Rounds: Preliminary Recital

Joseph Mercuri 2016 Cliburn Amateur Preliminary Round Recital

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

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

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

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

Joann Oh – Cliburn Amateur 2016 Preliminary Round Recital

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

Joann Oh, 41
Office manager
Irvine, California
United States

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

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

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.”

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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 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.

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.

Yekwon Sunwoo – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

YEKWON SUNWOO
2017 CLIBURN GOLD MEDALIST
South Korea | Age 28

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Sunday, May 28, 2017 – 10:50 a.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:

HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:48
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
SCHUBERT-LISZT Litanei auf das Fest Aller Seelen
RACHMANINOFF Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, op. 36 (1931)

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.

Kenny Broberg – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

KENNY BROBERG
2017 CLIBURN SILVER MEDALIST
United States | Age 23

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 3:20 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
FRANCK-BAUER Prélude, Fugue et Variation, op. 18
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
BACH Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
BARBER Sonata for Piano, op. 26

A native of Minneapolis, Kenneth Broberg studied piano from age 6 through high school under Dr. Joseph Zins. He continued his studies with Nancy Weems at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. He is now a graduate student working with 2001 Cliburn gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Mr. Broberg has won first prizes at the Hastings and Dallas international piano competitions, in addition to medals at the Sydney, Seattle, New Orleans, and Wideman (Shreveport) competitions. Several of his performances at last year’s Sydney International Piano Competition were released on CD on the Universal Music label. He has performed as soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Chamber Symphony, and the Louisiana Philharmonic, among others. Mr. Broberg has had solo, chamber, and concerto performances broadcast on NPR and ABC (Australia) radio. His passions include hockey, baseball, books, and movies.

Daniel Hsu – Cliburn 2017 Preliminary Recital

DANIEL HSU
2017 CLIBURN BRONZE MEDALIST
United States | Age 19

Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 26, 2017 – 7:30 p.m.
Bass Performance Hall

Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, op. 110
HAMELIN Toccata on “L’homme armé”
LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan

A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Daniel Hsu began piano studies with Larisa Kagan at 6. He was accepted at age 10 to the Curtis Institute of Music, where he is the Richard A. Doran Fellow and studies with Gary Graffman and Eleanor Sokoloff. In 2016, Mr. Hsu was named a Gilmore Young Artist and won the bronze medal at the 9th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. As first-prize winner of the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, Mr. Hsu made his Carnegie Hall debut in April 2017. He made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in June 2016, and concerto appearances this season include concerts with the Grand Rapids Symphony, New Haven Symphony, and Symphonia Boca Raton. His notable recitals include appearances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Concert Series; and Merkin Concert Hall’s Tuesday matinee series in New York. Mr. Hsu also is a film buff and enjoys computer programming. He contributed to the creation of the Workflow productivity app, which won a 2015 Apple Design Award and has improved the experience of mobile devices for visually impaired users.