Program Book of the 29th (2024) New Orleans International Piano Competition by Musical Arts Society of New Orleans

TWENTY-NINTH

July 13 – 20, 2024

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

STEINWAY ARTISTS the world’s most discerning pianists

Over nineteen out of twenty professional pianists choose to perform on steinway . steinway & sons is proud to support the New Orleans International Piano Competition.

STEINWAY .COM

lang lang yuja wang

jean yves thibaudet

spencer myer

alexandre moutouzkine

martha argerich

harry connick, jr.

billy joel

alan chow

Olga Kern

faina lushtak

igor resnianski douglas humphreys jon batiste

stanislav loudenitch

alexander korsantia

TWENTY-NINTH

TWENTY-FOURTH PIANO INSTITUTE

July 13 20, 2024

COMPETITION JURY

Tanya Bannister

Douglas Humpherys

Igal Kesselman

Alexander Korsantia

Faina Lushtak

Alan Chow, Chairman of the Jury

Presented by the Hosted by Loyola University College of Music and Media

P.O. Box 750698 • New Orleans, LA 70175-0698 masno.org

Cara McCool Woolf, Executive & Artistic Director

The New Orleans International Piano Competition uses Steinway Pianos

2024 -25 Season Highlights 2024 -25 Season Highlights

September 19, 2024

November 3, 2024

January 24, 2025

Acadiana Symphony Orchestra features pianist Ziang Xu performing Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto | Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA

October 2, 2024

BACHTOBERFEST features the Electric Yat Quartet, pianist André Bohren, and Friends | Margaret Place Hotel, New Orleans

October 6, 2024

NOCTURNE XXI Gala features pianist Olga Kern | Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

Le Petit Salon Concert Series features bass-baritone Ivan Griffin, pianist Wilfred Delphin, and special guest Michael Boucree | Beauregard-Keyes Historic House & Gardens, New Orleans

November 21, 2024

Le Petit Salon Concert Series features pianist, singer, composer

Benjamin Patrier-Leitus | 4311 Coliseum St., New Orleans

January 23, 2025

Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra

features pianist Elia Cecino performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue | River Center, Baton Rouge

Musical Excursions features pianist Elia Cecino | Performing Arts Center, University of New Orleans

March 22, 2025

Concerto Showcase XII features the three medalists of the 2024 N.O. Int’l Piano Competition with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Timothy Muffitt | Roussel Hall, Loyola University New Orleans

July 20-28, 2025

New Orleans Piano Institute and Keyboard Festival | Loyola University New Orleans

29th New Orleans International Piano Competition Keyboard Festival, & Piano Institute Schedule of Events

SATURDAY, JULY 13 Master

SUNDAY, JULY 14 Master

MONDAY, JULY 15

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

New Orleans Piano Institute Concerto Competition

AM Sponsored by Hall Piano Company and the Steinway Society of New Orleans Q&A

FRIDAY, JULY 19 New Orleans Piano Institute Showcase Recital I

SATURDAY, JULY 20

Presentation: Shaping My Career Path Courtney Bryan, Guest Presenter 10:30 AM

All events are held in the Loyola Music and Communications building. 6301 St. Charles Avenue., New Orleans Master Classes and Presentations will take place in Room 240. The NOPI Concerto competition, Showcase Recital, New Orleans International Piano Competition Rounds, and Guest Artist Recital will be held in Roussel Hall.

Visit the Davenport Lounge, where we are always playing

here we are always playing

Visit the Davenport Lounge, where we are always playing your song. YOU.

Visit the Davenport Lounge, where we are always playing your song. LET US STAY WITH YOU.

Allow resident musician Jeremy Davenport and his band to provide the soundtrack to your next memorable New Orleans night. We hope to welcome you soon.

Allow resident musician Jeremy Davenport and his band to provide the soundtrack to your next memorable New Orleans night out. We hope to welcome you soon

Allow resident musician Jeremy Davenport and his band to provide the soundtrack to your next memorable New Orleans night. We hope to welcome you soon.

Greetings,

As the new Dean of the College of Music and Media, it’s my honor to serve and work alongside the most talented faculty, staff, and students. Our commitment to excellence in music and media education is unwavering, and we are dedicated to nurturing the talents of our community, ensuring that every individual's potential is realized and celebrated.

On behalf of Dr. Xavier Cole, President of Loyola University New Orleans, I am excited to welcome the New Orleans International Piano Competition to our campus. Few artistic events in New Orleans have captured the attention and loyal support, such as the New Orleans International Piano Competition. Loyola University and the College of Music and Media proudly cultural event. As two storied institutions dedicated to supporting and growing true musical craft, our ties are inextricably linked. It is with great joy that we continue this tradition here in our music spaces, eagerly anticipating the talent and passion that will fill our halls.

On behalf of Dr. Xavier Cole, President of Loyola University New Orleans, I am excited to welcome the Musical Arts Society’s 29th New Orleans International Piano Competition to our campus. Few artistic events in New Orleans have captured the attention and loyal support, such as the New Orleans International Piano Competition. Loyola University and the College of Music and Media proudly participate in this signature cultural event. As two storied institutions dedicated to supporting and growing true musical craft, our ties are inextricably linked. It is with great joy that we continue this tradition here in our music spaces, eagerly anticipating the talent and passion that will fill our halls.

Among the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, Loyola University New Orleans is the sole institution with a College of Music and Media. Our College offers diverse programs centered on teaching and supporting students as they build a robust life around their creative passions. From theatre and dance to music degrees in performance, education, therapy, and industry to degrees in graphic design, journalism, and filmmaking, our students are innate storytellers seeking to express and connect beyond themselves. We have numerous events throughout the year, giving you a unique opportunity to engage with our vibrant community. Please sign up for our weekly newsletter to learn more about our work. Visit cmm.loyno.edu/presents to learn more about what we do and to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Once again, we welcome you to Loyola and the 29th New Orleans International Piano Competition.

Sincerely,

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, Ph.D., APR Dean of the College of Music and Media Loyola University New Orleans

Once again, we welcome you to Loyola and the 29th New Orleans International Piano Competition.

Sincerely,

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, Ph.D., APR

Dean of the College of Music and Media

Loyola

University New Orleans

Dear Piano Lovers,

Welcome to the 29th New Orleans International Piano Competition! This year’s edition features twelve talented contestants selected from over 200 applications representing 28 countries. I want to thank our screening panel—Kathryn Brown, Alan Chow, and Spencer Myer, the winner of our 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition— for their tireless work in identifying these incredible musicians who will entertain us with breathtaking performances this week. Every edition of this competition is a reminder that great musicianship is a calling for each new generation, as they present their fresh perspectives on the classical piano repertoire.

This event also showcases New Orleans’ status as a world artistic capital, not only for jazz, pop music, and culinary arts, but for classical arts as well. The opportunity for our city to host some of the world’s best classical pianists is a reminder that artists of all disciplines have always been drawn to New Orleans as a city that inspires world-class artists and that appreciates world-class performances.

Alongside the Competition, MASNO will also be hosting the New Orleans Piano Institute, our primary musical education program. NOPI is an award-winning, intensive solo performance program for advanced and intermediate college, high school, and middle school pianists. The participants, who come from around the country and the world, receive private lessons, perform in master classes, attend lectures and discussions, appear in a Showcase Recital, and are eligible to compete in NOPI’s Concerto Competition. The winners of the concerto competition perform with the New Orleans Civic Symphony, which is often these young pianists’ first opportunity to perform with a symphony. The masterclasses, Showcase Recital, and NOPI’s Concerto Competition are all open to the public, free of charge, and I encourage everyone to take the opportunity this week to support these young musicians.

Throughout the year, MASNO also supports our former winners and local artists by hosting concerts throughout the greater New Orleans area. We invite you to join us at one of our Petit Salon concerts, our Bachtoberfest, or our annual gala, Nocturne. This year’s Nocturne artist, Olga Kern, is a world-renowned pianist who promises to put on an incredible show. More information about all of MASNO’s events can be found on our website, www.masno.org.

To make all of this possible, MASNO relies on the generous support and efforts of our sponsors, supporters, and Board of Directors. I want to thank the competition judges (particularly Chairman of the Jury, Alan Chow), the Piano Institute faculty, and all of the volunteers who made this week possible. We are particularly grateful to Steinway & Sons, Hall Piano Company, the Steinway Society of New Orleans, Loyola University College of Music and Media, WWNO 89.9, Classical 104.9 FM, and the Thistlewood Foundation for their continuing support of MASNO. And I want to make special mention of Cara McCool Woolf, our Executive & Artistic Director whose tireless efforts and dedication have made MASNO the great organization it is today and allowed us to continue to put on this world-class competition.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, thank you for your support, and enjoy this incredible week of music!

Sincerely,

Jason Burge President, MASNO Board of Directors

New Orleans International Piano Competitions

New Orleans International Piano Competitions

Welcome to the 2024 New Orleans International Piano Competition, Keyboard Festival and Piano Institute! How wonderful it is to gather again for this magnificent and inspirational week of music making!

The 29th New Orleans International Piano Competition returned with the Preliminary Recorded Round boasting a record number of incredible applicants. Chosen solely based on their artistry with no known information beyond their audition performances, the twelve pianists you will hear this week rose to the top out of 207 applicants representing 28 different countries.

Highly regarded for excellence and fairness, the NOIPC continues to put New Orleans on the map in the world of classical piano while playing an integral role in the careers and livelihoods of many artists. Giving these artists a chance to be heard on the international stage is at the heart of our mission to promote emerging artists and nurture the development of talent.

It is my great honor to announce that our commitment to excellence has been recognized with our recent acceptance into the World Federation of International Music Competitions. We proudly join this global community of wonderful instrumental competitions as one of only 5 USA based piano competitions. We are thrilled to work together with them for the good and support of young musicians around the world and look forward to all that this new partnership will bring to New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and the Southern/Gulf Coast Region.

We are also proud of our strengthened partnership with Steinway & Sons as they remain committed to provide the Recording Prize on their label to our 1st Place Prizewinner.

Presented concurrently with the competition is our annual New Orleans Piano Institute (NOPI) and Keyboard Festival. We are so pleased to welcome festival guest artist Alexander Korsantia and our internationally esteemed NOIPC Jury and NOPI Faculty. I know that you will enjoy Alexander’s recital as well as the wonderful master classes and student performances presented by NOPI.

As with all arts organizations and events of this scope, it would be impossible to succeed without the work and dedication of many – many who have faithfully served year after year.

My deepest appreciation goes to our Chairman of the NOIPC Jury, Alan Chow, who led our prescreening jury to select the 12 pianists here this week. I could not possibly work with a more stellar artist and colleague.

I sincerely thank NOPI Directors Igor Resnianski and Hristo Birbochukov for their excellent work in organizing this internationally regarded institute for young pianists. I also want to thank Hall Piano Company, the Steinway Society of New Orleans, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, and the New Orleans Civic Symphony for their partnerships with NOPI.

We could not produce this event without generous support from our Partners and Sponsors. Many thanks to our host Dean Haydel and Loyola University College of Music and Media, Vivian Chui and Steinway & Sons, Steve Kinchen and Hall Piano, WWNO 89.9 and Classical 104.9 FM, and to our many other event sponsors. Thank you to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Igal Kesselman/Merkin Hall, and Chuck Taylor/University of New Orleans for their NOIPC prize collaborations. Thank you to all of our individual prize sponsors with very special thanks to the late Madelyn Trible and Richard Goula and the Thistlewood Foundation.

My sincerest gratitude extends to Director Emeritus Daniel Weilbaecher for his vision and leadership through many years, and to MASNO Assistant Director, Stefan Moll for his incredible work, support, and energy. I also want to thank MASNO Board President Jason Burge and all the members of the Board of Directors for their strong dedication, continued support, and enthusiastic participation throughout the year. To all of the NOIPC dinner and Semifinalists Hosts, your benevolence is invaluable. Thank you to all of our volunteers and staff, with particular mention to Will Bush, Lou Bush, Kevin Chance, Glenn Noya, Matt McWilliams, Rob Olmstead, Bri McMorris, Robin Crutcher, Dean Shapiro, Connie Carroll, and Vance Woolf. And to all of YOU, our donors and friends, we would not be here without you!

Enjoy this wonderful week, and I hope you’ll make plans to join us soon in the upcoming season! Thank you for being a part of the New Orleans International Piano Competition, and thank you for being a part of MASNO!

With kind regards,

Cara McCool Woolf Executive & Artistic Director,

Orleans

– Robin Crutcher

MASNO HiStOry 2024

Originally founded in 1980 as the New Orleans Institute for the Performing Arts (NOIPA) by Melvin Alford and Julianne Nice, the organization aimed to provide students and teachers in the performing arts with masterclasses and workshops, as well as expose them to performances by artists in the mainstream of professional activity.

Since its beginning, MASNO has provided both artists and students an opportunity to perform for appreciative audiences and has assisted students in developing skills necessary to build artistic discipline within a comfortable and supportive environment. MASNO has continued to present performances by emerging as well as established artists and to encourage the community to embrace the arts, particularly classical music. In addition to individual events during the year, a weeklong festival featuring master classes, lectures, and performances has been presented annually since 1981, until its one-year postponement in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 1989, Madelyn Trible and Raymond Gitz founded the New Orleans International Piano Competition (NOIPC) as an augmentation to the summer keyboard festival. Without delay, the competition began expanding in scope, attracting competitors and audiences from around the globe, and quickly becoming regarded as one of the finest showcases of pianistic talent.

In the fall of 1994, Melvin Alford stepped down as NOIPA’s first Executive/Artistic Director, and Daniel Weilbaecher was asked to take this position. At that time, NOIPA was renamed the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans.

In 1999, the New Orleans Piano Institute (NOPI) was begun as the educational component of MASNO’s summer event. NOPI is an award-winning, intensive solo performance program for talented college, high school, and junior high pianists that includes private lessons, masterclasses, special presentations, performance, and competition opportunities. All of this is within the inspirational context of the biennial NOIPC and the annual Keyboard Festival. Shearon Horton and Raymond Gitz were the first directors of NOPI, and in 2010, Joni Jensen replaced Raymond as NOPI Local Director. Upon Shearon’s retirement in 2013, Alan Chow and Igor Resnianski accepted the Co-Director positions. In 2017, Joni Jensen joined Igor as NOPI Co-Director. Since 2020, Hristo Birbochukov has served with Igor as Co-Director. The institute format continues to expand and now includes a solo competition on alternate years of the NOIPC as well as virtual components. In addition, the Steinway Society of New Orleans presents the NOPI Concerto Competition of which the winner receives a cash prize as well as the opportunity to perform with the New Orleans Civic Symphony.

In the spring of 2004, MASNO presented its first Concerto Showcase featuring the three medalists of the preceding NOIPC to each perform concerti with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Since only solo repertoire is heard during the competition, Concerto Showcase was envisioned as an extension of the NOIPC allowing our top three prizewinners to be heard in concert with the LPO.

From the strategic viewpoint, a new path was established for the evolution of MASNO’s premiere offering in 2009. The NOIPC, which had always been open to pianists without age restriction, began a biennial alternation with the New Orleans international Piano Competition for Young Artists, open to pianists between 14 and 18 years of age. In 2012, the MASNO Board of Directors decided to end the international competition for young artists and to present NOIPC every other year. Despite its postponement in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing a 4-year pause, the NOIPC continues as a biennial event.

In 2013, after 20 years as both Executive and Artistic Director of MASNO, Daniel Weilbaecher resigned his position as Executive Director while continuing to serve as Artistic Director. In the fall of 2014, Cara McCool was named MASNO’s Executive Director, and in 2018, she also took the position of Artistic Director upon Daniel’s retirement. At this time, Alan Chow was named Chairman of the Jury of the New Orleans International Piano Competition, as it had formerly been one of Daniel’s roles.

One of Cara’s goals was to broaden MASNO’s presence in the New Orleans musical community extending beyond the summer-centered events. During her tenure, she has led the organization to expand their presence locally, nationally and internationally by extending their calendar to a full annual season featuring an increasingly diverse roster of talent presented in collaboration with a growing number of partners. Under her leadership and with the support of the Board of Directors and Friends, MASNO continues increasing the number of educational and community outreach opportunities they provide as well as both virtual and live events throughout the area such as their virtual mini-concert series MASNOtes, Le Petit Salon Concert Series and other online offerings in an effort to stay connected to the community while continuing to support artists Post-Pandemic.

The New Orleans International Piano Competition continues to expand in its global reach as well as its reputation for excellence. A member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation for many years, the NOIPC was most recently inducted into the World Federation of International Music Competitions in June of 2024. It also boasts a strengthening partnership with Steinway & Sons using all Steinway pianos for the competition and being the recipient of a Recording Prize on the Steinway & Sons label for the 1st Place Winner of the NOIPC.

Celebrating its 44th anniversary in 2024, MASNO proudly holds true to its vision and mission continuing its efforts to make New Orleans a vital and vibrant center for the musical arts recognized locally, nationally and internationally; and by supporting artists, encouraging supportive audiences, nurturing the development of talent, and championing music education.

Board of Directors

ExEcutivE & ArtiStic DirEctOr

ASSiStANt DirEctOr

cHAirMAN Of tHE Jury NOiPc

DirEctOr EMErituS

PrESiDENt

iMMEDiAtE PASt PrESiDENt

PrESiDENt-ElEct

trEASurEr

cOrrESPONDiNg SEcrEtAry

Members

Hristo Birbochukov

Michael Boucree

Courtney Bryan

Julie Doan

David Greenhouse

Brian Hsu

Joan Jensen

Competition Committee

BOx OfficE/tickEt SAlES

BOutiquE

cOMPEtitiON cOMMittEE cHAir

cOMPEtitiON cOOrDiNAtOrS

cOMPEtitiON HOSPitAlity cOOrDiNAtOrS

MAStEr clASSES

MArkEtiNg

cOMPEtitOr MEDAlS

PHOtOgrAPHy

cOMPEtitiON PAiNtiNg/POStEr ArtwOrk

PiANOS

PiANO tEcHNiciAN

PrEliMiNAry/rEcOrDED rOuND

PrOgrAM BOOk

Designer

Production

Cara McCool Woolf

Stefan Moll

Alan Chow

Daniel Weilbaecher

Jason Burge

William Marshall

Robert Edgecombe

Bruce Crutcher

Terry Voorhies

Leo Landry

Igor Resnianski

Barbara Sands

Megan Shannon

Anne Sumich

Charles Taylor

Victoria Zangara

EMERITUS MEMBERS

Mary Sue Chambers (1928-2021)

Julianne Nice

Bruce Trible (1927-2022)

Madelyn Trible (1930-2023)

Stefan Moll, Vance Woolf

Anne Sumich, Barbara Sands, Erin Jensen

Cara McCool Woolf

Alan Chow, Cara McCool Woolf

Cara McCool Woolf, Stefan Moll,

Coordinators; Lou Bush, Nora Wetzel

Hristo Birbochukov, Igor Resnianski

William Marshall, Stefan Moll, Glenn Noya, Cara McCool Woolf

Tiffany Adler, Adler’s Jewelry

Scott Myers Photography, Victoria Z Photography

Robin Benton Crutcher

Hall Piano Company, Steinway & Sons

Matt McWilliams

Alan Chow, Cara McCool Woolf

Noya Design, Inc., Glenn Noya

Mpress, Kelly Gaubert

Coordinator Cara McCool Woolf

Alexander Korsantia, piano Guest Artist

Dubbed “a major artist” by the Miami Herald and a “quiet maverick” by the Daily Telegraph, pianist Alexander Korsantia has been praised for the “clarity of his technique, richly varied tone and dynamic phrasing” (Baltimore Sun), and a “piano technique where difficulties simply do not exist” (Calgary Sun). The Boston Globe found his interpretation of his signature piece, Pictures at an Exhibition, to be “a performance that could annihilate all others one has heard.” And the Birmingham Post wrote: “his intensely responsive reading was shot through with a vein of constant fantasy, whether musing or mercurial.” Ever since winning Gold Medal at the Artur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition and the First Prize at the Sidney International Piano Competition, Korsantia’s career has taken him to many of the world’s major concert halls, collaborating with renowned conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach, Gianandrea Noseda, Valery Gergiev, and Paavo Järvi, with such orchestras as the Chicago Symphony, Kirov Orchestra, RAI Orchestra in Turin, The City of Birmingham Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and Israel Philharmonic.

In the current and coming seasons Mr. Korsantia performs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Boston Philharmonic, Akron Symphony and Xiamen Philharmonic, Rachmaninoff’s Third with Israel Symphony, and Jerusalem Symphony, Prokofiev’s Second with Stuttgart Philharmoniker and Telavi Festival in Georgia, Beethoven’s Fourth with Israel Philharmonic, Chopin Second with Jerusalem Symphony, Israel Chamber Orchestra and Ingolstadt Chamber Orchestra. With The Far Cry chamber group he performed Galina Ustvolskaya’s Piano Concerto in Boston. In addition, he plays recitals at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, National Concert Hall in Taipei, the Walnut Hill School, Greenfield Village (Michigan), Blaibach, Germany, Lodz (Poland), Jordan Hall in Boston, Cincinnati Conservatory, Shanghai Concert Hall, Gulangyu Concert Hall, Chengdu Conservatory Hall as well as extensive recital tours in Israel and Georgia.

Mr. Korsantia’s past engagements include appearances with the Huntsville, Pacific, Louisville, Bogota, San Juan, Jerusalem, Oregon, Vancouver, Omaha, New Orleans, Elgin, Mannheim, Tokyo, Louisiana, Oslo, Malaga and Israel symphony orchestras; Georgian Sinfonieta; Ingolstadt and Israel chamber orchestras; Jerusalem Camerata; Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse; Polish Radio Orchestra; and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional in Mexico City, among others. He has been heard in the Piano Jacobins concert series in Toulouse; in Warsaw, Boston, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Vancouver, Calgary, San Francisco, Lodz; with the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg; at the Tanglewood, Newport, Stresa, Gilmore, and Verbier festivals and music series, performing solo recitals and collaborating with musicians such as Vadim Repin, Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Sergei Nakariakov and the Stradivari Quartet among others. Bel Air Music and Piano Classics are among the recording labels Mr. Korsantia has worked with. The most recent release is a collection of Beethoven (Eroica Variations), Rachmaninoff (Chopin Variations), and Copland (Piano Variations) on Piano Classics and Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto with Stuttgart Philharmonic Daniel Ettinger conducting on Henssler label. His solo piano transcription of Ravel’s La valse has been published by Sikorski Musikverlage in 2018 and solo piano transcription of The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky with the Bass Drum is scheduled to come out soon. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Alexander Korsantia began his musical studies at an early age moving with his family to the United States in 1991. In 1999, he was awarded one of the most prestigious national awards, the Order of Honor, bestowed on him by then-President Eduard Shevardnadze. He is a recipient of the Golden Wing award (2015) and Georgia’s National State Prize (1997). Korsantia resides in Boston where he is a Professor of Piano on the faculty of the New England Conservatory. Mr. Korsantia is the artistic adviser of the annual music festival “From Easter to Ascension” in Georgia.

Saturday, July 13, 2024

4:00 PM

Franz Schubert

Josef Haydn

Sonata in G major D894

Molto moderato e cantabile

Andante

Menuetto. Allegro moderato

Allegretto

INTERMISSION

Sonata in F major Hob XVI/23 Allegro moderato

Larghetto

Presto

Igor Stravinsky Petroushka

Shrovetide Fair

Magic Trick

Russian Dance

At Petroushka’s

At the Moor’s

Shrovetide Fair (Evening)

Transcribed for solo piano and tambourine by A. Korsantia

Thursday

Ji Su Jung, marimba; Timothy Chooi, violin

Saturday Tony Arnold, voice; Sam Hong, piano

Tuesday Tesla Quartet

Thursday Trio Castus (NOLA Chamber Fest Winner)

Friday

Elia Cecino, piano (Winner, 2022 NOIPC)

Wednesday Lara St. John, violin

Wednesday Zed, Sax Quartet

Friday

Sybarite 5 String Quintet

MATTHEW KRAEMER MUSIC DIRECTOR

2024 New Orleans International Piano Competition Prizes

FIRST PRIZE given by Madelyn Trible

• $25,000

• $10,000 cash award, $15,000 performance fees*,

Studio Recording on the Steinway & Sons Label value of $40,000

• Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra:

• Season Subscription concert

• Concerto Showcase

• Acadiana Symphony Orchestra

• Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra

• Solo Recitals:

• Solo Recital on the Tuesday Matinee Series in New York’s Merkin Concert Hall for the 2025-2026 Season

• Solo Recital on the University of New Orleans Musical Excursions Series, 2025-2026 Season

• Solo Recital

SECOND PRIZE

• $15,000

• $11,000 cash award, $4,000 performance fees

• Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra:

• Concerto Showcase

• Solo Recital

THIRD PRIZE given by Toni and Allan Ledbetter

• $10,000

• $7,500 cash award, $2,500 performance fee

• Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra:

• Concerto Showcase

SEMIFINAL PRIZES (Nine at $1,000) given by:

• Drs. Andrea and Archie Brown

• Jason Burge and Rebekka Veith

• Mrs. Alva Chase in memory of Edgar ”Dooky” Chase III (2)

• Alan Chow in memory of Menahem Pressler

• Dr. Edward D. Levy, Jr.

• Julianne Nice and Herb Larson in memory of Deborah Jo Nice

JURY DISCRETIONARY PRIZE given by Dr. James Farrow

• $1,000

Prizes supported by Richard Goula and the Thistlewood Foundation.

*Concerto Showcase XII, Saturday, March 22, 2025: A concert featuring the top three medalists of the 29th New Orleans International Piano Competition with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maestro Timothy Muffitt

The New Orleans International Piano Competition uses Steinway Pianos

CHAIRMAN OF THE JURY

Alan Chow

Chairman of the Jury

MASTER CLASS

Monday, July 18

3:45 PM

AlAN cHOw

Acclaimed for his “elegant poetry and virtuosic ﬁre,” Alan Chow has won First Prize in the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the UCLA International Piano Competition, and the Palm Beach Invitational International Piano Competition. Winner of the Silver Medal and Audience Favorite Prize at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, he was also a prizewinner in the William Kapell International Piano Competition.

A Steinway artist, Mr. Chow has performed in recital and in concert with orchestras from coast to coast in 47 states. His recitals have brought him to the major music centers including New York (Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall), Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago (Symphony Center and Ravinia), Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Miami. Concerto performances include appearances with the National Symphony, Utah Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Tulsa Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, and Omaha Symphony. Mr. Chow regularly tours Asia with performances in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, including performances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Shanghai Philharmonic and the Pan-Asia Symphony. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with the American, Paciﬁca, Miami and Escher String Quartets and has been guest artist at the Grand Canyon Chamber Music Festival, Juneau Jazz and Classics, San Juan Islands Chamber Music Festival, Kent Blossom Music Festival, Texas Music Festival, Music Festival of Arkansas and Music Mountain. In addition, he appears in joint recital engagements in the Cheng-Chow Trio with pianists Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow. Also in demand for his teaching, Mr. Chow has given master classes throughout North America and Asia at conservatories, universities and summer festivals including the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, Bowdoin Music Festival, New Orleans International Piano Festival, Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival, Las Vegas Piano Festival, Tunghai International Piano Festival (Taiwan), Classical Music Festival (Austria) and in Singapore. Appointed guest professor at the Central Conservatory in Beijing and honored visiting professor at the Shenyang Conservatory, he has also presented recitals, master classes, and lectures in China at the conservatories in Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian and Wuhan.

Mr. Chow studied with Nelita True at the University of Maryland where he graduated Co-Valedictorian with his twin brother Alvin, and received the Charles Manning Prize in the Creative and Performing Arts given to the outstanding graduate; with Sascha Gorodnitzki at The Juilliard School where he was awarded the Victor Herbert Prize in Piano; and with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University where he was the recipient of the Joseph Battista Memorial Scholarship. He also studied at the Mozarteum Sommerakademie with Carlo Zecchi.

Previously having served on the faculty of the University of Arkansas and Northwestern University, Mr Chow is currently Professor of Piano and Chair of the Piano Department at the Eastman School of Music.

RECORDED/PRELIMARY ROUND JURORS

Kathryn Brown

Kathryn Brown has performed around the globe as concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. She is widely hailed for her interpretations from Mozart to Gershwin, as well as her premieres of the new music of today. She gave her New York recital debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and has also appeared in concert at New York’s 92nd Street Y. She has been featured on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, and at Severance Hall, German Embassy in Cleveland, Philips Collection and Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Brown’s international highlights include concerts at Prague’s Rudolfinum Hall, University of London and National Theatre in Ghana, Africa. She has appeared on Columbia Artists’ Community Concert Series and performed an extensive tour of Sweden, Africa and Estonia as winner of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Artistic Ambassador Program.

A recipient of the Darius Milhaud Prize, Brown is an advocate of contemporary music and has recorded and premiered works by Gian Carlo Menotti, Keith Fitch, David Tcimpidis, Margaret Brouwer, Michael Hersch and Matthias Pinscher.

Brown has performed extensively as a chamber musician. Pianist and co-founder of the Myriad Chamber Players, a seventeenmember ensemble comprised of musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra and international soloists, Brown’s chamber music credits also include performances at the Marlboro Music Festival in collaborations with members of the Guarneri String Quartet and Beaux Arts Trio. She has also performed with the Cavani String Quartet, members of the Lincoln Center Chamber Players and The Verdehr Trio. She was featured with Dmitri Ashkenazy on Ravinia’s Rising Stars series, and has collaborated with many musicians from the world’s leading orchestras.

Brown also performed at Carnegie Hall with The Cleveland Orchestra as orchestral keyboardist under the baton of Christoph von Dohnányi. She has been featured on the British Broadcasting Network, PBS Artistry of... series, Chicago’s WFMT Radio and NPR’s Performance Today. Brown’s discography includes releases on the Telarc, New World, Albany and Crystal labels.

An accomplished singer and recitalist, Brown’s performance highlights include premieres at Severance Hall with The Cleveland Orchestra, as well as feature roles at the Aspen Music Festival and Tanglewood Music Center.

Brown is an enthusiastic supporter of the education of young musicians and presents master classes, lectures and is a frequent juror of competitions nationally and internationally. She has performed and taught at numerous summer festivals. This past summer’s festival schedule included Pianofest in the Hamptons and the inaugural Silk Road International Keyboard Festival in Quanzhou, China. Brown’s principal teachers include Paul Schenly, Deborah Moriarty, Maria Curcio, Ralph Votapek, YongHi Moon and Julian Martin. Brown currently serves

Spencer Myer

Lauded for “superb playing” and “poised, alert musicianship” by the Boston Globe, and labeled “definitely a man to watch” by London’s The Independent, American pianist SPENCER MYER is one of the most respected and sought-after artists on today’s concert stage.

Spencer Myer’s orchestral, recital and chamber music performances have been heard throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia. He has been soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Boise, Dayton, Rhode Island, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the Baton Rouge, Indianapolis, Knoxville, New Haven, Omaha, Phoenix, Santa Fe and Tucson Symphony Orchestras, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Mexico’s Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco and Beijing’s China National Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with, among others, conductors Michael Christie, Leslie B. Dunner, Arthur Fagen, Robert Franz, Bernhard Gueller, Jacques Lacombe, Jahja Ling, Timothy Muffitt, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Kevin Rhodes, Lucas Richman, Steven Smith, Thomas Wilkins and Victor Yampolsky. His 2005 recital/orchestral tour of South Africa included a performance of the five piano concerti of Beethoven with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, followed by six eturn orchestra and recital tours.

Spencer Myer’s recital appearances have been presented in New York City’s Weill Recital Hall, 92nd Street Y and Steinway Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and London’s Wigmore Hall, while many of his performances have been broadcast on WQXR (New York City), WHYY (Philadelphia), WCLV (Cleveland) and WFMT (Chicago). An in-demand chamber musician, he has appeared numerous summers at the Lev Aronson Legacy Festival in Dallas with cellists Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum, Amit Peled and Brian Thornton, and has enjoyed a recurring partnership for over a decade with the Miami String Quartet at the Kent/Blossom Music Festival. Other artistic partners have included clarinetist David Shifrin, sopranos Nicole Cabell, Martha Guth and Erin Wall, the Jupiter and Pacifica String Quartets and the Dorian Wind Quintet.

Spencer Myer’s career was launched with three important prizes: First Prize in the 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in South Africa, the 2006 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship from the American Pianists Association and the Gold Medal from the 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition. He is also a laureate of the 2007 William Kapell, 2005 Cleveland and 2005 Busoni International Piano Competitions. He enjoys an esteemed reputation as a vocal collaborator since winning the 2000 Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition. Mr. Myer was a member of Astral Artists’ performance roster from 2003-2010.

A renowned pedagogue, Spencer Myer is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Previously, he has served as a guest faculty at the Oberlin and Baldwin-Wallace Conservatories of Music, and was a member of the Piano Faculty of Boston’s Longy School of Music of Bard College from 2016 to 2022. He currently serves on the Board of New York’s Musicians Foundation and Brooklyn Art Song Society.

Spencer Myer’s debut CD for harmonia mundi usasolo music of Busoni, Copland, Debussy and Kohs - was released in the fall of 2007 to critical acclaim by Fanfare and Gramophone magazines. Mr. Myer has released five recordings on the Steinway & Sons label since 2017: Piano Rags of William Bolcom, three discs with cellist Brian Thornton encompassing cello/piano repertoire of Brahms, Debussy and Schumann, and most recently Chopin’s Four Impromptus.

Spencer Myer is a Steinway Artist.

www.spencermyer.com

Spencer Myer

Kathryn Brown

COMPETITION JURORS

Tanya Bannister

MASTER CLASS

Tuesday, July 16

3:45 PM

tANyA BANNiStEr

Lauded by The Washington Post for playing “…with intelligence, poetry and proportion,” pianist Tanya Bannister has made a versatile career that is immersed in tradition combined with an entrepreneurship that seeks to create projects that inspire genuine connections between music and the world we live in.

As co-founder and Artistic Director of AlpenKammerMusik in Austria, Ms. Bannister has created an intimate musical experience in which music lovers and students from around the world can spend 12 days in a small Alpine village engaged in the study of chamber music with world class faculty.

Ms. Bannister has also co-founded Roadmaps Festival in New York City, an artistic, humanitarian and cultural venture. This year’s festival centered around the crisis in Syria.

Ms. Bannister has been a winner of Concert Artists Guild International Competition and the New Orleans International Piano Competition confirming her status among the leading pianists of her generation. Receiving further distinction as an “Artist to Watch” on the cover of SYMPHONY Magazine, Ms. Bannister’s career has already brought her to many of the world’s great concert halls, with recitals at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Salle Cortot in Paris, Teatro Communale in Bologna, Tokyo’s Nikkei Hall, London’s Queen Elizabeth and Wigmore Halls, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

With a history of philanthropy , in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which occurred soon after Ms. Bannister’s victory in New Orleans, she joined forces with three previous winners of that competition to form “Pianists for New Orleans.” These artists have performed together across the US to achieve their ambitious mission to raise $100,000 to help support the classical music community of New Orleans. Ms. Bannister also has a live recital CD that she created together with renowned ethnobotanist Paul Alan Cox following the devastating tsunami in Japan to raise funds to support children that survived in the devastated remote island of Oshima.

Douglas Humpherys

MASTER CLASS

Monday, July 15

3:45 PM

Passionate about chamber music, Ms. Bannister has recently performed with quartets including Parker, Enso and Daedalus quartets and musicians such as Randall Scarlata, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Josef Spacek, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Martin Chalifour, Tessa Lark, Trey Lee and Wendy Warner.

Orchestral highlights of Ms. Bannister’s recent seasons include Liszt’s Concerto No. 1 with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Brevard Symphony, Chopin’s Concerto No. 2 in e minor with the Greenwich (CT) Symphony, Erie Philharmonic and Reno Chamber Orchestra and Mozart’s Concerto in E-flat, K. 449 with the Arcadiana Symphony in Louisiana. Upcoming and recent appearances, warmly praised by the New York Times, include the highly regarded Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, Reno Chamber Music Festival, Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., Look and Listen Festival in New York, Scottsdale Arts and AlpenKammerMusik in Austria, where she also serves as Artistic Director.

In addition to mastering the traditional repertoire, she has a deep affinity for contemporary music and has premiered numerous works written for her, including Christopher Theofanidis, David del Tredici, Suzanne Farrin, Harold Meltzer and Sidney Corbett. She has released several CDs, including a CAG release of piano concerti of Mozart, Chopin and Schubert arranged with string quintet, which was selected for special mention by the New York Times. Ms. Bannister’s debut recording, featuring three late piano sonatas of Muzio Clementi, was released in 2006 on the Naxos label. BBC Music Magazine declared: “Barenboim’s EMI Beethoven sonata cycle is readily brought to mind. Yet although she possesses enviable articulate and accurate fingers, she is also sensitive to the music’s many lyrical asides.” Her recording for Albany Records, This is the story she began, features solo piano music of American composers David Del Tredici, Christopher Theofanidis, Suzanne Farrin and Sheila Silver; the New American Record Guide complemented her as “exceptionally talented…with a scintillating tone and subtle sense of chording.”

Born to an English father and Japanese mother, Ms. Bannnister started her musical education in Hong Kong and continued in London, Italy, Germany and the USA. Ms. Bannister holds degrees from the Royal Academy of Music in London under Christopher Elton and Hamish Milne, Yale University, where she studied with Claude Frank, and New York’s Mannes School of Music, where she received an Artist Diploma as one of a handful of pianists selected to study with Richard Goode.

DOuglAS HuMPHEryS

Since winning the gold medal at the first Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, Douglas Humpherys’ concert career has spanned four decades across four continents. Currently listed as a Steinway Artist, he has performed solo concerts and taught master classes throughout Asia, including twenty tours of China, plus engagements in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.

He has presented solo concerts in Moscow, Novgorod, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, Barcelona, Venice, Dublin, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Serbia, and has performed throughout the United States and Canada at numerous universities and festivals. Recently, he was a guest artist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and at the DiMenna Center Concert Series in New York City. He has concertized and taught in Argentina with Teachers del NortePianists del Sur, a project sponsored inpart by the U.S. Embassy.

Mr. Humpherys completed graduate degrees at the Juilliard School (MM) and the Eastman School of Music (DMA), where he served for twenty years as Chair of the Piano Department, and is currently Professor of Piano. During his student days he studied with Nelita True, Martin Canin, and Robert Smith.

In high demand as a teacher, he has taught hundreds of master classes, including the Central Music School of the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, throughout the Chinese Conservatory system, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Korean National School of the Arts, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

His students have won prizes at among others, the Honens, Cleveland, Maria Canals, Olga Kern, Virginia Waring, Hilton Head, Washington DC, Poulenc, UNISA, and Sussex (UK) International Piano Competitions, as well as five national first-prize winners of MTNA Competitions. In 2016, Professor Humpherys received Eastman’s Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2021 he was inducted into the Steinway and Sons National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Currently, he is Artistic Director and Jury Chair of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, and has been a faculty member at the Bowdoin, Beijing, Shanghai, Gijon (Spain), Wallace (New Zealand), and Rebecca Penneys International Piano Festivals, the Philadelphia Young Pianists Academy, and the Miami, Washington DC, Interlochen, Atlantic, Northern Lights, and North Coast, Music Festivals.

COMPETITION JURORS

igAl kESSElMAN

Praised for his “kaleidoscopic” playing by the New York Times, pianist Igal Kesselman is one of today’s most forward-thinking performers and music educators. After making his American debut with the Washington Chamber Symphony at the Kennedy Center, he has performed throughout the country in such venues as Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space and Merkin Concert Hall in NYC; the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Dr. Kesselman was a top prizewinner at “Citta de Marsala” International Piano Competition in Italy and has performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Israeli Camerata.

Highlights from the last few seasons include performance of Mozart Double Concerto with pianist Orli Shaham and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, solo recitals for subscription series of Tel Aviv University and Arizona State University, and performances with Rob Kapilow on What Makes It Great series at Merkin Concert Hall. He also conducted Masterclasses at Oberlin Conservatory, the Colburn School in Los Angeles, Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox MA, Jerusalem Academy of Music, and Arizona State University at Tempe.

Dr. Kesselman received his B.M. degree, cum laude, from S. Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and his M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. His teachers have included Yoheved Kaplinsky, Emanuel Krasovsky and Irina Zaritskaya. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Lucy Moses School and Special Music School at the Kaufman Music Center in Manhattan and curates the popular Tuesday Matinee series at Merkin Concert Hall. Dr. Kesselman serves frequently as a judge in international competitions and auditions, including Concert Artist Guild, New Orleans International Piano Competition, Astral Artists, Virginia Wering international Piano Competition and Boston University. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition. Dr. Kesselman is a member of the piano faculty at the Lucy Moses School, and at the Special Music School, New York’s public school for musically gifted students.

fAiNA luSHtAk

Faina Lushtak was born and raised in the Soviet Union. A child prodigy, she began her piano and composition studies at the age of six. Following her early instruction under her mother, Genya Lushtak, Faina went on to study and graduate from the Stoliarsky School for Musically Gifted Children under the tutelage of Eleonora Levinson in Odessa, Ukraine. She continued her studies at the Moscow Tchaikowsky Conservatory, where she earned degrees in piano performance and composition under the apprenticeship of Genrietta Mirvis, Yakov Zak, and Tikhon Khrennikov. Subsequently, she became a faculty member at the Moscow Conservatory until emmigrating to the United States. Since her debut at the age of ten, Ms. Lushtak’s performances have inspired audiences throughout Ruissa, Western Europe, Canada, and the United States. She has appeared as a guest artist with numerous symphony orchestras under the batons of noted conductors, including Klauspeter Seibel, William Henry Curry, Maxim Shostakovich, and Alfred Savia. She has also performed as a solo recitalist in major cities throughout the United States, including repeat performances at the Lincoln Center. Faina Lushtak has had numerous invitations to appear as a guest artist and judge at international competitions and festivals, including the Nena Wideman Competition, the Gina Bachauer International Junior Competition, the Canadian National Music Competition, the Eastman Young Artists International Piano Competition, the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Yamaha-Bosendorfer Competition, and the New Orleans International Piano Competition. At the Bachauer Festival, The Salt Lake Tribune commented: “that two hours spent basking in her glorious music wasn’t enough.”

Currently Ms. Lushtak is a Downman Professor of Music at Tulane University. She also serves on the faculty of the Orfeo International Music Festival in Italy. Ms. Lushtak’s performance of works by Rachmanioff, Scraibin, and Chopin’s Mazurkas have been recorded on the Centaur label. Fanfare Magazine described her “vibrant, dynamic readings, delicate expressiveness and a dazzling virtuosity.” Ms. Lushtak’s compositions for piano have been published by Willis Music and Boosey & Hawkes, England. Faina Lushtak is a Steinway artist and her latest CD: “My Mother’s Music Box” has also been published by Centaur Records.

MASTER CLASS Thursday, July 18 1:15 PM

Korsantia see page 20

MASTER CLASS Thursday, July 18 3:45 PM

Faina Lushtak

Igal Kesselman

Alexander

New Orleans Piano Institute

InstItute Co-DIreCtors

Hristo Birbochukov

Igor Resnianski

FaCulty/ClInICIans

Courtney Bryan

Kevin Chance

Alan Chow

Dustin Gledhill

New Orleans Piano Institute Directors Igor Resnianski and Hristo Birbochukov have selected twenty-three pianists to participate in the 2024 New Orleans Piano Institute – a piano academy taking place concurrently with the New Orleans International Piano Competition and the New Orleans Keyboard Festival. Being in its 24th year, NOPI invites talented college, high school and junior high pianists from across the United States and around the world to participate in an intensive solo performance program, including private lessons with distinguished faculty, masterclasses, special presentations in piano literature and performance practice, and an opportunity to perform in the Showcase Recital. NOPI students are invited to attend all of the rounds of the New Orleans International Piano Competition as a part of their participation in the Institute.

Students are also invited to compete in the NOPI Concerto Competition sponsored by Hall Piano Company and The Steinway Society of New Orleans. The winner of the Concerto Competition will receive a $500 cash prize and an invitation to perform with the New Orleans Civic Symphony in the following season.

NOMTA, an affiliate of the Music Teachers National Association, is committed to providing opportunities for teachers and students to develop their musical gifts to a level of excellence.

The public is invited to attend all events of the Piano Institute and Keyboard Festival. Throughout this exciting event, there will be opportunities to hear masterclasses and special presentations, the NOPI Concerto Competition, the NOPI Student Showcase Recital, and the New Orleans Keyboard Festival guest artist recital of Alexander Korsantia. All masterclasses, NOPI student performances and the Concerto Competition are free of charge.

The NOPI teaching faculty this year includes Hristo Birbochukov (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts), Kevin Chance (University of Alabama), Alan Chow (The Eastman School of Music), Dustin Gledhill (New York) Faina Lushtak (Tulane University of New Orleans), and Igor Resnianski (West Chester University of Pennsylvania). Masterclasses will be given by all NOPI faculty as well as NOIPC jury members and guest artists.

Presented with support from

HriStO BirBOcHukOv

The Bulgarian-born pianist Hristo Birbochukov has performed extensively as a solo and collaborative pianist across Eastern Europe and the United States, including a New York debut solo recital in 2012. Known for his “superb artistry” and “sensitivity” (Edward Lein, Intermezzo Concert Series), Birbochukov is a prize-winner of national and international competitions and has participated in international music festivals, including the International Festival for Contemporary Piano Music ppIANISSIMO (Sofia, Bulgaria), and the Festival of New Music (Florida, USA). Birbochukov’s awards include Phi Kappa Phi Artist of the Year (Florida, 2007), and Tallahassee Music Guild (2005 and 2007). His television and radio appearances have included broadcasts in both Bulgaria and in the United States and he has been featured in national and international press, including the official website of BBC Music Magazine.

Hristo Birbochukov holds a Doctor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Florida State University, a Master of Music degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the National Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria, under Prof. Dimo Dimov.

A sought-after educator, Dr. Hristo Birbochukov was named Steinway & Sons Top Teacher for 2017 and 2018. Students of Dr. Birbochukov are frequent winners of state, regional, and national piano competitions, and were selected as finalists for NPR’s program “From the Top.”

Presently, Dr. Birbochukov is the Chair of the Classical Instrumental Department of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and an Artist Teacher in Applied Piano. In addition, he is on the Music Faculty of NOBTS, where he teaches Applied Piano to DMA piano students, he is a Co-Director of the annual New Orleans Piano Institute (NOPI), and on the Board of Directors of the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans (MASNO). More info: www. birbochukov.com

kEviN cHANcE

Kevin Chance serves as Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Alabama where he coordinates the Gloria Narramore Moody Piano Area. As soloist and collaborator, Kevin has performed throughout the United States and abroad, and recent orchestral appearances have included Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto, Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety, Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, and SaintSaëns’s Le Carnaval des animaux. Performing regularly as a chamber musician, Kevin has been a member of the Semplice Duo with flutist Cristina Ballatori for the past 20 years, and their performances have included world premiers at the National Flute Association Conference as well as recitals in Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, Alabama, New York, and Europe.

Kevin has recently received a number of accolades for his teaching. Most recently, he was named a 2020-2022 Leadership Board Faculty Fellow for the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, which recognizing excellence in teaching and research. In 2019, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Steinway and Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame in New York City and was named 2019 Music Educator of the Year by the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa. Additionally, he was named the 2015 Teacher of the Year by the Alabama Music Teachers Association. Kevin maintains an award-winning studio of college and pre-college students, and his students have garnered awards at the state, regional, and national levels. In demand as a clinician and adjudicator, he frequently presents at the MTNA National Conference as well as state and local music teacher organizations throughout the country. In January 2021, Kevin served as the headliner clinician for the University of Georgia Piano Symposium, and each summer, he serves on the faculty of the New Orleans Piano Institute each summer.

Kevin holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Louisiana State University, and Birmingham-Southern College, and his former teachers include Barry Snyder, Constance Knox Carroll, Anne Koscielny, Ann Schein, William DeVan, and Betty Sue Shepherd. Kevin has recently served as President of the American Matthay Association for Piano and recently finished his term as Vice President of MTNA, and he was recently elected as President-Elect of MTNA.

Hristo Birbochukov NOPI Director

MASTER CLASS Saturday, July 13 2:30 PM

Kevin Chance

Master of Ceremonies

MASTER CLASS Monday, July 15 11:15 AM

Alan Chow see page 26

Dustin Gledhill

MASTER CLASS

Tuesday, July 16

1:15 PM

DuStiN glEDHill

Dustin is an International prizewinning pianist, composer, songwriter, producer, teacher, director, writer and actor.

As a child prodigy and young adult pianist, he garnered over twenty first-prize awards in international competition.

As composer / performer, he has collaborated with modern dance companies and choreographers such as Pina Bausch, Russell Maliphant, Parisa Khobdeh, Maya Taylor and Brad Landers.

Dustin collaborated with writer and director Nathan Wright, composing electronic-Classical inspired music for a collage-theater piece, “Manifesto,” featuring the life of Serge Diaghilev. www.thediaghilevproject.com

Igor Resnianski

NOPI Director

MASTER CLASS

Sunday, July 14

11:15 AM

Dustin has been commissioned to compose for podcasts such as Autism Speaks and other commercial work. In 2016, Dustin, along with singersongwriter and sister-in-law Mindy Gledhill, formed synth-pop duo, Hive Riot, releasing an award-winning album, music videos and additional singles. Hive Riot: YouTube Link

Dustin is director of the Gledhill Arts Collective - a group of private teaching studios In NYC, complemented by collaborative professional events and workshops. www.GledhillArtsCollective.com.

As a board member and secretary for The Bohemians: New York Musicians’ Club, Dustin fully produced their virtual concert series in 2021 for their 115th season. www.thebohemians.org

Current and future projects include recording and performing the complete piano music of Gabriel Fauré from 2020-2024, commemorating one hundred years since his death. www. DustinGledhill.com

A once upon a time native of Provo, UT., Dustin is a graduate of The Juilliard School, Royal Academy of Music and Manhattan School of Music and a Doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University in New York. Dustin currently lives in Bronx, NY

igOr rESNiANSki

A Steinway artist, Dr. Resnianski is a prize winner of many international piano competitions including the First Prize of the New Orleans International Piano Competition; the Bronze Medal of the International World Piano Competition, Cincinnati, Ohio; the Bronze Medal of the Nena Wideman International Piano Competition, Shreveport, Louisiana, the Fifth Prize in the first Beijing International Piano Competition, and the Second Prize of the All Russian Piano Competition Sodrujestvo. In Russia, he appeared in the famous halls of Moscow and St. Petersburg including the historic Glinka Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg and appeared with many orchestras in the Siberian region.

In June 1996, Mr. Resnianski made his concerto debut in America performing with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson and in South America performing a solo recital at the Medellin International Festival, Colombia. Since then he performed with Kennett Symphony, PA, New Orleans and Acadiana Symphony Orchestras, LA, etc. Gave solo recitals in Guiyang, China; Fort Worth and Arlington, TX; New Orleans and Lafayette, LA; Cincinnati, OH and Palm Beach, FL; Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ; Santa Clara, CA and Houston, TX; etc.

His performances were televised and broadcasted in Novosibirsk, Russia; Palm Beach, FL; Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Resnianski’s performances were featured on the PBS/WHYY Y-Arts television channel. His chamber recordings were released under St. Petersburg Recording Company and Sony Entertainment.

2012 Teacher of the Year for the state of Pennsylvania, Dr. Resnianski teaches master-classes and judges local, state, national, and international competitions in the US and abroad. He is a regular faculty of such festivals as PianoTexas International Academy and Festival, Fort Worth TX; Piano Institute at Texas Music Festival, Houston TX; New Orleans Piano Institute, LA, California Concerto Weekend, CA, etc. Since September 2013, Dr. Resnianski accepted responsibilities of a co-director of the New Orleans Piano Institute.

His students are winners of many local, state, national, and international piano competitions. Among them are the Philadelphia Orchestra Greenfield Concerto Competition; William Kapell Young Artist International Piano Competition; Liszt International Competition in Los Angeles; Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford Connecticut; World Piano Competition in Cincinnati; MTNA/PMTA state piano competition; New Orleans Piano Institute Competition solo and concerto; TCU-Cliburn Piano Institute Concerto Competition; etc.

His students performed in many countries including USA, Russia, France, Germany, China. They appeared on such venues as Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia; Tchaikovsky and Roerich museums in Moscow; Wail Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall at Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center in New York; Ed Landreth Hall in Fort Worth, TX; Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall in Philips Memorial Building at West Chester, PA, etc. They appeared with such orchestras as Philadelphia Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony, Kennett Symphony, Lansdowne Symphony, Ambler and York orchestras, New Orleans Civic Orchestra, etc.

Dr. Resnianski is an Assistant Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester, PA. He also teaches privately and at the Nelly Berman School of Music in Haverford, PA.

cOurtNEy BryAN

Courtney Bryan, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, is “a pianist and composer of panoramic interests” (New York Times). She is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow, and currently serves as composer-in-residence with Opera Philadelphia.

This season sees two world premieres: Dreaming (Freedom Sounds), performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble at New York’s Kaufman Music Center, and a new orchestral piece for Jacksonville Symphony. Last season, Bryan performed as soloist in the world premiere of her piano concerto House of Pianos, which debuted in a chamber ensemble version with the LA Phil New Music Group led by Paolo Bortolameolli, and in a full orchestra version with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Louis Langrée. Bryan’s Gathering Song, with libretto by Tazewell Thompson, also received its debut with the New York Philharmonic and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, conducted by Leslie B. Dunner.

Other recent works include Blessed, commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and produced as a film that weaves together musical recordings and footage from New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia; Syzygy for violin and orchestra, premiered by Jennifer Koh and the Chicago Sinfonietta; and Yet Unheard for soprano, chorus, and orchestra, commissioned by The Dream Unfinished and premiered with Helga Davis.

Bryan’s work has been presented in a wide range of venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Miller Theatre, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Blue Note Jazz Club, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Her compositions have been performed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (Creative Partner, 2020-2023), Jacksonville Symphony (Mary Carr Patton Composer-InResidence, 2018–2020), London Sinfonietta, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Chicago Sinfonietta, Quince Ensemble as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW series, American Composers Orchestra, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, New York Jazzharmonic, Spektral String Quartet, and Talea Ensemble.

Bryan’s interest across multiple artforms have led to collaborations with visual artists Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Steffani Jemison, Abigail DeVille, Kara Lynch, Lake Simons, Amy Bryan, and Alma Bryan Powell; director Patricia McGregor; writers Sharan Strange, Matthew D. Morrison, and Ashon Crawley; and musicians Branford Marsalis, Jennifer Koh, Ryan Speedo Green, Helga Davis, Brandee Younger, and Damian Norfleet.

Bryan holds a doctorate in composition from Columbia University, where she studied with George Lewis. She also holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory (BM) and Rutgers University (MM). Bryan completed postdoctoral studies in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. She is currently the Albert and Linda Mintz Professor of Music at Newcomb College in the School of Liberal Arts at Tulane University. Recent accolades include the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (2018), Samuel Barber Rome Prize in Music Composition (2019–2020), United States Artists Fellowship (2020), and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship (2020–2021).

Bryan has given music workshops at various universities including Princeton University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Berklee College of Music, The California Institute of the Arts, The University of South Carolina, Brown University, University of California, San Diego, DePaul University, and Xavier University of Louisiana. She has participated in and helped design programs that guide young people to improvise, compose, and work with music technology, including programs through Columbia University, Jacksonville Symphony, and Carnegie Hall.

Bryan has released two recordings, Quest for Freedom (2007) and This Little Light of Mine (2010); a third recording is in progress, Sounds of Freedom

Courtney Bryan Guest Presenter

PRESENTATION

Shaping My Career Path

Saturday, July 20 10:30 AM

RECORDED/PRELIMINARY ROUND

Any solo piano repertoire selected by the competitor, not to exceed 30 minutes in length. Individual movements of the sonatas are acceptable in this round only.

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

A memorized public recital, not to exceed 35 minutes in length, consisting of works chosen by the competitors. All twelve semifinalists will advance to Semifinal Round II.

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

A memorized public recital, not to exceed 25 minutes in length, consisting of works chosen by the competitor which have not been performed in Semifinal Round I. Three contestants will be chosen to advance to the Final Round.

FINAL ROUND

A memorized public recital, not to exceed 50 minutes in length, consisting of works not performed by the competitor in the Semifinal Rounds.

JuDgiNg PrOcEDurES fOr tHE PrEliMiNAry/rEcOrDED rOuND

Throughout the two stages of the Preliminary/Recorded Round, Judges watched and listened to videos submitted by the applicants online via Acceptd. In the initial stage, three judges were responsible for paring the field of applicants from 207 to 40.

In the second stage, three judges, each watching and listening independently, ranked their top twelve performances. Results were tabulated and the top twelve performers were invited to New Orleans to compete as semifinalists.

JuDgiNg PrOcEDurES fOr tHE cOMPEtitiON Jury

SEMIFINAL

ROUND I & II

At the completion of Semifinal Round II of the competition, the five voting members of the jury (the chair of the jury is a non-voting member) will independently select, without discussion, three contestants to advance to the Final Round. Each of these contestants must have received at least three of the jurors’ votes. In the case of a tie, the competition jury will be asked to choose, without discussion, between the tied competitors. In the case where a juror withdraws, the chair becomes a voting member.

FINAL ROUND

At the completion of the Final Round of the competition, the five voting judges will independently cast their ballots, without discussion, for the pianist they believe should win the First Prize. To be awarded this prize, the pianist must have received at least three of the jurors’ votes. In the case of a tie, the competition jury will be asked to choose, without discussion, between the tied competitors. The judges will repeat this process to determine the winner of the Second and Third Prizes.

Piotr Alexewicz • P oland

Born in 2000, Piotr Alexewicz studied at The Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, under Prof. Paweł Zawadzki. He continues his studies under Prof. Konstantin Scherbakov at the Zurcher Hochschule der Kunste in Zurich. He reached the semi-finals of the XVIII International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and received the Prof. Zbigniew Drzewiecki Prize.

A laureate of the 1st Prize, Piotr Alexewicz triumphed twice in the 48th and 50th National Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competitions. He boasts accolades from various competitions, including the Grand Prix, Audience Award, and Musicdeco Prize at the 3rd International Ville de Gagny Piano Competition in Paris, and the 2nd Prize at the Jeunesses International Music Competition Dinu Lipatti in Bucharest.

In 2019, his debut phonographic album was released by the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute (NIFC CD 704). Collaborating with the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra under Howard Shelley, he recorded all of Fryderyk Chopin’s non-concerto compositions for piano and orchestra (NIFC CD 201). In 2024, he recorded Chopin’s 26 Preludes and Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35, set for release.

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Beethoven

Piano Sonata No.13 in E-flat Major, Op.27, No.1

Andante

Allegro molto e vivace

Adagio con espressione

Allegro vivace

Brahms

Prokofiev

Scherzo in E-flat Minor, Op.4

Piano Sonata No.3 in A-Minor, Op.28

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Medtner Sonata-Elegy in D minor, Op.11, No.2

Liszt

Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata

FINAL ROUND

Schumann Fantasy in C Major, Op.17

Durchaus fantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen; Im Legenden-Ton

Mäßig. Durchaus energisch

Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten.

Chopin

Piano Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.35

Grave – Doppio movimento

Scherzo

Marche funèbre: Lento

Finale: Presto

From 2018 to 2024, Piotr Alexewicz performed at international festivals including “Chopin and His Europe” in Warsaw, and made his debut at the Berlin Philharmonic in 2023. He has performed extensively in Poland and abroad, including Japan, where he embarked on a three-week concert tour in 2023. Collaborating with the Berliner Symphoniker orchestra, he performed Beethoven’s Concerto in E-flat major, Op. 73.

Bingjian Chen • c H i NA

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Mozart Sonata in D Major, K.576

Allegro

Adagio

Allegretto

Rachmaninoff Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op.42

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Ravel Gaspard de la nuit

I. Ondine

II. Le Gibet

III. Scarbo

FINAL ROUND

Messiaen

Preludes, 8: Un reflet dans le vent

Schumann Kreisleriana, Op.16

Chopin

Ballade No.4 in F Minor, Op.52

Bingjian Chen began playing the piano at six years old. She currently pursues undergraduate studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, under Fabio Bidini.

Bingjian gave her first recital performance at the age of 10 and has since performed both as a soloist and a chamber musician in venues like Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, Shanghai Heluting Concert Hall, Xiamen Concert Hall, Rocca Sforzesca, and CCTV (China Central Television). She has taken masterclasses with Alan Chow, Meng-Chieh Liu, Yoshikazu Nagai, Jin Ju, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Anna Sheludko.

Bingjian graduated from middle school with excellent grades. She has won scholarships every semester including the “Niu En De scholarship”, the school-awarded scholarship, the scholarship of Shanghai City, and the scholarship awarded by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.

In 2021, she completed a recital tour covering Shandong Province, Shanghai, and Shangqiu. In 2023, she won the first prize in The Artcial Piano Competition and the Royal Piano Competition.

Yubo Deng •

Yubo began to study the piano at four and was awarded 2nd prize in the “ShaDe Cup” piano competition at five. He has studied with Prof. Galyna Popova since 2014 in the Middle School Attached to the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and graduated with a top score and the Honor Graduate title in 2021. Yubo is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Oberlin Conservatory under the tutelage of Prof. Dang Thai Son.

During Yubo’s piano journey, he gained excellent masterclass opportunities with distinguished pianists such as Yoheved Kaplinsky, Stanislav Ioudenitch, MarcAndré Hamelin, Leslie Howard, and Mikhail Voscresensky. Also, he achieved top prizes in many competitions, including in the Macao Piano Competition, the Shanghai Piano Open Competition, the “Liszt Memorial Prize” Hong Kong International Open Competition, and the “Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize” International Piano Competition. Yubo recently won the Rudolf Serkin Prize Competition at Oberlin Conservatory and advanced to the Solo Final Round (Top 13) in the 2023 Busoni Piano Competition.

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Haydn Sonata in D Major, Hob.XVI:42

Andante con espressione

Vivace assai

Chopin

Variations, Op.2

Stravinsky/Agosti Firebird Suite

Danse infernale

Berceuse

Finale

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Ravel Miroirs: Oiseaux tristes

Une barque sur l’océan

Liszt

Valse de l’Opéra Faust

FINAL ROUND

Beethoven Sonata No.26 in E-flat Major, Op.81a, “Les Adieux”

Das Lebewohl: Adagio - Allegro

Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo

Das Wiedersehen: Vivacissimamente

Tchaikovsky Dumka, Op.59

Rachmaninoff Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.36 (1913) Allegro agitato

Non allegro: Lento

L’istesso tempo: Allegro molto

Misha Galant • u N it ED S

A t ES

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Medtner Sonata Op.25, No.2 in E Minor, “Night Wind”

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Haydn Sonata in B Minor, Hob.XVI:32

Allegro moderato

Minuet - Trio

Finale/Presto

Scriabin Fantasie in B Minor, Op.28

FINAL ROUND

Rameau Gavotte et six doubles in A Minor

Frank Two Andean Portraits

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

Promenade

Gnomus

Il Vecchio Castello

Tuileries (Dispute d’enfants après jeux)

Bydlo

Ballet of Unhatched Chicks

“Samuel” Goldenberg and “Schmuÿle”

Limoges. Le marché (La grande nouvelle)

Catacombs

‘Con mortuis in lingua mortua’

The Hut on a Fowl’s Legs

The Great Gate of Kiev

Misha Galant began piano lessons at the age of six with his mother, Olya Katsman. Misha received his Master’s in Piano Performance with Dr. Viktor Valkov and is pursuing his Master’s in Atmospheric Sciences with Dr. John Horel at the University of Utah. His other influences are Sharon Mann and Yoshikazu Nagai of the San Francisco Conservatory, Tatiana Zelikman at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, Yu-Jane Yang at Weber State University, and Joseph Kalichstein, with whom he studied in the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange.

Misha is a prizewinner of the first Van Cliburn Junior and of the Eastman piano competitions in 2015, and was chosen as one of two Gilmore Young Artists in 2020. In March of 2022, Misha performed a benefit concert for Ukraine which raised $8500.

Beyond his musical and academic endeavors, he enjoys trail running, skiing, and hiking, and swam for the Columbia University swim team.

Yungyung Guo •

Born in Hong Kong, the 20-year-old Chinese pianist Yungyung Guo is studying with Moye Chen at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She has performed around the world and performed as a concerto soloist with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Wuxi Symphony Orchestra, and Brunensis Virtuosi Orchestra. Yungyung has won prizes from major competitions, such as the 3rd Prize from the Sydney International Piano Competition and the 1st Prize from the Gurwitz International Piano Competition. Other accomplishments in competition include the first prizes from San Francisco International Piano Competition, World Piano Teachers Association International Piano Competition, and G-Clef International Music Competition. Yungyung is a recipient of the Lily En-Teh New Scholarship, the People’s Scholarship, and the Shanghai Scholarship.

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Mozart Andante in F Major, K.616

Bartók Étude for Piano No.3, Op.18

Étude for Piano No.2, Op.18

Franck Prelude, Choral et Fugue, FWV.21

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Mompou Jeunes Filles au Jardin (from Scènes d’enfants) El Lago (from Paisajes)

Mozart Sonata No.1 in C Major, K.279 Allegro Andante Allegro

Ligeti

Étude No.11 “En Suspens”

Étude No.13 “L’escalier du diable”

FINAL ROUND

Beethoven 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op.120

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Ravel Gaspard de la nuit

Ondine

Le Gibet

Scarbo

Godowsky Die Fledermaus from Symphonische Metamorphosen Johann Strauss’scher Themen

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Scarlatti Sonata in F Major, K.445

Beethoven Sonata in A Major, Op.101

Allegretto, ma non troppo

Vivace alla marcia

Adagio, ma non troppo, con affetto

Allegro

FINAL ROUND

Mozart Sonata in F Major, K.280

Allegro assai

Adagio

Presto

Chopin 24 Preludes, Op.28

Hailed by the Boston Musical Intelligence as a pianist who “breezed through the most technically difficult bits with impressive panache”, Zhiye Lin is a KNS classical pianist who is increasingly being heard in important concert halls. After winning numerous competitions, he has performed in many major concert halls in the world, including Takamatsu Rexxam Hall, Hawaii Theatre, Lincoln Center, Monza Villa Reale, The Kennedy Center, Ningbo Concert Hall, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. He was the laureate of piano competitions in Tokyo, Spain, West Virginia, New York, Singapore, and Hawaii. He also appeared as soloist with Mercury Orchestra, West Virginia University Symphony Orchestra, and Hawaii Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Channing Yu, Mitchell Arnold, and Joseph Stepec.

Known for his performance of solo master pieces, he also actively engages with chamber music. The Dawn Trio, which he founded in 2010, was awarded the second prize of the Chamber Music Competition of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Since then, he and his groups had been coached by well-known musicians, including Joseph Lin, Jerome Lowenthal, Peter Salaff, and Joel Smirnoff.

He earned his Bachelor of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music and his Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of HaeSun Paik and Hung-Kuan Chen. Currently, he is completing the Artist Diploma at the Peabody Institute under Richard Goode’s guidance.

Qiao Liu • c

Chinese pianist, Qiao Liu, began her piano studies at the age of five, her talent for music showed at an early age. Making her solo debut at age eleven, as a soloist, she has distinguished herself in numerous international competitions throughout the United States as well as in Europe and Asian, including the top prize at the New York Artist International Competition, The Singapore International Piano Competition, the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, IAFM Cologne International Piano Competition, etc. In 2023, she was invited to take part in the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Over the seasons, Ms. Liu has performed concerts at the most prestigious venues for performing arts including the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, The I.J Paderewski Philharmonic Hall, The Great Hall of Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Meininger Court Theater, etc. She made her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2017. She graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes School of Music, where she was a student of Jerome Rose, Victor Rosenbaum and Alexandre Moutouzkine. She is currently continuing her studies under the tutelage of Matti Raekallio.

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Beethoven Sonata No.31 in A-flat Major, Op.110

Moderato cantabile molto espressivo

Allegro molto

Adagio ma non troppo: Allegro ma non troppo

Chopin Polonaise Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op.61

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Barber Sonata in E-flat Minor, Op.26

Allegro energico

Allegro vivace e leggero

Adagio mesto

Fuga: Allegro con spirito

FINAL ROUND

Scarlatti

Sonata in F Minor, K.466

Sonata in G Major, K.455

Debussy Images Book 1, L.110

Reflets dans l’eau

Hommage à Rameau

Mouvement

Tchaikovsky Nocturne in F major, Op.10 No.1

Rachmaninoff

Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.36 (1931)

Allegro agitato

Non allegro: Lento

L’istesso tempo: Allegro molto

Tamta Magradze •

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Haydn Sonata in E Major, Hob.XVI:31

Moderato

Allegretto

Presto

Liszt Grosses Konzertsolo, S.176

Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, Op.87 No.15

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Scarlatti Sonata in A Minor, K.175

Sonata in E Minor, K.98

Händel/Liszt Sarabande und Chaconne aus dem Singspiel Almira, S.181

Gubaidulina Chaconne

FINAL ROUND

Händel Suite No.1 in B-flat major, HWV 434

Liszt Symphonies de Beethoven, S464 No.1 in C major

Adagio molto: Allegro con brio

Andante cantabile con moto

Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace

Adagio: Allegro molto e vivace

Schubert/Liszt Lieder:

Litanei S562 No.1

Mädchens Klage S563 No.2

Die Forelle S563 No.6

Prokofiev Toccata, Op.11

Georgian pianist Tamta Magradze has fascinated audiences with her outstanding performances and technique.

In the past season, Tamta debuted at Müpa Budapest with Prokofiev’s 3rd Concerto. She participated in renowned concert series such as “Young Geniuses,” “Winners and Masters,” and “Young Masters.”Over the last three years, she had solo concerts in over 25 cities across Europe.

Tamta is a prize winner of more than ten international and national piano competitions. Notable achievements include winning the Online Audience Award at the Liszt Utrecht Competition in 2020, first prize at the Next Generation International Piano Competition (2022), third prize at the Schimmel Piano Competition in Braunschweig (2024), second prize in the Palma d’Oro Competition and the Lazar Berman special prize at the La Palma d’Oro International Piano Competition (2021). She is a laureate of the Canada International Piano Competition (2021) and distinguished as a finalist and special prize winner at the prestigious Liszt Budapest Competition.

Tamta frequently performs on stages across Europe, including notable venues such as Tivoli Vredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands, Müpa and the Grand Hall of Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, Musikhuset in Aarhus, Denmark, and Weimarhalle and Festsaal Fürstenhaus in Weimar, Germany. She has collaborated with orchestras like the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Georgian Symphonic Orchestra, and Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

Born in 1995 in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tamta began playing the piano at the age of 5 under her grandmother’s guidance. She initially studied at the Paliashvili Central Music School for Talented Children before obtaining her Bachelor’s degree from Tbilisi State Conservatoire where she studied with Emeritus Professor Edisher Rusishvili and a Master’s degree with honors from the University of Franz Liszt in Weimar under Guidance of Professor Gerlinde Otto. Currently, Tamta is pursuing postgraduate studies in Weimar for a Concert Pianist Diploma. She has been honored with the prestigious DAAD Award and Scholarship in music, along with scholarships from Clavarte, Theodor Roegler Stiftung, Neue Liszt Stiftung, and Freunde und Foerderer.”

Seungmin Shin • S outh K orea

Seungmin Shin was born in 2004 in South Korea. She began playing piano at age the of 4, and debut in Kumho Art Hall as a pianist when she was 10. She studied with Dahye Choi in Yewon School, an art school in Seoul. After graduating from Yewon School, she is studying in Seoul National University with Professor Aviram Reichert from 2021.

Seungmin is a winner of 2023 Tel-hai Piano Master Classes Concerto Audition. She received silver medal in Yamaha USASU International Senior Piano Competition. Also, she won 2nd Prize in Kirov International Music Competition, and 1st Prize in Dinu Lipatti International Competition. Besides, she was a quarter-finalist of Montréal International Competition, and a semi-finalist of Cleveland International Competition for young artists. In Korea, she won 2nd Prize in Busan MBC Competition, and 3rd Prize in KBS Hanjeon Competition.

Seungmin has performed actively in Korea. She had solo recitals in Kumho Art Hall, Yamaha Hall, and Mozart Hall. Internationally, she had concerts in Canada, Israel, USA, Denmark, and Romania.

SEMIFINAL

ROUND I

Ravel Jeux d ’ eau

Chopin Twelve Etudes, Op.10

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Mozart Piano Sonata No.3 in B-flat Major, K.281 Allegro

Andante amoroso Rondo (Allegro)

Medtner Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39, No.5 (Sonata Tragica)

FINAL ROUND

Scarlatti Sonata in F Minor, K.466

Scarlatti Sonata in A Major, K.322

Scarlatti Sonata in D Major, K.492

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.30 in E Major, Op.109 Vivace ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo Prestissimo

Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo

Franck Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV21

Vitaly Starikov •

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Beethoven Sonata No.26 in E-flat Major, Op.81a, “Les Adieux”

Das Lebewohl: Adagio - Allegro

Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo

Das Wiedersehen: Vivacissimamente

Stravinsky Three Movements from Petrushka

Russian Dance

Petrushka’s Room

The Shrovetide Fair

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Bach Fantasie and Fugue in A minor, BWV 904

Liszt Réminiscences de Don Juan (ed. F. Busoni)

FINAL ROUND

Chopin 24 Preludes, Op.28

Shostakovich Sonata No.1, Op.12

Vitaly Starikov, a Moscow Conservatory graduate, is a laureate of top competitions like the Queen Elisabeth and Sydney International. Known for winning the 26th Epinal Piano Competition and performances at venues like the Sydney Opera House, his work includes a CD of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie. Collaborating with figures like Hugh Wolff and Li-Wei Qin, and orchestras including the Belgian National and Sydney Symphony, enhanced by his studies with Vera Gornostayeva and Elisso Virsaladze. His artistry is recognized on platforms like medici.tv. In 2024, he was enrolled in the prestigious Artist Diploma program at the Yale School of Music in the studio of Boris Berman, where he will begin his studies in the fall.

Haozhou Wang •

Haozhou Wang has already established himself as one of the finest pianists of this coming generation. In 2023, He was awarded the first prize of Viseu International Piano Competition in Portugal. In 2021, he won the second prize for Massarosa International Piano Competition in Italy, and became the youngest winner in the competition history. Further accolades include the winner of The Juilliard School Piano Concerto Competition, and made his debut at Alice Tully Hall in New York; first prize for 2018 William Knabe International Piano Competition; first prize of the 2017 Juilliard Schools’ Bachauer and Nordmann Piano Competition; first prize for the 7th YAMAHA USasu International Piano Competition held in Phoenix Arizona; and grand prize at the 5th Cadenza National Chinese Youth Piano Competition in 2013( in Beijing, China), launching himself as a recognized international and global rising star.

Haozhou Wang began studying the piano at age of three and half. Wang enjoys playing soccer and working out at the gym when not practicing piano. In his free time, he volunteers as an interpreter at music festivals in the U.S for students from China. Currently, Haozhou studies at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert McDonald.

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Brahms

Sonata No.1 in C Major, Op.1

Allegro

Andante

Scherzo/Allegro molto e con fuoco - Più mosso

Finale/Allegro con fuoco

Debussy Nocturne in D-flat Major, L.82

Silvestri Baccanale

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Beethoven Sonata No.24 in F-sharp Major, Op.78

Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo

Allegro vivace

Chopin

Etude No.1 in C Major, Op.10

Nocturne No.1 in C-sharp Minor, Op.27

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.8 in F-sharp Minor

FINAL ROUND

Chopin Rondo in E-flat Major, Op.16

Babajanian Poem (1965)

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

Promenade

Gnomus

Il Vecchio Castello

Tuileries (Dispute d’enfants après jeux)

Bydlo

Ballet of Unhatched Chicks

“Samuel” Goldenberg and “Schmuÿle”

Limoges. Le marché (La grande nouvelle)

Catacombs

‘Con mortuis in lingua mortua’

The Hut on a Fowl’s Legs

The Great Gate of Kiev

Zhu Wang •

SEMIFINAL ROUND I

Mozart Piano Sonata in D Major, K.311

Allegro con spirito

Andante con espressione

Rondeau: Allegro

Percy Grainger/ Ramble on the Last Love-duet in ”The Rosenkavalier”

Richard Strauss

Bartok

Piano Sonata, Sz.80

Allegro Moderato

Sostenuto e pesante

Allegro Molto

SEMIFINAL ROUND II

Bach Duetto in E Minor, BWV 802

Mozart/Liszt Lacrymosa from the Requiem, S.550

Liszt Reminiscences de Norma

FINAL ROUND

Bach/Marcello Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974

Ravel La Valse

Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24

Praised as “especially impressive” and “a thoughtful, sensitive performer” who “balanced lyrical warmth and crisp clarity” (Tommasini – The New York Times), pianist Zhu Wang was awarded First Prize in the 2020 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. In 2019, Zhu was one of three finalists in the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition.

Zhu has appeared in recital at Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, and Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, which made The New York Times’ “Best of Classical Music 2021” list.

Since his orchestral debut at age 14 with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, where he performed Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21, recent and upcoming include the Columbus Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Fort Collins Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Spokane Symphony, as well as a performance this season at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony.

Zhu started learning piano at the age of five. He is a graduate of the Music Middle School affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Zhe Tang and Fou Ts’ong. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School, Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, and he is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree from Juilliard under the tutelage of Emanuel Ax and Robert McDonald.

2022

1st Elia Cecino Italy

2nd Tatiana Dorokhova Russia

3rd Seho Young USA

2018

1st Ziang Xu China

2nd Sung Chang South Korea

3rd David Jae-Weon Huh South Korea

2016

1st Xiaohui Yang China

2nd Re Zhang China

3rd Scott Cuellar USA

2014

1st Marianna Prjevalskaya Spain

2nd Florian Feilmair Austria

3rd Kenny Broberg USA

2012

1st Viktor Valkov Bulgaria

2nd Sejoon Park USA

3rd Evgeny Brakhman Russia

2011 (Young Artist Series)

1st Anna Han USA

2nd Yutong Sun China

3rd Angie Zhang USA

2010

1st Eduard Kunz Russia

2nd Andrey Ponochevy Belarus

3rd Stanislav Khristenko Russia/Ukraine

2009 (Young Artist Series)

1st Sean Yeh USA

2nd Alexsandra Swigut Poland

3rd Connie Kim-Sheng USA

2008

1st Spencer Myer USA

2nd Dmitri Levkovich Canada

3rd Vakhtang Kodanashvili Republic of Georgia

2007

1st Konstantin Soukhovetski Russia

2nd Alex McDonald USA

3rd Christopher Atzinger USA

2006

1st Dustin Gledhill USA

2nd Chetan Tierra USA

3rd Dmitri Levkovich Canada

2005

1st Tanya Bannister England

2nd Alexandre Pirojenko Russia

3rd Luca Trabucco Italy

2004

1st Alexandre Moutouzkine Russia

2nd Jae-Hyuck Cho United States

3rd Darrett Zusko Canada

2003

1st Dmitri Vorobiev Russia

2nd Hsiang Tu Taiwan

3rd Spencer Myer United States

2002

1st Hee Sung Joo South Korea

2nd Lev Vinocour Germany/Russia

3rd Esther Jung-A Park South Korea

2001

1st Robert Henry USA

2nd Anton Mordasov Russia 3rd Yuri Blinov Belarus

2000

1st Stanislav Ioudenitch Uzbekistan

2nd Dmitri Teterin Russia 3rd Ketevan Badridze Republic of Georgia

1999

1st Sergey Schepkin Russia

2nd Petronel Malan South Africa 3rd Won Kim Korea

1998 1st Eun-Jung Shon Korea

2nd Natalia Lavrova Russia 3rd Thomas Pandolfi USA

1997 1st Csaba Kiraly Hungary 2nd Anton Mordasov Russia 3rd Yoshikazu Nagai Japan

1996

1st Igor Resnianski Russia 2nd Lydia Brown USA 3rd Franklin Larey South Africa

1995

1st James Nalley USA 2nd Pasquale Iannone Italy 3rd Alexander Tselyakov Russia

1994

1st James Giles USA 2nd Irina Morozova Russia 3rd Jun Eui Chun Korea

1993

1st Rafael Guerra Mexico 2nd Natalia Bolshakova Russia 3rd So-Yeun Ahn Korea

1992

1st Richard Dowling USA 2nd Bridget Olavson USA 3rd Kevin Ayesh USA

1991

1st Brent Runnels USA 2nd Rosa Park Korea 3rd Aviva Aranovich Lithuania

1990

1st Peter Mack Ireland 2nd Mark Puckett USA 3rd Chao-Yin Chen Republic of China

1989

1st William Koehler USA 2nd David Brunell USA 3rd Andrew Cooperstock USA

Exploring the Semifinal Repertoire:

A P r O gr AM g ui DE

by Kevin Chance and Raymond Gitz

Piano repertoire is one of the richest musical genres, and the New Orleans International Piano Competition (NOIPC) provides an opportunity to hear masterworks from this outstanding literature performed by twelve of the world’s most gifted pianists. Preserving the 2003 innovation of allowing each performer to play twice, in Semifinal Round I and again in Semifinal Round II, NOIPC continues to cultivate creative programming. Competitors have chosen to play works spanning four centuries, representing a variety of musical styles and forms. Because music is a living art, it must constantly be recreated, live, before an audience. In addition to developing an increased appreciation of the pianistic art, it is hoped that NOIPC will foster the growth of audiences eager to experience the excitement and fulfillment of great music. Here is a perspective of the Semifinal repertoire from Bach to Ligeti, with brief analytical notes designed to help listeners unlock the intense beauty of this music.

ARNO BABAJANIAN

(1921-1983)

Poem (1965)

Arno Babajanian’s talent was recognized early on by his fellow Armenian composer Aram Khatchaturian, and Babajanian was trained as a composer and pianist in both Yerevan and Moscow. He returned to teach in Yerevan, and in 1971, he was named a People’s Artist of the USSR. While highly acclaimed as a pianist, he was a prolific composer, particularly writing a number of film scores and art songs. His works for piano span the entirety of his career, and the Poem was composed in 1965. The opening gestures establish the extreme contrasts that Babajanian explores in this colorful work. Favoring angular melodic structures, the piece proceeds with a haunting slow section before launching into a sparkling, pointillistic fast section.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

(1685-1750)

Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book II, BWV 872

Fantasie and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 904

In 1715 Johann Caspar Fischer composed a set of preludes and fugues in twenty different keys entitled Ariadne Musica, but it was Bach who first composed quality music in keys like C-sharp major and E-flat minor. Bach wrote the date 1722 on the title page of his The Well-Tempered Clavier, which contains the subtitle “Preludes and Fugues through all the tones and semitones including those with a major third Ut Re Mi as well as those with a minor third or Re Mi Fa, for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study.” The word clavier in the title is derived from the Latin clavis and is the general term for any keyboard instrument. During Bach’s time the principal keyboard instruments were the harpsichord, clavichord, organ, and the newly invented piano. The adjective welltempered is a result of the change from the meantone system for tuning a keyboard instrument, which preserved the purity of the major third but made it impossible to play in all twenty-four keys due to the incompatibility of the third with the perfect fifth and the pure octave. Gradually musicians turned to equal temperament, which favors the interval of the perfect fifth and makes each key tolerable. Twenty-two years later, Bach compiled another set of twenty-four preludes and fugues, bringing the total to 48.

The Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major opens with broken chords that are somewhat reminscent of the C

Major Prelude that opens Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, and the prelude ends with a joyful fughetta. The fugue features an amiable subject, which Bach skillfully manipulates frequently presenting it in its inversion.

The Fantastie and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 904, is a curious work in Bach’s output. We do not know very much about its origins, and like many of Bach’s work, he did not indicate which Baroque keyboard instrument he intended it for. The fantasy during Bach’s time was typically an improvisatory work, but this fantasy is quite contrapuntal and controlled. The four-voice fugue is in two parts. The second part harkens back to the descending bass line that opens the fantasy, and Bach skillfully weaves both subjects together in the closing section of the fugue.

SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981)

Sonata in E-flat Minor, Op.26

The Barber Piano Sonata ranks among the finest piano sonatas of the twentieth century. The piece was commissioned for the 25th anniversary of the League of Composers, and the commission was funded by Irving Berlin and Richard Rogers. The work was premiered by Vladimir Horowitz in Cuba in late 1949, and he subsequently performed the sonata in Cleveland and Washington D.C. before the Carnegie Hall premier on January 23, 1950.

While Barber’s music is neo-Romantic and the work is tonal, Barber was fascinated by the use of the twelve-tone row associated with the serialism of the Second Viennese School. Barber explores this in the first, third, and fourth movements of the work. The first movement is filled with drama and often features angular melodies and jagged rhythms along with some hauntingly beautiful themes. The second movement is a light scherzo, and Barber constantly explores the variety of patterns that can be derived from the opening material. The lightness and frivolity of the brief second movement is quickly dispelled in the third movement. The highly dissonant, expressive nature of this movement is much darker and perhaps reflects the pain and anxiety of a world recovering from World War II, which ended only a few years before. The final movement is a virtuosic fugue brimming with syncopations showing strong jazz influences both rhythmically and harmonically. The fugue ends in a dramatic coda that features a relentlessly unyielding ostinato in the left hand of the piano.

BÉLA BARTÓK

(1881-1945)

Etudes for Piano, Op.18 Nos. 2 and 3

Sonata, Sz.80

Bartók is perhaps the foremost twentieth-century representative of Nationalism in music; he succeeded in bringing authentic folk elements into an unprecedented synthesis with the techniques of traditional art music. He developed five levels of complexity for using his newly discovered materials: from 1) Genuine folksongs are featured in a composition, and invented material is of secondary importance; to 5) The work is pervaded by the atmosphere of folk music.

Bartók’s Etudes were composed in 1918, and each of the etudes makes extreme demands upon the performer. The second etude features cascades of notes in the upper registers of the piano that show the influence of composers such as Debussy and Ravel against a rather melancholy melody. The third etude features a running left hand against spiky, often off-beat chords in the right hand that fades into an austere ending.

Cast in three movements, Bartók’s Sonata was written in 1926 and dedicated to his second wife, and it falls generally into the 5th level of complexity Bartók described. While the music is often highly dissonant with irregular meters, the music adheres to many of the formal classical sonata conventions including the traditional fast-slowfast movement structure of many sonatas from the 18th century. However, the treatment of the piano is highly original with Bartók capitalizing on both the percussive and delicate textures the piano is capable of producing. The melodies bear a strong folk influence throughout.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

(1770-1827)

33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op.120

Sonata in E-flat Major, Op.27 No.1 “Sonata quasi una fantasia”

Sonata in F-sharp Major, Op.78

Sonata in E-flat Major, Op.81a “Les Adieux”

Sonata in A Major, Op.101

Sonata in E Major, Op.109

Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110

Anton Diabelli was a notable composer and music publisher, and in 1819, the sent the Waltz that serves as the theme of Beethoven’s monumental variations to 50 of the most widely regarded composers of the day. He intended for each composer to write a variation, and he would publish all of the collected variations as a set. Beethoven had other ideas for the rather innocuous theme, and instead, he penned one of the greatest sets of variations in the history of keyboard music. Pianist Alfred Brendel has gone as far as referring to the Diabelli Variations of Beethoven to be “the greatest of all piano works.” A work of unusually tremendous length, Beethoven sticks to the Diabelli’s tonic of C Major for large portions of the work leading up to a modulation to E-flat Major in the next to last variation, which is a triple fugue. Brendel adds that “the theme has ceased to reign over its unruly offspring. Rather, the variations decide what the theme may have to offer them. Instead of being confirmed, adorned and glorified, it is improved, parodied, ridiculed, disclaimed, transfigured, mourned, stamped out and finally uplifted.”

Beethoven’s piano works form one of the most important collections of works in the history of music. Spanning several decades of his life as a composer, the sonatas soon came to be seen as the first body of substantial serious works for piano suited to performance in large concert halls seating hundreds of people. Composed as much for private music-making as public recital, Beethoven’s sonatas have long formed a bridge between the worlds of the salon and the concert hall. The legacy of these piano sonatas is so vast and significant that this short article cannot possibly do it justice. Regarding performance of the sonatas, I will quote the close of Alfred Brendel’s essay Musical Character(s) in Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas: “Structure and character relate to one another: they may work hand-in-hand, or they may have a relationship of fruitful tension. But interpreters should never assume that understanding the structure of a work might automatically give them insight into the work’s character, atmosphere or spiritual state. The interpreter would do well to concern

himself with structure and character as two functions that emanate, as it were, from different sides of the same work, in the hope that he might one day unite the two at a point where the pain of interpretation can be transformed into the relief of a satisfying experience.”

Rather than the customary designation of division into three parts (early, middle, late), Robert Taub prefers to consider five chronological periods, each defined by the dramatic and compositional content and the musical character of the works themselves:

1795-1800 Epitomizing classical style (13 sonatas, including Op.2 No.3)

1801-1802 Experimentation (7 sonatas) 1803-1804 Post Heiligenstadt (3 sonatas) 1809 Compression, homogeneity (3 sonatas) 1814-1822 Summation, transcendence (6 sonatas, including Op.110, Op.111, and the Op.126 Bagatelles)

JOHANNES BRAHMS

(1833-1897)

Sonata No.1 in C Major, Op.1 Scherzo in E-flat Minor, Op.4

Mauice Hinson believes a pianist should aim for a comprehensive acquaintance with Brahms’ complete piano works. They span his entire career and offer a complete view of his development. The piano was the instrument of choice for his earliest works and for his final period, the group of short character pieces of Op.116-119. Although universally recognized to be one of the greatest German composers, it was not until Arnold Schoenberg published his essay “Brahms the Progressive” that Brahms began to be viewed as a revolutionary and forward-looking composer.

The Sonata in C Major, Op.1 was written in 1853, and Schumann was a great admirer of the work. However, it actually is the second sonata that Brahms composed. Brahms felt this work was of higher quality than the work he composed first, which was later published as his Sonata No.2 in F-sharp Minor, Op.2. In his youth, Brahms was heavily influenced--almost to a paralyzing extent--by Beethoven, and many have noted the striking similarities between this opening of this sonata and Beethoven’s Sonata in B-flat Major, Op.106 “Hammerklavier.” The second movement is a set of variations based on the song “Verstohlen geht der Mond auf.” The text of the song is as follows:

Stealthily rises the moon. Blue, blue flower! Through silver cloudlets makes its way. Blue, blue flower! Roses in the dale, Maiden in the hall, O handsomest Rosa!

The Scherzo, Op.4 is almost Brahms’s earliest mature works, and it was likely composed at the time he was also working on the sonatas. The scherzos in the sonatas are of a bit smaller scale than this independent work, which clearly draws influence from Brahms’s best friend-Robert Schumann, and it was likely a piece that Brahms shared with Schumann upon their first meeting. In this work, Brahms writes two contrasting trio sections, which Schumann utilizes as well in his works. Liszt is said to have performed this work at sight when he discovered it.

FREDERIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)

Variations on La ci darem la mano, Op.2 Rondo a’la mazur in F Major, Op.5

Etudes, Op.10

Rondo in E-flat Major, Op.16

Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op.27 No.1

24 Preludes, Op.28

Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.35

Ballade No.4, Op.52

Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat Major, Op.61

Chopin’s music is written almost exclusively for solo piano. The novelist George Sand remarked that “he made a single instrument speak a language of infinity.” Pianists and audiences have been fascinated by the breathtaking lyricism and originality of Chopin’s style, which explores novel keyboard textures and expressive extremes extending from the graceful to the grandiose, the intimately poetic to the tempestuously passionate. This unique style combines a chromatic polyphony, based on his admiration of Bach, with an approach to melody derived from the Italian operas of Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini. Chopin’s ballades and scherzos dispel any doubt of his mastery of large forms, often illustrating his ingenious blending of different formal archetypes–sonata form, rondo, and variations. The smaller-scale dances and character pieces reflect the vast range of expressive possibilities because of which Chopin is justifiably called the poet of the piano.

As a pianist, Chopin was virtually self-taught. He was left to find his own way and did so with such natural aptitude that

by the time he was twenty he was fully formed as a pianist. He started to compose his 12 Etudes, Op. 10 (1829-32) when he was nineteen simply to give himself new technical problems to solve. Chopin scholar Jim Samson explains, “In all of them Chopin addressed himself systematically to the world of pianistic technique which had spawned the virtuoso style. But the result rises far above the dry exercises of a Czerny or the flashy acrobatics of a Thalberg. To a degree barely approached in earlier piano studies he gave substance and poetry to the genre, conquering virtuosity on its home ground, and in doing so lifting himself clear of the surrounding lowland of mediocrity.”

During the 19th century, Chopin took John Field’s notion of the nocturne and developed it to its apex. Likewise, Chopin created one of the great cycles of the 19th century in his set of twenty-four preludes. Chopin greatly admired Bach, and in the Well-Tempered Clavier, Bach wrote a prelude and fugue in each of the twenty-four keys. He arranged them with the major key followed by the parallel minor, and he progressed up chromatically. Chopin used a similar model for organizing his short preludes. He writes one in each of the twenty-four keys. However, he starts with a major followed by a prelude in its relative minor. He then proceeds up through the circle of fifths. Liszt was among the works great champions, and he wrote, “Chopin’s Preludes are compositions of an order entirely apart... they are poetic preludes, analogous to those of a great contemporary poet, who cradles the soul in golden dream.”

Chopin wrote three sonatas. While the first sonata was a student work that remains seldom performed, the second and third sonatas remain some of the most frequently perforrmed sonatas of the 19th century. In four movements, the second sonata contains of Chopin’s most instantly recognized works--the funeral march, which is the third movement. The first movement is restless and filled with breathless rests in the melody. The second movement adheres to a standard scherzo form, but the mood is far from playful. Rather, it is a dramatic, brooding movement with moments of great brilliance. The final remains of the most bizarre, experimental, yet effective works in the repertoire, and it is remarkably forward-thinking. The hands proceed in unison throughout in hushed waves of sound, and Anton Rubinstein famously described this movement as “wind howling around the gravestones.”

While Chopin lived much of his life in Paris, the music of his home country of Poland was always close to his heart. We hear this in his polonaises and mazurkas, and his early rondo, which was written when he was only 16, demonstrates the flavor of the mazurka through its rhythm and modal colors

within the context of this bravura show piece. (The Rondo in E-flat Major and the early Op.2 Variations also are part of these early bravura works.) From this early work, we can compare Chopin’s mature use of the polonaise in one of his late works, the Polonaise-Fantasie, Op.61. Written just three years before his death, Kalberg has stated that this marks a shift from “late to last” in Chopin’s style. While the rhythmic and melodic elements are distinctly from the polonaise tradition, Chopin weaves them within a complex and diffuse formal structure that looks towards a significantly more ambiguous harmonic language.

CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)

Nocturne n D-flat Major, L.82

Suite Bergamasque, L.75

Images, Book 1, L.110

Debussy created the unique and forward-looking style that came to known as Impressionism (the realization in music of the aesthetic of the symbolist poets and impressionistic painters), which constitutes one important facet of his style. He was fascinated with the exotic, the Orient, and the fantastic. He esteemed Russian composers, the Javanese and Cambodian musicians he heard at the Paris World Exposition of 1889, the color and rhythms of SpanishMoorish folk music, and above all the symbolist poets from whom he received inspiration for exquisite sonorities and poetic lyricism. Melodically, he sometimes employs whole-tone, pentatonic, and modal scales. His keyboard style is characterized by parallel chordal treatment, layers of refined sound, and unusual pedal effects.

However, Debussy’s Nocturne is quite an early work. While we hear elements of his style mentioned above, the overall aesthetic of this work is more rooted in romanticism than in looking towards the new music of the twentieth century.

The Suite Bergamasque was written in 1890, but he significantly revised the work before he published it fifteen years later. However, Debussy was still reluctant to publish the work because he did not feel it represented his fully mature style. The opening prelude is fresh and optimistic, and the subsequent menuet seeks inspiration from the Baroque dance while coloring it with more modern rhythmic accents and flourishes. The third movement is the iconic Clair de lune, whose title is taken from Paul Verlaine’s poem of the same title. The poem refers to the bergamasques, which gave way to the title of Debussy’s suite. The final movement is a light, fast passepied.

Debussy composed the two books of Images in 1905 and 1907 respectively. About Book I, Debussy wrote, they “will take their place in piano literature. . . to the left of Schumann and to the right of Chopin.” Reflets dans l’eau is one of the zenith’s of keyboard Impressionism with its depiction of water. Hommage à Rameau harkens back to the Baroque period and is a stately Sarabande with ethereal textures. Mouvement is a perpetual motion work that creates its impact utilizing minimal material.

CESAR FRANCK

1822-1890)

Prelude, Choral, and Fugue, FWV 21

Cesar Franck was a French Romantic composer, but he was originally born in Belgium. He moved to Paris as a teenager, and he eventually assumed a position at the Paris Conservatory, which required him to attain French citizenship. He was a widely recognized for his improvisation skills, and as a teacher, he had a profound influence on the future of French music as his students included such major composers as Chausson, Duparc, d’Indy, and Vierne.

In his compositions, Franck frequently used cyclic form in which melodic material from previous movements return later in the piece, and in the Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue, melodic material from both the prelude and the chorale is utilized in the fugue. In the prelude, Franck’s masterful improvisatory sense creates infinitely colorful swirls of sonority. The grand chorale leads to the magnificent fugue. It is rumored that Franck had enormous hands and could reach the interval of a 12th at the keyboard, and this work brims with widely spaced stretches of the hand.

GABRIELA LENA FRANK (b.1972)

Two Andean Portraits

Currently serving as Composer-in-Residence with the storied Philadelphia Orchestra and included in the Washington Post’s list of the most significant women composers in history (August, 2017), identity has always been at the center of composer/pianist Gabriela Lena Frank’s music. Born in Berkeley, California, to a mother of mixed Peruvian/Chinese ancestry and a father of Lithuanian/Jewish descent, Gabriela explores her multicultural heritage through her compositions. Inspired by the works of Bela Bartók and Alberto Ginastera, Gabriela has traveled extensively throughout South America in creative exploration. Her music often reflects not only her own personal experience as a multi-racial Latina, but also refract her studies of Latin American cultures, incorporating poetry, mythology, and native musical styles into a western classical framework that is uniquely her own. (www.glfcam.com)

LEOPOLD GODOWSKY (1870-1938)

Die Fledermaus from Symphonische Metamorphosen Johann Strauss’scher Themen

Born in Lithuania, Godowsky became an American citizen in 1891, and he was a major pianist, pedagogue, and composer. He held teaching positions in New York and Philadelphia, but he spent most of his career teaching at the Chicago Conservatory. As a pedagogue, he is known for being among the first pianists to teach the concept of relaxed arm weight for tone and freedom at the keyboard.

Busoni highly regarded Godowsky as a composer, and he was a pianist who possessed a prodigious technique. Therefore, many of his piano works are of transcendental difficulty. He is perhaps most known for his transcriptions, such as this transcription based upon themes from Die Fledermaus, and he is most remembered for his 53 Studies on Chopin Etudes.

SOFIA GUBAIDULINA

(b.1931)

Chaconne

Sofia Gubaidulina remains one of the music significant Russian musicians from the latter half of the twentieth century, and she was trained at the Moscow Conservatory. She is a deeply religious person, and she is fascinated by the mystical. Highly influenced by Bach, Webern, and Shostakovich, her first major work, the Chaconne from 1963, certainly shows evidence of the influence from all three composes. She embraces elements of the Baroque chaconne and passacaglia with repeating harmonic progressions and a repeating ground bass, respectfully. Additionally, Gubaidulina expands on the Webern’s twelve-tone techniques. Instead of a twelve-tone row, she uses a 23-note row which is constantly manipulated throughout the 23 variations in the piece. The influence of Shostakovich can be heard in the extreme dynamic ranges as well as the motoric rhythmic treatment.

GEORG FRIEDRICH HANDEL

(1685-1759)

Suite No.1 in B-flat Major, HWV 434

While his keyboard music is somewhat overshadowed by his contemporaries Bach and Scarlatti, Haydn wrote a substantial amount of excellent works for keyboard including approximately twenty-five suites. Compared to the keyboard suites of Bach, Handel seems less confined by the standard dances of the Baroque suite, and he often included movements that were in other Baroque forms, such as chaconnes and variations. The B-flat Suite contains a set of variations as the third movement, and theme became the theme of the monumental Brahms Variations and Fugue on a theme of Handel. The first movement is an improvisatory prelude, which is followed by a brief sonata movement. The final movement is a hauntingly beautiful menuet.

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)

Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI:31

Sonata in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32

Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:42

Haydn, recognized as the father figure of Viennese Classicism, composed approximately sixty-two piano sonatas (seven are lost) from the 1750s to 1794, writing not only for the harpsichord but also for the expressive ability of the fortepiano. Anthony van Hoboken’s 1957 catalog is one of numerous numbering systems in use. (See Maurice Hinson’s Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire for a detailed table.) Musicologist A. Peter Brown notes that, from the composer’s earliest years until just days before his death, “the keyboard was at the very center of Haydn’s musical life and interests.” Haydn’s contemporaries and biographers confirm that the clavier was used for creating works of every genre, including symphonies, oratorios, and operas.

The Sonata in B Minor shows the influence of the musical aesthetics of Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) and Empfindsamkeit (Sensibility)—the latter’s aim being the expression and transmission of varying human emotions. In the E Major Sonata, Haydn writes are particularly slow movement that recalls the chorale prelude from the Baroque period, and it could be compared to the sinfonias of Bach. He later incorporated elements of this movement into his E Major Piano Trio. The last movement is a theme and variations, which is also the form Haydn’s chooses for the first movement of his Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:42. Set it only two movements, it is work of elegance and features Haydn’s signature wit and charm.

LOWELL LIEBERMANN

(b.1961)

Nocturne No.4, Op.38

A graduate of Juilliard, Liebermann is one of the most prolific current composers for piano, and he has frequently performed his own works. However, many of his works are also closely associated with Stephen Hough.

Over the years, Liebermann has written twelve nocturnes, and he just completed his Nocturne No.12 as a commission for the 2024 Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition. The Nocturne No.4 was written in 1992, and it begins with subdued, twinkling sonorities but builds to a colossal climax.

GYORGY LIGETI

(1923-2006)

Etude No.11 “En Suspens”

Etude No.13 “L’escalier du diable”

While born in Romania, Ligeti spent much of his career as a Hungarian-Austrian composer and was a significant figure in modern music in the latter half of the twentieth century. He began his career under the stifling Communist regime in Hungary, but when he emigrated in 1956, he was able to start embracing the avant-garde. While he was not a film score composer, the music in many Stanley Kubrick films was inspired by Ligeti’s work and sometimes Kubrick directly used Ligeti’s compositions in the films.

Between 1985 and 2001, Ligeti composed three volumes of etudes for the piano totaling eighteen etudes. The etudes draw on sources ranging from jazz to ethnic music, such gamelan ensembles and African drumming. Pianist Jeremy Denk writes, “[The etudes] are a crowning achievement of [Ligeti’s] career and of the piano literature; though still new, they are already classics.” These etudes are from his second volume of etudes. En Suspens is an ethereal work with jazz undertones, and it is dedicated to Kurtag. L’escalier du diable (“The Devil’s Staircase) is a frenetic, driving toccata that continually tries to ascend the piano. This etude is dedicated to Volker Banfield--an early champion of Ligeti’s etudes.

FRANZ LISZT

(1811-1886)

Apres une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata

Grosses Konzertsolo, S. 176

Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in C-Sharp Minor

Hungarian Rhapsody No.8 in F-sharp Minor

Transcendental Etude No.5 “Feux Follets”

Transcriptions:

Reminiscences de Don Juan (ed. Ferrucio Busoni)

Valse de l’opera Faust

Handel Sarabande und Chaconne aus dem

Singspiel Almira, S.181

Beethoven Symphony No.1 in C Major

Schubert Litanei, Mädchens Klage, Die Forelle

In the chapter “Thunder, Lightning, Mesmerism, Sex” of his book The Great Pianists, Harold C. Schonberg describes the hysteria Liszt created: “When Liszt PLAYED the piano, ladies flung their jewels on the stage instead of bouquets. They shrieked in ecstasy and sometimes fainted. Those who

remained mobile made a mad rush to the stage to gaze upon the features of the divine man. They fought over the green gloves he had purposely left on the piano. One lady fished out the stub of a cigar that Liszt had smoked. She carried it in her bosom to the day she died.” Schonberg concludes that Liszt did not give mere concerts; they were saturnalia. Regarding the composer’s music, Hinson states that “the piano works of Liszt are an essential ingredient of the pianist’s repertoire, and no pianist who desires to develop a complete equipment can ignore them.”

Années de Pélerinage (Years of Pilgrimage) is the title Liszt gave to the two large volumes of piano music he composed while traveling in Switzerland and Italy with his companion Marie d’Agoult between 1835 and 1839. The Tarantella is from a supplement that Liszt added to Book 2, Italy, called Venezia and Napoli, and it is a dazzling dance that is known for its use of repeated notes The third volume of the Années de Pélerinage was composed much later in 1867-1877, and many of the works are quite forward looking harmonically. The Fountains at the Villa d’Este in one of the first keyboard works that paved the way for Impressionism, and it depicts the beautiful fountains at the Villa d’Este in Italy. Significant to note is that Liszt also includes a quotation when he modulates to the remote key of D Major from the Gospel of John that reads, “But the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up into eternal life,” which reflects the deeply spiritual nature of Liszt’s later years. Written not long before Book Three, Liszt’s Two Legends also reflect his religious interests. Legend No.2 is based on the story of St. Francis of Paola walking on the waves, and the left hand is used to depict the rolling waves on the water.

The Twelve Etudes d’execution transcendante, epitomize Liszt’s command of brilliant technical writing for the piano. The form of the studies was largely achieved by 1837, when Liszt’s fame as a virtuoso pianist was without compare. When, in 1851, Liszt revised the collection, his purpose was two-fold: to title ten studies and to modify some extremely difficult passages that might render the studies unplayable. Feux-follets is a fiendishly difficult yet delightfully scintillating double-note study that evokes the ghostly bluish “flames” caused by the gas that one might see in marshes after sunset. According to legend, these lights could seduce people to follow them deeper into the dangerous bog.

Liszt wrote 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies that are all virtuosic works that typically feature two large sections—the lassu (slow) and the friska (fast). Within these sections, Liszt frequently imitates many of the instruments heard in

Hungarian folk music, such as the cimbalom and the violin. Liszt also wrote many transcriptions both of his own works as well as works of current and past composers. Réminiscences de Don Juan is one of Liszt’s paraphrases, and it is based on Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. Harold Schonberg writes, “I have come to the conclusion that to play Liszt well you have to in your breast a good-sized dollop of original sin.” In Don Juan, Liszt places formidable technical demands on the performer, and Mozart’s original music is blown into a grand scale that matches Don Giovanni’s larger-than-life personality. David Dubal writes, “To play this work well requires technical amplitude and a temperament yearning to let loose its pandemonium.” In 1838, Liszt transcribed twelve of Schubert’s Lieder. Having profound admiration for Schubert, Liszt made minimal changes from the original. Likewise, Beethoven transcribed the Beethoven Symphonies and remained very faithful to the full score. Composed in 1861, the Valse de Faust is based on the waltz from Gounod’s opera Faust.

NIKOLAI MEDTNER

(1880-1951)

Sonata Triad: Sonata-Elegy, Op.11 No.2

Sonata in E Minor, Op.25 No.2 “Night Wind”

Sonata Tragica, Op.39 No.5

Medtner is perhaps one of the most underappreciated Russian composers given the amount of repertoire he left for piano—fourteen sonatas, thirty-three Fairy Tales, fortyone character pieces, three volumes of Forgotten Melodies, and a set of variations. Rachmaninoff was a great admirer of his music, and like Rachmaninoff, Medtner did not embrace more modern compositional trends during his lifetime. Rather, he continued to explore the possibilities of the late-Romantic style. A pianist of considerable ability himself, Medtner tends to use the entire range of the piano in his writing, and he often writes quite imaginative but thick textures that demand careful attention by the ear and the pedal.

OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908-1992)

Preludes: No.8 Un reflet dans le vent

Messiaen was a French composer and organist, but Messiaen was captured during World War II was a war prisoner in Germany, which led to the composition of his Quatour pour le fin du temps. After his released, he was hired by the Paris Conservatory, where he had tremendous influence on the future of French music. His students included Xenakis, Pierre Boulez, Jacques Hetu, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Kurtag. One of his students was also the French pianist Yvonne Loriod, who he married. Loriod premiered and recorded many of his piano works.

The Preludes are Messiaen’s first mature work and are based on his modes of limited transposition, which he explains in his theory treatise. Messiaen premiered the work in 1930. When Messiaen heard music, he saw colors. Supposedly, in the outer sections, Messiaen associated orange and green with stains of black. In the middle section, he experienced blue-orange and, later, greeen-orange when the theme repeats. Violet, purple, and orange are present throughout the work.

FEDERICO MOMPOU (1893-1987)

Jeunes filles au jardin from Scenes d’enfants

El Lago from Paisajes

Mompou was born in Barcelona, where he heard Faure perform as a child. This performance made a lasting impression on him, and with Granados’s help, he went to study at the Paris Conservatory. While at the Conservatory, he studied piano with Isidor Philipp, but he was a profoundly shy man who had no desire to seek the concert stage. Instead, he devoted himself to composition. One French critic upon hearing his Scenes d’enfants declared that he was “the only disciple and successor to Claude Debussy.” Mompou is best remembered as a miniaturist preferring extremely delicate and intimate textures. While his music has strong French influences, there is always a distinctly Spanish flavor to it as well often drawing from Catalan culture.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)

Andante in F Major, K.616

Sonata in C Major, K.279

Sonata in F Major, K.280

Sonata in B-flat Major, K.281

Sonata in D Major, K.311

Sonata in D Major, K.576

Mozart is perhaps most remembered for his contributions to the development of opera and the piano concerto, and his solo piano music is often not given adequate attention. However, his seventeen piano sonatas are still characteristic of the wit, charm, and craft we hear in the concerti. The sonatas are roughly placed into four groups—K.279-284 written in Munich in 1775; K.309-311 written in Mannheim and Paris in 1777-1778; K.330-333, 457 written in Austria in 1783-1784; K.545, 553, 570, 576 written in Vienna in 1786-1789. The late sonatas, such as K.576, are particularly notable for their deft use of counterpoint within these classical forms.

MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)

Pictures at an Exhibition

Most of Mussorgsky’s piano music remains relatively unknown. However, his keyboard masterpiece, Pictures at an Exhibition, remains a popular concert work in both its original solo piano version as well as the transcription for orchestra by Maurice Ravel. Mussorgsky’s piano writing is often criticized for being awkward, and it is worth noting that Horowitz re-composed much of the work when he recorded it. The work was inspired by an exhibition of paintings and drawing by Mussorgsky’s friend Victor Hartmann, and each of the movements depicts a different work of visual art. The works opens with a promenade, which returns to link together each of the movements, and it perhaps represents Mussorgsky walking between the art pieces at the exhibit. The work concludes with the monumental Great Gate of Kiev, which is one of the great pianistic depictions of the peeling of bells.

SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)

Sonata No.3 in A Minor, Op.28 Toccata, Op.11

Blending lyricism and dissonance, Prokofiev developed an individual, percussive style of writing for the piano. He strove for simple melodic expression and for the proper subordinate position of dissonance within an essentially tonal orientation: All my work is founded on melodies. Prokofiev lists five principal elements in his musical composition: “1) the classical related specifically to Beethoven’s piano sonatas; 2) the search for innovation new harmonic idiom for strong emotional expression; 3) the toccata or motor element (the use of insistently repeated rhythmic patterns); 4) the lyrical; and 5) the satirical or grotesque (qualified in stages as scherzoness, jest, laughter, mockery).” The Toccata, Op.11 draws strongly from several of these influences. Prokofiev uses biting, often sardonic, dissonances along with a relentlessly motoric rhythm to create to one of the great virtuoso warhorses that is in the tradition of the ferociously difficult toccatas of Schumann and Ravel.

Taken as a whole, the nine sonatas of Prokofiev are a monument in twentieth-century piano literature. Through a survey of the sonatas, Prokokiev’s musical evolution is most clearly and fully presented. The third sonata dates from sketches Prokofiev made in 1907, and he completed the sonata in 1917. While the sonata unfolds in one short continuous movement, the work is divided into clear contrasting sections that range from rhythmic, virtuosic, and driving to intensely lyrical.

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)

Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.36 (1913 and 1931 Versions)

Variations on a theme of Corelli, Op. 42

Rachmaninov began work on his second sonata in the spring of 1913, simultaneously with his cantata The Bells. He was staying in the same apartment in the Piazza di Spagna where Tchaikovsky had composed during his many visits to Rome. The sonata’s kinship with The Bells is evident above all in the frequent occurrences of bell-like sonorities. One can hear thundering bells in the conclusion of the development section of the first movement and elsewhere throughout this work. Rachmaninov originally wrote this sonata in 1913 but revised it in 1931, tightening

the structure, thinning the texture, and bringing it in line with his current thinking. Both versions of the work are often performed, and Horowitz also reworked the piece in 1940, which Rachmaninoff sanctioned.

Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op.42, were composed during a holiday in France in 1931. He has first encountered the theme in Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody, which frequently appeared in his recital programs a dozen years earlier, but had renewed his acquaintance in 1928, while collaborating with Fritz Kreisler in a series of recordings. The theme, however, is not Corelli’s but an anonymous 17th century Portuguese dance song, La folia. The tautness of construction shows Rachmaninov’s compositional powers at their finest; in my opinion, the composer’s most successful extended work for solo piano.

JEAN-PHILIPPE RAMEAU (1683-1764)

Gavotte et six doubles in A Minor

Rameau is considered one of the most influential composers and theorists of the French Baroque, and he and Couperin composed prolifically for keyboard. The Gavotte and Six Doubles is from Rameau’s Suite in A Minor. Rameau presents a fairly simple Gavotte as the theme, and the doubles (variations) that follow reveal Rameau’s inventive command of the musical elements of the Baroque.

MAURICE RAVEL

(1891-1953)

Gaspard de la nuit

Jeux d’eau

Oiseaux tristes and Une barque sur l’ocean from Miroirs

La Valse

Ravel was one of the most famous and most accomplished composers of his time; virtually every one of his works entered and has remained in the international repertory. He made a significant contribution to early 20th century piano literature; his Jeux d’eau (Fountains), 1901, opened a new era of piano sonority. Ravel, who was criticized during his lifetime for being an imitator of Debussy, made it clear that his Jeux d’eau was written two years before Debussy’s Jardins sous la pluie and four years before Reflet dans l’eau.

Gaspard de la nuit marks the summit of Ravel’s output for solo piano. The composer described the work as “a set of three romantic poems of transcendental difficulty.” He insisted that each of the poems be printed as a preface to the corresponding piece of music. In Ondine, Ravel evokes the shimmering moonlight on the lake. Angela Hewitt writes: “The repeated chords that open in the right hand have a tongue-twister of a rhythm that is enough to put off many a player from going any further. Yet it all has to sound easy!” Ravel beautifully evokes the fluid surrounding of the water sprite. In Le Gibet (the Gallows) the composer creates an atmosphere of tension and death (“the body of a hanged man, reddened by the setting sun”). The tolling of the bell is symbolized by the static B-flat which is heard over two hundred times at regular intervals. Hewitt writes that Scarbo is almost entirely constructed from three motifs: “the first is presented in the opening opening bar, the second which is the repeated-note figure, and the third which surely must be Scarbo’s claws, scratching the silk coverlet.”

In his autobiographical sketch, Ravel refers to a new development in his style and writing: “The collection of piano pieces making up Miroirs (1905) marks a change in my harmonic development pronounced enough to have upset those musicians who till then had had the least trouble in appreciating my style. The first piece to be written was the second of the set Oiseaux triste. [Here I evoke] birds lost in the torpor of a dark forest in the hottest hours of the day.” Une barque sur l’océan is likely inspired by a tiny boat in the middle of cardboard waves, enclosed by a glass bell. A crank activated the waves, transforming them into a turbulent ocean. A favorite automatic toy of Ravel, it continues to sit on the composer’s piano.

La Valse, set in a grand ballroom during the mid-1850s, portrays the heady decadence and catastrophic downfall of Imperial Vienna in one of the composer’s finest orchestral scores. Originally commissioned by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russe in 1919, the work charts the demise of Viennese society as the great waltz itself plummets headlong toward its own ecstatic collapse. Ravel’s 1921 piano version has become as popular as the original work.

OTTORINO RESPIGHI

(1879-1936)

6 Pieces for Piano, P.44

Respighi is most remembered for his masterfully orchestrated tone poems Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals. However, he wrote several highly effective piano works that are seldom heard today. The 6 Pieces were written between 1903-1905, and while published as a set, it is not clear whether Respighi intended for them to be performed as a set. The set shows quite a variety of influences. The waltz seems reminiscent of the salon pieces of the nineteenth century, such as the waltz by Durand. The canon is inspired by the counterpoint of the Baroque but conceived within a lyrical, Romantic style with lush harmonies. The nocturne is the most frequently performed of the set, and it embodies elements of Impressionism with modal harmonic hints, while serving as the centerpiece of the set. The minuet seems inspired by the Classical style with its clear textures and charming melody. The study is inspired by the etude tradition of the Romantic period, and the textures brilliant flutter along until the effervescent ending. The intermezzo is reminds one of a ravishing nocturnes or barcarolles with its songful melody and rich harmonies.

DOMENICO SCARLATTI

Sonata in A Major, K.175

Sonata in A Major, K.322

Sonata in F Major, K.445

Sonata in G Minor, K.450

Sonata in G Major, K.455

Sonata in F Minor, K.466

Sonata in D Major, K.492

One of the greatest innovators in the history of keyboard music, Domenico Scarlatti was born in Naples in the same year as Bach and Handel. At the age of thirty-four he became Master of the Royal Chapel in Portugal and harpsichord teacher to the King’s daughter, the Infanta Maria Barbara. On her marriage in 1728 to Fernando, heir to the Spanish throne, Scarlatti accompanied the Princess to the royal court of Spain. The majority of Scarlatti’s sonatas are single-movement works in binary form, showing the influence of the Spanish guitar, the distinctive songs and dances of flamenco, and the court music of Spain and Portugal. Contrasting with the contrapuntal style of Bach, Scarlatti explores new depths of virtuoso technique in an original way using devices such as the frequent crossing of hands, fast runs in thirds and sixths, large leaps, broken chords in contrary motion, rapidly repeated notes, and

fast, wide-ranging arpeggios. Originally conceived for harpsichord, these works are often romanticized when played on the piano.

ROBERT SCHUMANN

Kreisleriana, Op.16

Fantasy in C Major, Op.17

Schumann was the son of a bookseller, a circumstance that brought him into close contact with the writings of the new Romantic movement during his formative years. After a period of law study and an unsuccessful attempt to become a concert pianist, he turned his efforts towards composition and musical journalism. Schumann, more than any other composer, became the spokesperson for the revolt against Classicism and the champion for revolutionary tendencies in music. In addition, he became the ardent supporter of such men as Chopin and Brahms, and it was through his writing that much of their music became known to the world.

Schumann’s music can be identified by its lyric melody, its vague and imaginative formal structure, and its remarkable range of expression from the most tender to the most heightened passion. He showed his interest in Bach by using contrapuntal devices within the framework of Romantic harmony. His piano music is idiomatic, making full use of the harmonic and tonal possibilities of the instrument. Throughout his career Schumann was occupied by writing character-pieces, and though he wrote in larger forms, he continually favored that genre. Hinson lists characteristics of Schumann’s piano writing, including “his use of fast harmonic rhythm, unusual pedal effects, syncopation and cross rhythms, varied accompaniment figurations, chord doublings, and a unique exploitation of contracting and expanding the pianist’s hand.”

Kreisleriana, Op.16 is dedicated to Chopin even though Chopin did not seem to care for the work, and Schumann subtitled the eight-movement suite as Fantasies for Piano. Despite Chopin’s lack of enthusiasm, Kreisleriana ranks among Schumann’s most beloved works by modern pianists. A quintessentially Romantic work, Schumann was inspired by the character Johannes Kreisler from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s literary woks. The character was an alter ego for Hoffmann, and Kreisler was portrayed as a moody composer with a disdain for society. Each movement of Schumann’s work contains multiple contrasting sections, which capture the manic nature of the Hoffmann’s character.

Schumann’s Fantasy is one of the indisputably great piano works of the nineteenth century. It is dedicated to Franz Liszt, and it unfolds in three movements that show

elements of sonata form. The first movement was written as an independent work initially, and it was inspired by being away from Clara Wieck--his soon-to-be wife. The work is prefaced with the following quotatiion from Schlegel: “Resounding through all the notes / In the earth’s colorful dream / There sounds a faint long-drawn note / For the one who listens in secret.” The end of the first movement also contains a musical quotation from Beethoven’s song cycle An die ferne Geliebte. The text of the quoted song translates to “Accept then these songs [beloved, which I sang for you alone ” Notably, Schumann submitted the work for publication when a publisher was raising money for a Beethoven monument. While they did not ultimately publish the work, the inclusion of the Beethoven musical quotation seems timely. The second movement is a rousing march, and the third movement is contemplative. While Liszt admired the work and learned it to play for Schumann privately, he never publicly performed it. Sadly, Clara Wieck Schumann also did not perform the work until a decade after Robert’s death.

ALEXANDER SCRIABIN (1872-1915)

Fantasy in B Minor, Op.28

Scriabin was a fellow pupil of Rachmaninoff’s in Zverev’s class from 1884 and at the Moscow Conservatory (1888–1992). An outstanding pianist with a fluent and spontaneous style of playing, his early piano composition and preference for miniature forms (etudes, preludes, mazurkas) show the influence of Chopin and Liszt. In 1905 Scriabin encountered Madame Blavatsky’s theosophy and evolved a highly individual style, closely related to his mystic-theosophic interests. The static and ecstatic tendencies in his music are vividly expressed in Prometheus (subtitled The Poem of Fire) intended to be performed with a play of colored light. The third of Scriabin’s sonatas was written in 1898. To describe the work, Glenn Gould wrote, “It’s an expansive and declamatory Sonata-Allegro in which the bittersweet nostalgia of the secondary thematic group is held in check by the foreboding double-dot interpretations of the primary theme’s chief rhythmic component.”

The Fantasy in B Minor is a work that is gaining popularity on the concert stage even though Scriabin is rumored to have forgotten about composing it during his lifetime. There is also no record that Scriabin ever programmed the work. The Fantasy stylistically lies between his Sonata No.3 and Sonata No.4, and while the work is tonal, Scriabin creates a work of harmonic ambiguity is he avoids a strong sense of tonic.

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)

Sonata No.1, Op.12

Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, Op.87 No.15

While perhaps most well-known for his symphonies and string quartets, Shostakovich was an accomplished pianist. To commemorate the bicentennial of Bach’s death, Shostakovich wrote his Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues, Op.87. Unlike Bach, Shostakovich only wrote one prelude and fugue in each key. While inspired by Bach’s Baroque procedures, Shostakovich’s harmonic language remains distinctly modern in each of the works in this set.

Shostakovich’s First Sonata was written in 1926, and it is a sonata in one movement with a fast-slow-fast structure. Shostakovich was always quite fond of this work, and he performed it throughout his life. While hovering around a tonal center of C, the work is unabashedly modern and often sounds more atonal than tonal. One of his former teachers remarked that it is a “sonata for metronome accompanied by the piano.”

CONSTANTIN SILVESTRI (1913-1969)

Bacchanale

Silvestri was a Romanian composer and conductor, and he is largely remembered for developing the Bournemouth Symphony into a world-class orchestra during the later years of his life. However, he was highly regarded by George Enescu for his compositional skill as well. The short, brilliant Bacchanale serves as the finale of Silvestri’s Suite No.3, Op.6 No.1.

IGOR STRAVINSKY

(1882-1971)

Three Movements from Petrushka Firebird Suite (trans. Guido Agosti)

Perhaps the greatest composer of the twentieth century, Stravinsky was certainly one of the most versatile and influential. His impact stemmed principally from his emancipation of rhythm, his orchestrations (especial his use of instrumental soloists), his revival of traditional forms and styles, his use of folk, popular, and jazz elements, and his ultimate recourse to serial techniques. One of his greatest gifts was that of realizing in sound the movements of dance. In his notes to the Kissin recording of Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka, Steven Wigler points out that although this is one of the piano repertory’s most famously flashy works, Stravinsky was suspicious of what he called “go-getting and tyrannical virtuosi.” Arthur Rubinstein inspired Stravinsky to transcribe three scenes from the ballet; the transcription was completed in 1921 and programmed for the first time in1924. Wigler states that any pianist can understand what Rubinstein meant when he remarked that “proposing to a beautiful woman requires only slightly more courage than playing Pétrouchka on the piano.”

The last three scenes of The Firebird have been brilliantly transcribed for piano by Guido Agosti (1901–1989).

PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1903)

Nocturne in F Major, Op.10 No.1 Dumka, Op.59

While Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 ranks among the most recognizable piano works in the repertoire, his solo music is more neglected on the concert stage. The Two Pieces, Op.10 consists of a nocturne and a humoreske. Written in late 1871 into early 1872, these short works came out a period when Tchaikovsky was traveling to Nice. However, the earliest recorded public performance of the Nocturne was in Tiflis in 1886.

Tchaikovsky’s Dumka was written during a time when Tchaikovsky escaped to the countryside outside of Moscow after dealing with a divorce, the deaths of a number of close friends and family, and questions of his sexuality. A dumka is characterized by wildly contrasting sections of pathos and joy, and while modest in length, Tchaikovsky creates a short work that takes the listener on an epic journey.

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to remain silent.”

– Victor Hugo

in memoriam

Deborah Jo Nice

August 25, 1950—February 21, 2016

In loving memory of Debbie, and to recognize the New Orleans International Piano Competition for the joy it gave her, Debbie’s family gives our warmest thanks to:

• Raymond Gitz, Debbie’s wizard of a piano teacher, one of the two founders of the competition,

• All of the board members, staff, Institute faculty, competition jurors, and volunteers of the Musical Arts Society who provided a wonderful, welcoming community for her throughout the years, and

• Many people who kindly and generously made donations to MASNO in her memory.

Debbie’s family also extends our heartiest congratulations to all of the 2024 competition semi-finalists, for bringing great music to New Orleans, and for continuing the tradition of pursuing the highest standards of artistry in classical piano.

We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.

– Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize winner, 1979

BE PART OF MASNO!

We at MASNO are privileged to be able to present these kinds of musical opportunities in New Orleans as well as play significant roles in the development of young talent and future musical careers through our programming. However, we could not do so without the generous support of our Friends, Donors, Partners and Sponsors.

Membership

Our annual membership level starts with a tax-deductible donation of $35 per year. This annual membership includes a subscription to MASNO’s E-Newsletter, Advance Notice and Pre-sale Privileges for exclusive MASNO events, and Recognition in the program book of the New Orleans International Piano Competition and New Orleans Keyboard Festival.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, by phone 504.899.4826, or securely online at masno.org. Levels of donations can be found on the following pages of this book or on our website.

Corporate and Individual Event Sponsorship Opportunities

MASNO offers multiple levels of Corporate and Individual Event Sponsorship Opportunities. These levels of donation are accompanied by benefits to the sponsor. Examples of Individual Event Sponsorships include the sponsorship of Artist Fees, Salon Concerts, Nocturne, Prizes for the New Orleans International Piano Competition and more. More information is available for download on our website.

Please note the IRS requires that the Fair Market Value of certain benefits be subtracted from the amount of your gift on your tax return. You may waive any benefits by notifying our office.

Volunteering and Hosting

MASNO very gratefully acknowledges and relies on the support of our volunteers and hosts to ensure the success of our events. Examples of some of these volunteering and hosting opportunities are:

• Volunteering at events including the New Orleans International Piano Competition

• Hosting a contestant for the New Orleans International Piano Competition

• Hosting a Juror and Faculty Dinner for the New Orleans International Piano Competition

• Hosting Salon Concerts

• Other volunteer opportunities

Company Matching

Many companies have programs in place to match or even double the donations of their employees or their employees’ spouses. You can acquire a Matching Gift Form from your company’s Human Resources Office.

Charitable Remainder or Charitable Lead Trusts

Gifts that generate income are excellent vehicles for your retirement plan. By placing assets in a Charitable Remainder Trust for the benefit of the Musical Arts Society, one or another beneficiary may:

• Receive fixed or variable income payments for life

• Enjoy a current income tax deduction

• Eliminate capital-gains tax when using appreciated assets

• Convert low-income property or securities into a higher income stream

• Reduce estate taxes

With a Charitable Lead Trust, you may provide income to the Musical Arts Society for a period of time, passing on the assets to your heirs in the future. Lead Trusts can also help save estate or gift taxes while at the same time providing a major contribution.

Bequests, Retirement Planning, Life Insurance, and Securities Gifts

If you already have an established will, or will soon be having one prepared, consider leaving a bequest to the Musical Arts Society. If you already have a will, naming MASNO can be done very simply by an amendment (codicil) so that your entire will does not need to be redrafted. To leave a bequest to the MASNO Endowment Fund, please name the beneficiary as the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans.

Qualified retirement plan benefits are excellent choices for funding a testamentary charitable gift. Because such benefits are subject to estate taxes and income tax liability to the ultimate recipient, directing those assets to the Musical Arts Society could be eligible to bypass double taxation.

Naming MASNO as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy will allow an estate tax deduction for your estate.

Contributions of stocks or bonds can be designated for the MASNO endowment Fund, directed to benefit a specific aspect of programming or directed to the support of MASNO’s general operating expenses.

For more information, visit masno.org, call 504.899.4826, or email director@masno.org

The following are gratefully acknowledged for gifts made to MASNO between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

Prestissimo $5000+

Arts Council New Orleans

James Farrow

Anne B. Gauthier

Gauthier Family Foundation

Hall Piano Company

Shearon and Paul Horton

Toni and Allan Ledbetter

Louisiana Division of the Arts

Loyola University

Madelyn Trible

Missionary Expediters

National Endowment of the Arts

Julianne Nice and Herbert Larson

Richard Goula Memorial Fund

Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

Robin Crutcher Art

Steven Rosenthal

Steinway & Sons

Steinway Society of New Orleans

Thistlewood Foundation

Drs. Terry and Rand Voorhies

WWNO 89.9 and Classical 104.9 FM

Presto $2500+

Adler’s

Mary and Doug Albert

Jason Burge and Rebekka Veith

Robin and Bruce Crutcher

Sarah and Robert Edgecombe

Fishman Haygood, LLP.

Dr. Edward D. Levy, Jr.

William Marshall

Drs. Emel and Ranney Mize

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation

Victoria Z Photography

Robin and Dale Williams

Margaret Woodward

Vivace 1000+

Michael Boucree

Anne S. Bradburn

Drs. Andrea and Archie Brown

Mrs. Alva Chase

Alan Chow

David Greenhouse

Michael Harold and Quinn Peeper

Kaufman Music Center

Drs. Elizabeth and Leo Landry

Jonathan McCall

Loretta Mince

Richard Simmons and Betsy Nalty

Anne and Darren Sumich

University of New Orleans

Donna Vitter

Bob and Georgie Weilbaecher

Cara and Vance Woolf

Allegro $500+

Drs. Alfredo and Soffy Botero

Louise and Henry Bush

Claudia Champagne

Peter Collins

Joan Coulter

Malise and Eddie Dennard

Darlene and Jody Dickerson

Lisa Fauci and Victor Moll

Vivienne and Peck Hayne

Matthew Hilton

Andrée and Ken Jacques

Joni Jensen and Bruce Regeczi

Ralph Kern

Susan Lafaye

Diane LaPlace

William Luton

Drs. Jamie Manders and James Riopelle

Joanne Marier

Margaret Parker

Barbara and Thomas Sands

Rita and Jerry Satawa

Laura and Sonny Shields

Betty and GregSpeyrer

Julie Straub

Lindsay and John Wells

Nora Wetzel

Betsy and Pat Widhalm

Victoria and Daniel Zangara

Allegretto $250+

Roselyn B. Boneno, Ph.D.

Roselyn Boneno

Charles Brown and Lauren Hicks

Emmet Geary

Amanda Gordon

Kathy Hebert

Brian Hsu

Ellen Hurwitz

Alexander Kelso

Marc and Judith Loudon

Carmen Soriano

Moderato $100+

Cynthia and James Babst

Mary Ann Bulla

Constance Carroll

Dr. Raquel Cortina

William Cullison

Celia Deininger

Caroline Farouki

Benjamin Karp

Anne-Marie Karp

Anwar Nasir

Lynne Neitzschman

Nell Nolan

Ava Rosenberg

Courtney-Anne Sarpy

Francis Scully

Charles Taylor

Daniel Weilbaecher

Andante $35+

John Batson

Beuerman Miller Fitzgerald Inc

Lillian Eyrich

Annie Irvin

Mary Monsted

Mary B. Pupene

Sally Seyler

Margaret and Wade Shields

Ronald Thompson

Chris Waddington

Casey and Chris Zainey

MASNO Endowment Fund

An endowment fund has been established to honor the memory of friends and loved ones or to celebrate their lives or special occasions. Interest realized from this untouched principal investment will help fund various projects of the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans.

Gifts have been made in memory and in honor of:

Melvin Alford

Ruby Rome Barrios

Norton L. Berman

Binet/Creppel Family

Elissa Bluth

Cyril Y. Bowers, M.D.

Mary Sue Chambers

Edgar ‘Dooky’ Chase Jr.

Edgar “Dooky” Chase III

Robin and Bruce Crutcher

Fritz Dahlberg

Midge Dean

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Dickerson

Sarah and Robert Edgecombe

Anne B. Gauthier

Dustin Gledhill

Frank Gonzalez

Richard Goula

Dr. Walter Harris Jr.

Lois Chalona Hawkins

Bernard Hirsch Herman

Viktor Khalimsky

Dr. Alphonse D. Landry

Dr. Keith Lescale

Mary Lou MacDowell

Mrs. Hazel Melancon

Betty and Dick Mize

Deborah Jo Nice

Menahem Pressler

Dr. James Ricciardi

Contributions to the Endowment Fund have been made by:

June Aiken

Melvin G. Alford

Ann Babington

Bellsouth

Norton Berman

Emily Clark and Ron Biava

Dr. and Mrs. Edward Bluth

Charles Bohn

Roselyn Boneno

James Boyd

Mrs. Donald Muir Bradburn

Drs. Andrea and Archie Brown

E. John Bullard

Brad Buras

Charlotte Buras

Mr. and Mrs. Peter G. Burke

Hope Cantrelle

Linton Carney

Constance Knox Carroll

Mary Lee and Hampton Carver

Mary Sue Chambers

Alva Chase

Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Chase III

Alan Chow

Mr. and Mrs. William Coe

Mary Wilkins Costa

Joan Coulter

Mr. and Mrs. Jacques Creppel

Albert Crutcher

Robin and Bruce Crutcher

Janet Daly

Virginia Darmstadter

Wilfred Delphin

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Dickerson

Anita and William Drezdzon

Patrick Dunne

Dr. and Mrs. Charles L. Dupin

Dana Eness

Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Farber

Dr. James Farrow

Mr. and Mrs. Darwin C. Fenner

Richard Ford

Anne B. Gauthier

Wendell and Anne Gauthier Family

Foundation

Emmet Geary

Dr. Raymond Gitz

Melissa and Bruce Gordon

Richard Goula

James O. Gundlach

Liz Hampton

Henrietta Augustus Harris

George Van Hoose

Jhane Barnes Menswear, Inc.

Lynn Johnston

Cosette Kaufmann

Anne-Marie Karp

Nina Kelly

Tamara Kreinin

Brenda and Lance Lafargue

Dr. and Mrs. Alphonse Landry

Julianne Nice and Herb Larson

Noonie and Clay LeJeune

Dr. and Mrs. Ricardo Leoni

Dr. Edward D. Levy, Jr.

Rachelen Lien

Jacquelyn Lothschuetz

Theresa Lutostanski

Robert J. MacDowell

Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. McCool

Sandie and Jim McNamara

Dr. Thomas Melancon

Drs. Emel and Ranney Mize

Phillip and Babs Mollere

Mary Monsted

Dennis and Nodie Murphy

Fay and Joe Rosenberg

Rahmiye and Celalettin Songu

Dianne Tell

Martha Ann Treen

Bruce Trible

Nelita True

Daniel Weilbaecher

Daniel Weilbaecher, Sr.

Merlyn Weilbaecher

Sharon Weilbaecher

George W. Wilkins and Marilyn Wilkins

George W. Wilkins

Clarence Pete Wolbrette

John M. Yarborough, Jr., M.D.

Drs. Terry and Rand Voorhies

Ava Rosenberg Nowalsky

J. Robert Pope

Joni Jensen and Bruce Regeczi

Igor Resnianski

George-Ann Reynolds

Dr. and Mrs. James Ricciardi

Van Dalton Jenkins and Barbara Robinson

Cynthia A. Samuel

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Scheinuk

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Scurlock

Karen and Leopold Sher

Dr. Eduard Danilyants and Mrs. Alexandra Shikhris

Richard Simmons and Betsy Nalty

Rachel Bluth and Derek Smith

Michelle and Oren Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Warren Stern

Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Stewart

Rachel and Ron Tell

Philip Fuselier and Anthony Terranova

The Lupin Foundation

Martha Treen

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce C. Trible

Beth Turner

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Vile

Eileen Wallen

Dr. Daniel Weilbaecher

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Weilbaecher

Jay Welch

Mr. and Mrs. Dale Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J.A. Williams

Sam Wong

Dr. David G. Wood

Cara McCool Woolf and Vance Woolf

Dr. Roger Wortham

Dr. and Mrs. John Yarborough

Acknowledgements

Acadiana Symphony

Tiffany Adler

Adlers

Gustav Alink

Alink-Argerich Foundation

Erica Anderson

Arts Council New Orleans

Carmen Balthazar

Tanya Bannister

Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra

Ronald Biava

Hristo Birbochukov

Amanda Bohren

Michael Boucree

Anne Bradburn

Kenny Broberg

Drs. Andrea and Archie Brown

Kathryn Brown

Courtney Bryan

Jason Burge and Rebekka Veith

Louise and Henry Bush

William Bush

Hannah Cabell

Lindsay Calmes

Constance Carroll

Elia Cecino

Laurie Celentano

Kevin Chance

Mrs, Edgar “Dooky” Chase III

The Edgar “Dooky” Jr. and Leah Chase

Family Foundation

Tatiana Dorokhova

Nathan Drewes

Patrick Dunne

Vivian Chiu

Alan Chow

City of New Orleans

Classical 104.9 FM

Clavier Companion

Peter Collins

Joan Coulter

Will Coviello

Robin and Bruce Crutcher

Priscilla Dardar

Wilfred Delphin

Malise and Eddie Dennard

Chalon Dominick

Dooky Chase Restaurant

Sarah and Robert Edgecombe

Jep Epstein

Mignon Faget

James Farrow

Rachel Hamilton

Fishman Haygood LLC

Fox 8 News

Gambit

Kelly Gaubert

Anne B. Gauthier

Gauthier Family Foundation

Trenton Gauthier and Jennifer Dinwiddie

Raymond Gitz

Dustin Gledhill

David Greenhouse

Greater New Orleans Music Teachers Association

Michael D. Harold and Dr. E. Quinn Peeper

Hall Piano Company

Hancock Whitney Bank

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel

Vivienne and Peck Hayne

Kathy Hebert

Frank Heneghan

Holly Hobbs

Shearon and Paul Horton

Douglas Humpherys

Brian Hsu

Annie Irvin

Andrée and Ken Jacques

Joni Jensen and Bruce Regeczi

Adam Johnson

Callie Kamath

Kaufman Music Center

Igal Kesselman

Steven Kinchen

William King

Alexander Korsantia

Matthew Kraemer

Mimi Kruger

Susan Lafaye

Elizabeth and Leo Landry

Toni and Allan Ledbetter

Dr. Edward D. Levy, Jr.

Louisiana Division of the Arts

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Judith and Marc Loudon

Loyola University of New Orleans College of Music and Media

Faina Lushtak

Paul Maassen

Diane Mack

Don Marshall

Eric Marshall

William Marshall and Tessa Izdepski

Beth and Charley McCool

Brianna McMorris

Margaret Place Hotel

Matt McWilliams

Media Droids

Merkin Hall

Wyeth Metz

Loretta Mince

Millie Mince

Drs. Emel and Ranney Mize

Stefan Moll

Lisa Fauci and Victor Moll

Anita Montero

Alexander Moutouzkine

Timothy Muffitt

Spencer Myer

Anwar Nasir

The New Orleans Advocate

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA)

New Orleans Civic Symphony

New Orleans Friends of Music

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation

New Orleans Music Teachers Association

New Orleans Opera Association

Julianne Nice and Herb Larson

NOLA.com

Nell Nolan

Diego North-Rios

Noya Design

Rob Olmstead

Mia Paloma

Parkview Historic Hotel

Marianna Prjevalskaya

Leslie Rau

Igor Resnianski

Joycelyn Reynolds

Pamela Ricciardi

Florian Reim

The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans

Lakia Robinson

Susan Roesgen

Sandy and Stephen Rosenthal

Barbara and Thomas Sands

Alexandra Scheer

Scott Myers Photography

Dean Shapiro

Sue Strachan

Julie Straub

Annette Sisco

Mariusz Smolij

Konstantin Soukhovetski

St. Charles Avenue Magazine

Steinway & Sons

Steinway Society of New Orleans

Diane Stengle

Charles Taylor

The Times-Picayune

Madelyn Trible

George Van Hoose

Viktor Valkov

Victoria Z Photography

Terry and Rand Voorhies

Chris Waddington

Daniel Weilbaecher

Lindsay and John Wells

Nora Wetzel

Where Yat

Betsy and Pat Widhalm

Robin and Dale Williams

Cara McCool Woolf

Vance Woolf

World Federation of International Music Competitions

John Wright

WWNO 89.9

Ziang Xu

Victoria and Daniel Zangara

Casey Dietz Zainey

An event of this scope is dependent on the benevolence of many. We are fortunate to have always been able to rely on the generous and hospitable nature of this city’s music lovers who welcome our semifinalists into their homes as their host families while others welcome our jury, faculty and staff members for wonderful meals. MASNO is grateful to the following people for extending their incredible generosity to this year’s visiting musicians:

Competition Housing Hosts

Jason Burge and Rebekka Veith

Joan Coulter

Malise and Eddie Dennard

Nathan Drewes

Patrick Dunn

Sarah and Robert Edgecombe

James Farrow

David Greenhouse

Andrée and Ken Jacques

Beth and Leo Landry

Loretta Mince

Julianne Nice and Herb Larson

Joni Jensen and Bruce Regeczi

Terry and Rand Voorhies

Lindsay and John Wells

Robin and Dale Williams

Dinner & Reception Hosts

Vivan Chiu

Robin and Bruce Crutcher

Dooky Chase Restaurant

Vivienne and Peck Hayne

Susan Lafaye

Julianne Nice and Herb Larson

Lisa Fauci and Victor Moll

Parkview Historic Hotel

Michael D. Harold and Dr. E. Quinn Peeper

Sandy and Steve Rosenthal

Barbara and Thomas Sands

Nora Wetzel

Betsy and Pat Widhalm

Reception Sponsors

Parkview Historic Hotel

Michael D. Harold and Dr. E. Quinn Peeper

Dr. Richard and Ann Strub

2022

Brian Keng-Lun Hsu Loyola University

PAST COMPETITION JURORS

Igal Kesselman Kaufman Music Center | Merkin Hall, New York

Marina Lomazov Eastman School of Music

Ursula Oppens Mannes College

2018

Jennifer Hayghe University of Colorado, Boulder

Igal Kesselman Kaufman Music Center | Merkin Hall, New York

Alexandre Moutouzkine Manhattan School of Music

Nigel Grant Rogers Grant Rogers Musical Artists’ Management, United Kingdom

Gregory Sioles Louisiana State University

Nancy Weems University of Houston

2016

Peter Collins Missouri State University

Danny Driver United Kingdom

Faina Lushtak Tulane University

Marianna Prjevalskaya Spain

Nelita True Eastman School of Music

2014

Natalya Antonova Eastman School of Music

Alan Chow Northwestern University of Illinois

Jennifer Hayghe Ithaca College, New York

Igor Resnianski West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Viktor Valkov Houston

2012

Alan Chow Northwestern University of Illinois

Faina Lushtak Tulane University

Alexandre Moutouzkine Manhattan School of Music

Igor Resnianski West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Sandra Rivers Univ. of Cinncinnati CollegeConservatory

2011

Peter Mack Trinity College Dublin

John Murphy Loyola University New Orleans

Andrey Ponochevny University of Dallas, Irving

2010

Philippe Bianconi France

Louis Nagel University of Michigan

Pamela Mia Paul University of North Texas, Denton

Igor Resnianski West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Nelita True Eastman School of Music

2009

Constance Carroll Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Christopher Elton Royal Academy of Music, London

Douglas Humpherys Eastman School of Music

Faina Lushtak Tulane University

Igor Resnianski West Chester University of Pennsylvania

2008

Stanislav Ioudenitch Park University

Paul Pollei Gina Bachauer Foundation

Ann Schein Aspen Music Festival and School

Nelita True Eastman School of Music

Nancy Weems University of Houston

2007

Constance Carroll Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Alan Chow Northwestern University of Illinois

Anne Koscielny University of Maryland

Igor Resnianski West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Klauspeter Seibel Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

2006

Gregory Allen University of Texas, Austin

James Giles Northwestern University of Illinois

Jennifer Hayghe Ithaca College, New York

Frank Heneghan Ireland

Robin Williams University of New Orleans

2005

Andrew Ball Royal College of Music, London

Alan Chow Northwestern University of Illinois

Sean Duggan, O.S.B. State University of New York at Fredonia

Nelita True Eastman School of Music

Nancy Weems University of Houston

2004

Angela Cheng Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Alvin Chow Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Paul Pollei Gina Bachauer Foundation

Sandra Rivers Univ. of Cinncinnati CollegeConservatory

Klauspeter Seibel Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

2003

Mark Anderson United States

John Barstow England

James Giles Northwestern University of Illinois

Robin McCabe University of Washington

Nelita True Eastman School of Music

2002

Anne Epperson University of California, Santa Barbara

Faina Lushtak Tulane University, New Orleans

Bryce Morrison England

Daniel Sher University of Colorado-Boulder

Robert Weirich University of Missouri, Kansas City

2001

Andrew Cooperstock University of Colorado-Boulder

Jennifer Hayghe Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Frank Heneghan Ireland

Martin Jones England

Pamela Mia Paul University of North Texas, Denton

2000

Jeffrey Biegel New York

PAST COMPETITION JURORS

Alan Chow Northwestern University of Illinois

Anne Koscielny University of Maryland

Bryce Morrison England

Nancy Weems University of Houston

1999

Frank Heneghan Ireland

Alfred Mouledous Southern Methodist University, Dallas

Aiko Onishi Japan/California

Ruth Tomfohrde University of Houston

Diane Walsh Mannes School of Music, New York

1998

Jeffrey Biegel New York

Constance Carroll Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Robin McCabe University of Washington, Seattle

John Murphy Loyola University, New Orleans

Hanni Schmid Wyss Switzerland

1997

Robert Roux Rice University, Houston

Bela Siki University of Washington, Seattle

Logan Skelton University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

1996

Martin Jones England

Peter Collins Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield

Michael Gurt Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Krassimira Jordan Baylor University, Waco

Anne Koscielny University of Maryland, College Park

1995

Alan Chow Northwestern University of Illinois

Sean Duggan, O.S.B. St. Joseph Abbey, Covington, LA

Jean-Pierre Marty France

Madelyn Trible University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Nancy Weems University of Houston

1994

Constance Carroll Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Rafael Guerra Mexico

Ray Luck Randolph-Macon College, Virginia

Paul Pollei

Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

Robert Roux Rice University, Houston

1993

Richard Dowling New York

Tristan Foison France

Faina Lushtak Tulane University, New Orleans

Barry Snyder Eastman School of Music, Rochester

Eleanor Statmore New Jersey

1992

Dolores Fredrickson Chicago

Raymond Jackson Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Eugene Rowley International Festival Institute, Texas

Brent Runnels Rollins College, Florida

Oxana Yablonskaya Juilliard School of Music, New York

1991

Seth Carlin Washington University, St. Louis

Martin Jones England

Krassimira Jordan Baylor University, Waco

Joseph Rezits Indiana University, Bloomington

Eleanor Statmore New Jersey

1990

William Koehler

University of Northern Illinois, Dekalb

Mack McCray San Francisco Conservatory

Louis Nagel University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Michi Hirata North Pacific Northwest School of Music, Seattle

Robert Silverman Piano Quarterly, Editor

1989

Alan Chow University of Arkansas

Lillian Freundlich Peabody Conservatory of Music

Paul Maillet USA

Paul Pollei Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

S. Zakarin-Rutstein Oberlin

School of the Arts

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