mr. Greco recently graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

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

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

Nikita Abrosimov began studying piano at the age of six and made his recital debut when he was fourteen. He has since made appearances at La Scala in Milan, Alice Tully Hall in New York, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, and in venues throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has recently performed with the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony, Kostroma Symphony, and Stanford Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev in St. Petersburg’s Stars of the White Nights Festival. Mr. Abrosimov earned degrees at the Balakirev Music College and at Indiana University South Bend. He currently lives in London, where he studies at the Royal College of Music.

Fei-Fei Dong- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

FEI-FEI DONG
China | Age 22

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

Program:
SCARLATTI Sonata in D Major, K. 96
Sonata in F Minor, K. 466
DEBUSSY Danse
LISZT Sonata in B Minor

Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei Dong gave her first recital at age ten; this was followed three years later by her orchestral debut with the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has since made debuts in Alice Tully Hall and the Louvre Auditorium, and with the Aspen Music Festival, Hong Kong, Juilliard, Shanxi, and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Dong is a first-prize winner of several competitions in China, including the Schumann International Piano Competition for Young Musicians, the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition, and the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition. Ms. Dong currently lives in New York, where she is pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School.

Fei-Fei Dong- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

FEI-FEI DONG
China | Age 22

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

Program:
CLEMENTI Sonata in F Sharp Minor, op. 25, no.5
SCHUMANN Novelette in F-Sharp Minor, op. 21, no.8
CHOPIN Rondo in E-flat Major, op. 16
LIEBERMANN Gargoyes, op. 29

Born in Shenzhen, Fei-Fei Dong gave her first recital at age ten; this was followed three years later by her orchestral debut with the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has since made debuts in Alice Tully Hall and the Louvre Auditorium, and with the Aspen Music Festival, Hong Kong, Juilliard, Shanxi, and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Dong is a first-prize winner of several competitions in China, including the Schumann International Piano Competition for Young Musicians, the Asia-Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition, and the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition. Ms. Dong currently lives in New York, where she is pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School.

Luca Buratto- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

LUCA BURATTO
Italy | Age 20

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

Program:
BACH Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
SCHUMANN Novelette in D Major, op. 21, no. 2
Novelette in F-sharp Minor, op. 21, no. 8
BARTÓK Sonata (1926)

Luca Buratto made his debut in 2003 at the age of ten in the Sala Verdi of the Conservatory of Milan, performing music by his great-grandfather Renzo Massarani on Holocaust Remembrance Day. He has since performed with Milan’s I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi, and Magdeburgische Philharmonie, and in recital in France, Italy, and Switzerland. Mr. Buratto has received top prizes in several competitions, including third prize in the 2012 International Robert Schumann Competition and the Special Prize “Acerbi” at the Shura Cherkassky International Piano Competition. He currently resides in Milan while attending a two-year intensive course at the C. Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano; he is also studying at the Conservatory of Lugano as a Theo Lieven Scholar.

Nikita Abrosimov- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

NIKITA ABROSIMOV
Russia | Age 24

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

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

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

Nikita Abrosimov began studying piano at the age of six and made his recital debut when he was fourteen. He has since made appearances at La Scala in Milan, Alice Tully Hall in New York, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, and in venues throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has recently performed with the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony, Kostroma Symphony, and Stanford Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev in St. Petersburg’s Stars of the White Nights Festival. Mr. Abrosimov earned degrees at the Balakirev Music College and at Indiana University South Bend. He currently lives in London, where he studies at the Royal College of Music.

Giuseppe Greco -Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

GIUSEPPE GRECO
Italy | Age 23

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

Program:
CHOPIN Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat Major, op. 61
PROKOFIEV Sonata No.8 in B-flat Major, op. 84

Giuseppe Greco began studying piano at the age of ten, and just five years later graduated with highest marks. He has performed at the Tuscia Opera festival with the Viterbo Orchestra and in major venues throughout Italy. He was first-prize winner at the 2009 Arcangelo Speranza International Piano Competition in Taranto, Italy, and in 2011, was awarded the Yamaha Scholarship, offered to the top Italian pianist by the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. In 2010, he received a medal from the president of Italy. Mr. Greco recently graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Kuan-Ting Lin- Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital II

KUAN-TING LIN
Taiwan | Age: 21

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

Program:
SCHUMANN Humoresque in B-flat Major, op. 20
STRAVINSKY Trois mouvements de Petrouchka

Born in Taipei, Kuan-Ting Lin began piano studies at the age of four. Ten years later, he moved to Russia, first studying at Moscow’s Gnessin State Musical College, and then enrolling at the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He was awarded several prizes in Taiwan as a teenager, and recently received top prize at the International Competition ofYoung Artists “A Step Towards Mastery”and second prize at the International Vladimir Viardo Competition in Ukraine.Mr. Lin has performed with the Gnessin State Musical College Orchestra, the Parlarte Symphony Orchestra in Italy, the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei SymphonyOrchestra, and in recital throughout Asia and Europe.

Luca Buratto – Cliburn 2013 Preliminary Recital I

LUCA BURATTO
Italy | Age 20

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

Program:
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, op. 17

Luca Buratto made his debut in 2003 at the age of ten in the Sala Verdi of the Conservatory of Milan, performing music by his great-grandfather Renzo Massarani on Holocaust Remembrance Day. He has since performed with Milan’s I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi, and Magdeburgische Philharmonie, and in recital in France, Italy, and Switzerland. Mr. Buratto has received top prizes in several competitions, including third prize in the 2012 International Robert Schumann Competition and the Special Prize “Acerbi” at the Shura Cherkassky International Piano Competition. He currently resides in Milan while attending a two-year intensive course at the C. Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano; he is also studying at the Conservatory of Lugano as a Theo Lieven Scholar.

Yury Favorin – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

YURY FAVORIN
Russia | Age 30

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

BACH-BUSONI Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
RACHMANINOFF Variations on a Theme by Corelli, op. 42
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 10, op. 70
LISZT Scherzo and March

Moscow native Yury Favorin started his music instruction at age 5, and pursued piano, clarinet, and composition at the Gnessins Moscow Secondary Special School. He continued his education at the Moscow Conservatory and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2016, he was invited to be on the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Mr. Favorin has won prizes at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels and the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris. He has played with conductors including Pierre Boulez and Marin Alsop, and given recitals in Russia, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Hungary, Italy,  Sweden, Poland,  Japan, and more. He is a regular participant in music festivals such as Crazy Days in Nantes, France, and in Japan; and La Rocque-d’Anthéron in France. Mr. Favorin enjoys premiering works by contemporary composers. His many recordings include Liszt and 20th-century Russian composers, but also new music and improvisations. He has been part of several groups devoted to freely improvised music, including his own “ERROR 404”.

EunAe Lee – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

EUNAE LEE
South Korea | Age 29

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 8:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41
DEBUSSY Étude pour les arpèges composés
CHOPIN Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, op. 58
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”

EunAe Lee, born in Seoul, made her solo debut at age 14, performing the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under Bong Kim. She won a full scholarship to The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division and completed the five-year accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degree program. She earned a professional studies diploma at the Mannes School of Music, studying with Richard Goode, and is now at Northwestern University with James Giles. Ms. Lee won second prize and the Yehuda Meir memorial award for outstanding performance of a Chopin etude at the 2015 Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Competition. She also won prizes at the 2014 Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the 2011 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, where she performed the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Performance highlights include solo and chamber appearances at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Merkin Hall, and the Mannes Concert Hall, among others. Away from the piano, Ms. Lee enjoys swimming, watching soccer games, and reading plays.

Ilya Shmukler – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

ILYA SHMUKLER
Russia | Age 22

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Thursday, May 25, 2017 – 9:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
HAYDN Sonata in F Major, Hob  XVI:23
BACH-SILOTI Prelude in B Minor, BWV 855a
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit

Moscow native Ilya Shmukler studies piano with Elena Kuznetsova at the Moscow Conservatory. He has frequently performed in the leading concert halls of Russia, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, and Kazan, as well as in Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Mr. Shmukler has won awards at a number of piano competitions, including grand prizes of the 2009 Musica Classica and the 2012 Scriabin-Rachmaninoff competitions in Russia, and second prize in the 2012 International Rachmaninov Music Competition. He has played with several orchestras, most notably the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra. When not playing piano, he enjoys cinema, literature, art, swimming, and table tennis.

Yutong Sun – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

YUTONG SUN
China | Age 21

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 8:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

CHOPIN Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat Major, op. 29
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23
BACH Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853
LIGETI Etude No. 13 “L’escalier du diable”
BARTÓK Sonata (1926)

Yutong Sun studies with Alexander Korsantia at the New England Conservatory. He has won awards at a number of competitions, including third prize at the 2016 Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona, first prize at the 2012 Jaén Award International Piano Competition (Spain), and second prize at the 2011 New Orleans International Piano Competition for Young Artists. He made his recital debut at age 10 in Beijing and his orchestra debut with the Orchestra of Granada in Spain at age 16. Mr. Sun has performed with orchestras and in recital in China, France, Spain, and the United States. In 2013, he released a recording of a recital performance as part of the Laureate Series on the Naxos label. When not playing music, he likes to watch movies and sports.

Tony Yike Yang – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

TONY YIKE YANG
Canada | Age 18

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Tuesday, May 30, 2017 – 3:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

SCRIABIN Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, op. 19
LISZT Sonata in B Minor

Tony Yike Yang is enrolled at Harvard University and the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studies with Wha Kyung Byun. He previously studied in the Pre-College Division at The Juilliard School and at the Taylor Academy of the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. Mr. Yang won fifth prize at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition as well as the Ewa & Włodzimierz Kamirski Award for the Youngest Finalist, and earned a Jury Discretionary Award at the First Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition in 2015. He also has won top prizes at Thomas & Evon Cooper, Hilton Head, Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Junior, and Gina Bachauer International Junior piano competitions. He has appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, Montreal’s Orchestre Metropolitain, and Toronto Sinfonietta. When he’s not playing piano, Mr. Yang loves badminton, ping-pong, video games, swimming, movies, and spicy food.

Yury Favorin – Cliburn 2017 Semifinal Recital

YURY FAVORIN
Russia | Age 30

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Semifinal Round Recital – Friday, June 2, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, op. 106 “Hammerklavier”
SHOSTAKOVICH Sonata No. 1, op. 12

Moscow native Yury Favorin started his music instruction at age 5, and pursued piano, clarinet, and composition at the Gnessins Moscow Secondary Special School. He continued his education at the Moscow Conservatory and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2016, he was invited to be on the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Mr. Favorin has won prizes at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels and the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris. He has played with conductors including Pierre Boulez and Marin Alsop, and given recitals in Russia, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Hungary, Italy,  Sweden, Poland,  Japan, and more. He is a regular participant in music festivals such as Crazy Days in Nantes, France, and in Japan; and La Rocque-d’Anthéron in France. Mr. Favorin enjoys premiering works by contemporary composers. His many recordings include Liszt and 20th-century Russian composers, but also new music and improvisations. He has been part of several groups devoted to freely improvised music, including his own ERROR 404.

Rachel Cheung – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

RACHEL CHEUNG
Hong Kong | Age 25

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Tuesday, May 30, 2017 – 11:55 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

SIBELIUS Valse triste, op. 44, no. 1
CHOPIN 24 Preludes, op. 28

Rachel Cheung, who has been a Young Steinway Artist since 2011, has studied with Peter Frankl at the Yale School of Music and with Eleanor Wong at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts. She has won numerous prizes and awards, including fifth prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition, and was a semifinalist at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. Last year, she won a Carnegie Weill Hall debut recital as a special prize in the New York Concert Artists Worldwide Debut Audition—that debut will take place in March 2018. She has collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart, Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, and Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. She has performed recitals at the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, London’s Steinway Hall, and the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto, among others. Ms. Cheung has twice been honored by the Hong Kong government for her contributions to culture and performed in the gala concert in Kiev celebrating the centenary of Vladimir Horowitz.

Leonardo Pierdomenico – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

LEONARDO PIERDOMENICO
Italy | Age 24

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Thursday, May 25, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

CLEMENTI Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp Minor, op. 25
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Books I and II, op. 35

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

Luigi Carroccia – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

LUIGI CARROCCIA
Italy | Age 25

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Monday, May 29, 2017 – 9:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60
CHOPIN Two Nocturnes, op. 62
CZERNY Variations from a Theme by Rode in E-flat Major, op. 33
KABALEVSKY Rondo in A Minor, op. 59

Luigi Carroccia was born into a musical family, and his first piano teachers were his father and grandfather. He continued studies at the Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano, where he earned undergraduate and master’s degrees with honors. He has won prizes in many competitions, such as the Maria Herrero International Competition in Granada and the Premio Abbado, organized by the Italian Ministry of Culture in memory of Claudio Abbado.  He also was a finalist at the 2015 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition and a semifinalist at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Competition. Mr. Carroccia has given numerous recitals in Naples, Rome, and elsewhere in Italy, as well as in Poland, the United States, Great Britain, Bulgaria, and Germany. Besides music, his passions include cooking.

Alina Bercu – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

ALINA BERCU
Romania | Age 27

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Thursday, May 25, 2017 – 8:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

BACH Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83

As a young teen, Alina Bercu was awarded a special prize by Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting her nation through culture. She started piano lessons at age 7 in her native Campina, Romania, and her family soon moved to Brasov so she could study piano at Transylvania University. She went on to study in Germany with Grigory Gruzman (Weimar University) and Wolfgang Manz (Nuremberg University), among others. Ms. Bercu has performed at major concert venues including Carnegie Hall and in Zurich, Munich, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Rome, and Bucharest. Her orchestra appearances include the Vienna Philharmonic, Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, and Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra. Her Schubert-Brahms recording with violinist Ilian Garnet, winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, won the Golden Label prize in Belgium and the Cle d’Or in France. Ms. Bercu has won prizes at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition, the European Piano Contest, and the World Piano Competition (Cincinnati), among others, as well as at chamber-music competitions as a member of Duo Enesco. In addition to music, Ms. Bercu is devoted to travel, running, and cooking.

Rachel Cheung – Cliburn 2017 Final Quintet

RACHEL CHEUNG
Hong Kong | Age 25

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Final Round Quintet – Thursday, June 8, 2017
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34
with the Brentano String Quartet

Rachel Cheung, who has been a Young Steinway Artist since 2011, has studied with Peter Frankl at the Yale School of Music and with Eleanor Wong at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts. She has won numerous prizes and awards, including fifth prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition, and was a semifinalist at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. Last year, she won a Carnegie Weill Hall debut recital as a special prize in the New York Concert Artists Worldwide Debut Audition—that debut will take place in March 2018. She has collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart, Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, and Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. She has performed recitals at the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, London’s Steinway Hall, and the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto, among others. Ms. Cheung has twice been honored by the Hong Kong government for her contributions to culture and performed in the gala concert in Kiev celebrating the centenary of Vladimir Horowitz.

Georgy Tchaidze – Cliburn 2017 Final Quintet

GEORGY TCHAIDZE
Russia | Age 29

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Final Round Quintet – Thursday, June 8, 2017
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81
with the Brentano String Quartet

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

Yekwon Sunwoo – Cliburn 2017 Final Quintet

YEKWON SUNWOO
2017 CLIBURN GOLD MEDALIST
South Korea | Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Final Round Quintet – Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
DVOŘÁK Piano Quintet in A Major, op. 81
with the Brentano String Quartet

Yekwon Sunwoo earned his bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music and his master’s at The Juilliard School, and also studied with Richard Goode at the Mannes School of Music. He currently studies under Bernd Goetzke in Hannover. Mr. Sunwoo won first prizes at the 2015 International German Piano Award in Frankfurt, the 2014 Vendome Prize held at the Verbier Festival, the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition, and the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition. He has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra under Itzhak Perlman at Avery Fisher Hall, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop, Houston Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. He has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo, Wigmore Hall in London, Radio France and Salle Cortot in Paris, and Kumho Art Hall in Seoul. Mr. Sunwoo has been featured on WQXR’s McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase, and has performed chamber music for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, with Ida Kavafian and Peter Wiley as part of Curtis On Tour, and with Roberto Diaz on the Bay Chamber Concerts.

Yury Favorin – Cliburn 2017 Final Quintet

YURY FAVORIN
Russia | Age 30

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Final Round Quintet – Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
FRANCK Piano Quintet in F Minor
with the Brentano String Quartet

Moscow native Yury Favorin started his music instruction at age 5, and pursued piano, clarinet, and composition at the Gnessins Moscow Secondary Special School. He continued his education at the Moscow Conservatory and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2016, he was invited to be on the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. Mr. Favorin has won prizes at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels and the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris. He has played with conductors including Pierre Boulez and Marin Alsop, and given recitals in Russia, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Hungary, Italy,  Sweden, Poland,  Japan, and more. He is a regular participant in music festivals such as Crazy Days in Nantes, France, and in Japan; and La Rocque-d’Anthéron in France. Mr. Favorin enjoys premiering works by contemporary composers. His many recordings include Liszt and 20th-century Russian composers, but also new music and improvisations. He has been part of several groups devoted to freely improvised music, including his own ERROR 404.

Alyosha Jurinic – Cliburn 2017 Quarterfinal Recital

ALYOSHA JURINIC
Croatia| Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Quarterfinal Round Recital – Tuesday, May 30, 2017 – 9:25 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

DEBUSSY Images, Book II
SCHUMANN Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, op. 11

Alyosha Jurinic won the International Robert Schumann Competition in 2012, and was a fifth-prize winner of the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition and a finalist at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. He won the Best Young Musician Award from the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, and is the youngest-ever recipient of the Croatian Ministry of Culture’s Vladimir Nazor Award, given annually for highest achievement in the arts. Mr. Jurinic made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015 and has performed with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosovo Philharmonic, and others. His festival appearances include Piano Fortissimo in Zagreb, Dubrovnik Summer Festival in Croatia, Kiev Summer Music Evenings, and Serate Musicali in Milan, as well as Chopin festivals in Serbia, France (the George Sand House), and Chopin’s birthplace in Poland. Mr. Jurinic is currently studying with Grigory Gruzman at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar. His passions include film, TV, pop music, books, fitness, and soccer tactics.