Evaluations, Insight, and Praise

"I think the phrase 'competition' is misleading, because the atmosphere of this experience is more like that of a music academy where the focus is on piano art, where one goes to sharpen artistic skills and made friends instead of focusing on winning." -Konrad Binienda, 2006 Finalist

"The two things I was most impressed about at this competition were the integrity of the judges' comments and the organization of the competition. I learned quite a bit from my conferences with the judges especially in terms of my long-term development. The organization of the competition was very impressive and was clear that a tremendous amount of time and energy had gone into the crafting of the competition schedule." - 2006 contestant

Jie Chen credited PianoArts and her competition experience with giving her the "confidence she needed" to pursue her performing career. -Jie Chen, 2003 First Place Winner

"PianoArts is not just a competition. the people organizing the competition go to such lengths to make your experience a good one, and the environment is such that all the competitors become friends, something I have never seen before. I would also say that purely as a competition, Piano Arts is very respectable and maintains a very high level of competitiveness. Finally, I would say that the best thing about the organization is that it's always changing and moving in new directions."-2006 contestant

"It was so much more than a competition and I think all involved (the contestants) left changed in some way." -2006 contestant

"My overall experience in this competition was very positive. I felt I played very well, and was rewarded for it with with the scholarship to the Festival at Mannes. The people I met in Milwaukee were invariably very wise and helpful, especially my hosts. The competition was so professionally run and the music so wonderful that I cannot help but feel it was more a vacation than a competition. This was my most positive competition experience by far." -2006 contestant

"Performing in front of diverse age groups in places like schools retirement centers and even a small house concert (Soirée) taught me how to approach the different age groups of listeners and adapt to particular situations." -InSoo Jung, 2005 Winner of First Place Winner

"The rehearsals with the professional musicians were valuable experiences – such great opportunities for everyone, not just the finalists." -2006 contestant

"The opportunities offered to me by PianoArts, have changed my attitude towards classical music in 21^st century. Not only must a pianist/musician be a world class performer, but he/she must show the world why it is so important to keep classical music alive. Through my experiences, I have been inspired to keep community outreach an active part of my career. The PianoArts organization truly understands and embraces classical music in today’s world. They have enriched the lives of countless people and I am grateful and honored to be a part of the PianoArts family.

In the last few years, I have realized the most important task for young musicians is to be ambassadors of classical music. This means we must find new and exciting ways to inspire the youth and show the world classical music; PianoArts is a leader in this field." -Jacob Ertl, 2002 Winner of Second Place Prize