At The Cliburn...

Sixth INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION FOR OUTSTANDING AMATEURS

The Van Cliburn Foundation, recently announced the jury, press jury, and competitors for the sixth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs which will be held May 23-29, 2011 at Ed Landreth Auditorium on the campus of Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.

Established in 1999, the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs was the first of its kind in the United States and celebrates the importance of music-making as a vital part of daily life. The competition is open to pianists age 35 and older who do not derive their principal source of income through piano performance or instruction. Over the course of the week, these talented musicians will compete in three elimination rounds, have opportunities to explore chamber music works with professional musicians, and participate in symposia and other social events.

View a video clip from "THEY CAME TO PLAY"
a documentary about the competition

This year, the Amateur Competition will bring together a diverse group of 77 of the world's finest non-professional pianists, ranging in age from 35 to 79 years old. They represent 18 nationalities and hail from 11 different countries including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Representing a broad range of occupations and professions, the competition will feature performances by attorneys, physicians, business executives, and architects, as well as by a retired dancer, a jeweler, a screenwriter, a kindergarten teacher, and a Formula One racecar designer, among others.

Competitors will be judged by a jury of distinguished performers and scholars, and by a press jury comprised of some of the nation’s foremost music critics. The jurors will oversee the competition’s three elimination rounds and will announce the winners in a special awards ceremony on May 29 at 6:30 p.m. Three top-prize winners, each receiving a cash award, will be selected. Additionally, jury discretionary, press jury, and specific programming prizes will also be awarded.

Special Note: Van Cliburn was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony in March 2011.


COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Preliminaries: All 77 competitors will present a 10-12 minute solo recital featuring the works of their choice.
Monday, May 23, 2011— 1:00-5:15 p.m. and 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011— 1:00-5:15 p.m. and 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011— 1:00-5:00 p.m. and 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Semifinals: 25 competitors will present a 16-20 minute solo recital featuring the works of their choice.
Friday, May 27, 2011— 2:00-5:00 p.m. and 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 28, 2011— 2:00-5:00 p.m. and 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Finals: Six finalists will each present a 25-30 minute solo recital featuring the works of their choice.
Sunday, May 29, 2011— 1:00-4:40 p.m.

Subscription packages and individual tickets are available by calling 817.738.6536 or at Cliburn.org. Subscriptions range in price from $100-130, and tickets for individual competition sessions are available from $10-$35.

SYMPOSIA

“How Can a Wrong Note Be Perfect?” with William Westney
Wednesday, May 25, 2011—10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Choir Room­, Pepsico Recital Hall, TCU)

Is perfectionism healthy? Should we avoid mistakes or embrace them? In this lively and candid presentation, pianist and author William Westney will challenge much of the “conventional wisdom” about music lessons, relating musical processes to other fields of endeavor and recent neurological findings. Attendees are invited to bring in specific technical “trouble spots” from their repertoire for demonstration work during this insightful lecture. This event is free and open to the public.

Press Jury Symposium
Saturday, May 28, 2011—10:00-11:45 a.m. (Pepsico Recital Hall)

Doug McLennan, founder and editor of Artsjournal.com and director of the National Arts Journalism Program, will lead the distinguished members of the press jury in an open panel forum on the state of the arts. This event is free and open to the public.

JURY

John Giordano, Chairman of the Jury; Music Director, Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra; Music Director Emeritus, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra; Distinguished Fellow in Music, Texas Christian University.

Gregory Allen, Professor of Piano, University of Texas at Austin.

Shields-Collins Bray, Principal Keyboardist, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra; Artistic Advisor, Van Cliburn Foundation.

Richard Dyer, Music Critic (retired), The Boston Globe.

José Feghali, Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Piano, TCU; Gold Medal Winner, Seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1985).

Stanislav Ioudenitch, Associate Professor of Piano and Artistic Director, International Center for Music at Park University; Gold Medal Winner, Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2001).

Yoheved Kaplinsky, Chairperson of the Piano Department, The Juilliard School; Professor of Piano, TCU.

Jon Nakamatsu, Gold Medal Winner, Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997).

John Owings, Herndon Professor of Music, TCU.

Pamela Mia Paul, Regents Professor of Music, University of North Texas.

PRESS JURY

Doug McLennan, Chairman of the Press Jury; Founder and Editor of ArtsJournal.com; Director of the National Arts Journalism Program.

Scott Cantrell, Classical Music Critic, The Dallas Morning News.

Jeremy Eichler, Classical Music Critic, The Boston Globe.

Philip Kennicott, Culture Critic, The Washington Post.

David Patrick Stearns, Classical Music Critic and General Arts Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer.

Mark Swed, Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times.


COMPETITORS

United States

Alabama
Tony Roberson, Associate Professor of Nursing, Tuscaloosa
Debra Saylor, Vocal Instructor, Huntsville

Arizona
Mark Fuller, Attorney, Phoenix

Arkansas
Utako Tanigawa, Senior Director of IT Portfolio Management, Bentonville

California
Brad Arington, Attorney, San Jose
Nazeli Atayan Rohman-Fly, Homemaker, Pasadena
Ken Iisaka, Internet Start-up Entrepreneur and Consultant, Mill Valley
Alex Leow, Physician/Physician Scientist, Sacramento
Yvonne Liu, Early Childhood Music Educator, Foster City
Esfir Ross, Dental Assistant, Oakland
Mari Shiokawa (Jacobson), Homemaker, San Francisco
Shi-Chin Yvonne Tsai, Pediatrician, La Palma
Choo Hooi (Janice) Khoo, Medical Practice Manager, Bakersfield

Connecticut
Daniel Bertram, Parent, Avon
Dave Duebendorfer, Investment Manager, Westport
Pablo Eizayaga, Banker, Riverside
Larry Harris, Investment Manager (retired), Madison

District of Columbia
Victor Dyni, Music Librarian (retired), Washington, D.C.
Alexandre Leite, Investment/Project Finance Professional, Washington, D.C.

Florida
Martha Chestnut Hartman, Management Consultant (retired), Celebration

Georgia
Christopher Sarzynski, Physician, Atlanta

Hawaii
Mari Yoshihara, Professor of American Studies, Honolulu

Illinois
Janet Underhill, Music Teacher (retired), Chicago

Maryland
Thomas A. Maurice, Purchasing Manager, Baltimore
Christopher Shih, Physician, Ellicott City

Massachusetts
Angela Lee Tien, Homemaker, Winchester

Michigan
Debby Pearlberg, Math Tutor, Southfield

Minnesota
Joseph Mercuri, Hospitalist Physician, Sartell
Stephen Stouder, Account Executive at UnitedHealthcare, Apple Valley

Montana
Larry Masterson, Physician Assistant, Terry

New York
Victor Buckman, Computer Systems Director (retired), Bronx
Mark Cannon, Psychiatrist, Larchmont
Seth Darst, Professor of Molecular Biophysics, New York
Mari Ito, Architect, Brooklyn

North Carolina
Al Thomas, Real Estate Appraiser, Burlington

Ohio
Vincent Schmithorst, Research Scientist, Batavia

Oklahoma
J. Spencer Thompson, Radiation Oncologist, Edmond

Oregon
Darlene Cusick, Piano Teacher (retired) and Church Organist, Portland
Judy Darst, Piano Teacher (retired), Bend
Dr. John A. DeRuntz, Jr., Mathematician, Scientist, and Professor (retired),
Tigard

Pennsylvania
Barry Coutinho, Family Physician, Pittsburgh
Lori Gilbert, Advertisting Sales, Wexford

Texas
Anne Blakeney, Homemaker, Dallas
J. Michael Brounoff, U.S. Administrative Law Judge, Plano
Christine Cheng, Physician, Houston
Mark Graham, Health Care Worker, Denton
Robin Green, Attorney (retired), Dallas
Clark Griffith, Database Programmer (retired), Fort Worth
Marisa Naomi Haines, Teacher of AP Statistics, Murphy
David Hibbard, Railroad Manager (retired), Fort Worth
Denise Humphrey, Clinical Psychologist, Dallas
Leticia Martinez, Criminal Prosecutor, Fort Worth
James Raphael, Fine Jeweler, Real Estate, Salon Owner, Fort Worth
Paul Rutschmann, Adjunct Instructor of European and German History, Arlington

Utah
Jane Gibson King, Homemaker, Provo
Madalyn Bingham Taylor, Homemaker & Business Owner, Ogden

Washington
Valentina Rodov, Attorney (retired), Seattle


International

Australia
JY Lim, Attorney, Sydney
Iona Luke, Attorney, New South Wales

Brazil
Jose Mauro Peixoto, Portfolio Manager, Sao Paulo

Canada
Ricker Choi, Financial Risk Consultant, Toronto, Ontario
Jun Fujimoto, Marketing Specialist, Scarborough, Ontario
Leslie Myrick, Hospital Administrator (retired), Toronto, Ontario
Matthew A. Tingle, Business Executive, Windsor, Ontario

France
Vincent Letourmy, Project Manager at Thales Group, Donflans Sainte

Honorine
Germany
Atsutaka Manabe, Physicist, Bensheim
Eberhard Zagrosek, Physicist (retired), Berlin

Italy
Andrea Terenzi, Dentist, Rome

Japan
Hajime Kobayashi, Management Consultant, Niiza-shi, Saitama
Kazuyuki Ohmura, Software Engineering Manager, Kawaski-shi, Kanagwa-ken
Reiko Osawa, Homemaker, Itami, Hyogo
Yoko Taruki, Kindergarten Teacher, Yokohama
Takanori Yamato, Retail Sales Promotions Manager, Tokyo

Mexico
Jorge Zamora, Distribution Manager in Telecommunications, Huixquilucan

Philippines
Gerard Q. de Guzman, Pharmacist, San Fabian, Pangasinan

United Kingdom
Andrea De Tomas, Attorney, London
Dominic Piers Smith, Team Leader in Aerodynamics for Mercedes Formula One Team, Middle Barton, Oxfordshire

LEARN MORE about The Cliburn as it approaches the 50th anniversary of the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Source: The CLIBURN