Press Release

PianoArts 2010 North American Piano Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Milwaukee, Wisconsin - May 17, 2010

Contact: Sue Medford, 414.962.3055

Info@PianoArts.org • www.PianoArts.org

Twelve extraordinary young pianists from across the U. S. have been selected through a rigorous screening process to compete for over $20,000 in prizes, scholarships, fellowships, and performance opportunities in PianoArts’ biennial international piano competition and festival at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 North Prospect Avenue, and Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 West Capitol Drive, June 3-9.

This year’s competition for pianists, ages 15-20, includes a music festival featuring master classes and a recital by the judges, a recital by 2008 winner Sejoon Park, and special performances by the twelve semifinalists selected to compete this year. Tickets range from $10 to $30 and can be purchased by calling 414-962-3055 (or 262-781-9520 for Wilson Center events). For discounted Festival Tickets (students $52 and adults $80), phone 414-962-3055.

Events will open with a recital at the Wisconsin Conservatory by Sejoon Park on June 4 at 7:30 p.m. On June 5 and 7, from 8:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., semifinalists will perform solo and collaborative recitals with Milwaukee Symphony musicians at the Conservatory before audiences and a distinguished panel of three judges: José Feghali, Joel Harrison and Robert McDonald. After listening to each contestant perform for almost 1-½ hours, the judges will select three to perform full concertos with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and PianoArts Music Director Andrews Sill on June 9 at 7:30 p.m. for the Finals & Awards Concert at Brookfield’s Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.

The solo and duo programs, as well as the concertos performed by each of the semifinalists, are posted on the PianoArts Web site. Running coverage of the competition can be followed at www.pianoarts.blogspot.com.

New in 2010:

• Recital, José Feghali, 2010 judge

• Non-competitive master classes by the judges for auditioned young musicians

• Master class recital by participating young musicians

• Panel discussions: “Careers in Music” and “Working with Managers and Presenters”

• “Concerto Conversations” with Stephen Basson, prior to the Finals & Awards Concert

• Community concerts performed by the semifinalists

• “Junior Jury,” a panel of young musicians who select their own 2010 winner

Prizes totaling over $20,000 will be formally presented during the Awards Ceremony, including First, Second, and Third Place Prizes; Audience Communication Award; Best Performance of a Violin or Cello/Piano Duo; scholarship to the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College of Music in New York City; Fellowships toperform for diverse Milwaukee audiences; concert performances, including a Debut Recital at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts; and the Junior Jury Prize.

The competition began in March with candidates from seven countries and states coast to coast performing the Preliminary Round on DVD. Judges were Dr. Eun-Joo Kwak, Cardinal Stritch University; Dr. Christos Tsitsaros, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign; and Dr. Jeannie Yu. The non-voting chair was Dr. Margaret Otwell.

PianoArts is committed to providing professional growth for all competitors. Every contestant receives one-on-one comments about their performances from the judges at all competition levels. Semifinalists and finalists attend concerto master classes and have private sessions with professionals on topics such as “Speaking to Audiences about Music.” All rehearse with Music Director Andrews Sill, and their collaborating pianists, violinists and cellists in advance of their public competition performances.

Pianists Advanced to the Semifinals are:

Alexander Beyer

Age 15

Fairfield, Connecticut
(Warde High School)

John Chen

Age 16

Lovettsville, Virginia
(Notre Dame Academy

The Juilliard Pre-College Division)

Alison Chiang

Age 18,

Plano Texas
(Plano West Senior High School)

Benjamin Hopkins

Age 20

Rochester, New York;

(University of Southern California,

Thornton School of Music)

Andrew Kim

Age 20

Los Angeles, California

(University of California at Los Angeles)

Yesse Kim

Age 17

Ann Arbor, Michigan
(Pioneer High School)

David Yoshiaki Ko

Age 17

Millbrae, California

(Hannover University for Music & Dance, Hannover, Germany)

Philip Kwoka

Age 18

Wellington, Florida
(Cleveland Institute of Music)

Fan-Ya Lin

Age 20

Taipei, Taiwan and Ogden, Utah

(Weber State University)

Tristan Savella

Age 18

Ithaca, New York
(Eastman School of Music)

Michael Stewart

Age 20

West Valley City,Utah

(University of Utah)

Kai Talim

Age 17

Portland, Oregon

Sunet High School

About PianoArts

The mission of PianoArts is to develop innovative ways to foster appreciation and performance of classical music by identifying and training a new generation of pianists with exceptional musical and verbal communication skills and by presenting them to diverse audiences.