Sydney International Online Piano Competition 2021 Program

PROGRAM 1-18 JULY

32 VIRTUOSOS 1 PA S S I O N

CONTENTS T H E 2021 C O M P E T I T I O N

2-4

J U RY

59 -62

W E LC O M E M E S SAG E S

6-8

C O M P E T I T I O N RU L E S

6 4-65

PRIZES

6 6-69

FO U N D E R A N D B E N E FAC TO R VA L E A N D B EQ U E S T S

9 1 0 -1 1

SY D N E Y P I A N O LOV E R S’ C O M P E T I T I O N

70

D O E S T H E W I N N E R R E A L LY TA K E I T A L L? 1 2 -1 3

COMPOSING THE FUTURE

72-73

C O M P E T I T I O N D I A RY

1 8 -1 9

FRIENDS OF THE COMPETITION

74-75

LO O K I N G BAC K I N T I M E

2 0 -2 1

CYCLE OF GIVING AND CHAMPIONS FUND 76-77

C LU B 3 2

22 -2 3

D O N O R S A N D S U P P O RT E R S

C O M P E T I TO R S A N D P RO G R A M S

26 - 5 7

H OW TO WATC H T H E C O M P E T I T I O N

80

C R E D I T S A N D AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T S

81

Abdiel, Calvin

26

Balogh, Ádám

27

Baryshevskyi, Antonii

28

Belyavsky, Sergey

29

Burla, Alice

30

Cai, Yangrui

31

Chamot, Dominic

32

Chow, Kevin

33

Foster, Maxwell

34

Gadjiev, Alexander

35

Geniushene, Anna

36

Kinasov, Maxim

37

Klinton, Dinara

38

Kliuchko, Aleksandr

39

Li, Siqian

40

Liu, Ziyu

41

Lynov, Philipp

42

Ma, Ke

43

Malikov, Alexander

44

Muradov, Rustam

45

Mustakimov, Timur

46

Nitahara, Yu

47

Ota, Shion

48

Park, Kyoungsun

49

Pavlova, Alexandra

50

Sakiya, Akihiro

51

Salimdjanova, Tamila

52

Sin, Dmitry

53

Wu, JunLin

54

Xu, Ziang

55

Yasynksyy, Artem

56

Yoo, Se-Hyeong

57

78 -79

1

THE 2021 COMPETITION

The 2021 Competition The Sydney International Piano Competition (The Sydney) has been a highlight of the international arts calendar for 44 years in 2021. The competition continues to innovate and evolve so that it remains relevant to young artists of today, reflecting changes in the musical world at large. ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ and we are delighted that other international competitions now look to our innovations for opportunities to improve their own format.

Founded by the late Claire Dan AM OBE, the late Rex Hobcroft AM and Robert Tobias OAM, The Sydney first took place in July 1977 and has since been held every four years, except in 1988, when it was brought forward to coincide with the bicentenary of Australia celebrations. The global pandemic has again altered the rhythm of The Sydney: the twelfth edition has been moved from 2020 to 2021.

The Sydney was admitted as a member of the Geneva-based World Federation of International Music Competitions in 1978 (the first Australian competition to be accepted as a member) and is also a member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation.

Since its inception, The Sydney has been held in the highest international esteem, inspiring both pianists and audiences, stimulating public interest in the piano and in classical music generally, providing a showcase for outstanding young pianists from all over the world and assisting in the development of their careers as concert artists.

Artistic Director Piers Lane AO and Chief Executive Marcus Barker have been at the creative and business helm since 2015, bringing vision, valuable experience and artistic and organisational drive.

The impact of COVID-19 has brought about significant changes to the structure of this year’s competition.

With the cancellation of the live 2020 event, a traditional format of solo recitals, chamber music and concerto components was no longer possible. Innovatively pivoting, utilising state-of-the-art technical resources, the 2021 competition has been transformed into a pre-recorded online competition.

The 2021 Online Competition allows The Sydney to spread its joy to global audiences at a time when so many continue to live with COVID-19 restrictions. Most importantly, it enables the competitors to actually participate, despite global travel bans, providing invaluable opportunities for them to be heard and to progress their careers.

2

Competitors in the 2021 Online Competition are those selected to take part in the original 2020 live competition.

They were chosen by five preselectors from a field of 285 applicants in January 2020. Since then, eight changes have occurred, occasioned by individual competitors’ altered circumstances. Competitors worked under extremely difficult conditions to meet repertoire submission and filming deadlines, themselves responsible for finding recording venues, pianos and technical support, albeit with some welcome financial help from Club 32 donors.

All 32 competitors were required to pre-record Preliminary, Semi Final and Final recitals, regardless of their progression in the competition. At this international level, they are expected to have three hours of recital repertoire at their fingertips. The procedure was also to maintain the confidentiality and excitement of all involved, so that no one, bar the jury, knew who progressed from one round to another, and allowing 5Stream, the Melbourne-based company which produced the Piano Marathon broadcast in July 2020, time to prepare and edit all the videos of playing and interviews into an entertaining and engrossing stream.

The Preliminary and Semi Final recital rounds were recorded

by March 31 and judged in April, the Final Round by May 31 and judged in June.

In the Preliminary Round, all 32 competitors perform a 40 minute recital plus encore, resulting in 12 competitors short-listed to deliver a 50 minute themed recital with spoken commentary in the Semi Final Round. The Final Round requires an 80 minute recital with verbal introductions and two encores from each of the six finalists. An Australian composition in the Preliminary Round, as part of the recital program, or as an encore, is the only repertoire requirement asked of the competitors. All remaining repertoire is own choice.

The Sydney remains committed to locating the most artistic, probing and communicative young pianists seeking a world platform and supporting them as they embark on their concert careers. To that end, and without the opportunity of experiencing a live performance from competitors, additional prize challenges have been offered for this year’s Online Competition. Emotionally and entertainingly intelligent construction of a program from an audience’s or concert promoter’s perspective is an art worthy of deep consideration and reward. In modern times, performers also need to be able to talk to audiences, developing rapport in a natural way, while sharing insights or necessary information about their program and consequently enhancing marketability as an artist.

2016 Finalist Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

3

THE 2021 COMPETITION

The jury, consisting of seven distinguished international pianists, has had to listen beyond varying qualities of recorded sound produced in different situations for each competitor: beyond the instruments available, the ambient acoustic, beyond the number of camera angles possible – to hone in on artistry that transcends circumstances.

You too, as the audience, will undertake this very journey.

The total cash prize money for the 2021 competition is a significant pool of $163,000 plus concert engagements and CD recordings. Once again, our traditional prizes bear the names of internationally distinguished past Australian pianists.

It is hoped that the next live competition will take place in 2023, that the Preliminaries and Semi Finals will return to their home at the historic Verbrugghen Hall in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with its ‘back-yard’ the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens, and that once again, the Finals will return to the spectacular Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, where competitors will perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

But in the meantime, we hope you will enjoy what we trust will be a unique happening: The Sydney’s 2021 Online Competition!

4

TOP: 2016 Finals with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

CENTRE:2016 Finalist Moye Chen, conductor Nicholas Milton AM and Dene Olding, concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

BOTTOM: 2016 Finalist Oxana Shevchenko

MESSAGES

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR A N D N O N -VOT I N G CHAIRMAN OF THE JURY

Piers Lane AO Who would have dreamt the 12th Sydney International Piano Competition would morph into an online recital prize? Certainly not the 32 competitors selected in January 2020!

For many, the new requirements involved stepping out of their comfort zone and facing new challenges: talking about music before playing it, in a language that may not be their own, recording after being unable to perform for over a year and finally, surviving COVID-19! Many of our competitors suffered and one was diagnosed positive on the very day he was to record his Preliminary Round video.

I am deeply appreciative of the eight reserves who took over from original competitors, many at the last possible minute. They had to record an Australian piece within days of memorising it, along with programs to meet novel requirements.

The end results would conceivably be different, were there a live competition - but not to hold a competition at all for the refulgent talent on offer this year would be unthinkable. Every competitor has shown resource, imagination, intelligence, resilience and courage, qualities that will sustain their professional careers - but some will emerge victorious, and we humbly hope our competition will bring as much lustre to their future, as their participation will lend radiance to our own.

Piers Lane AO

6

Piers Lane AO has been the Artistic Director of the Sydney International Piano Competition since 2015 and has enjoyed a long association with the event. He won the prize for the ‘Best Australian Pianist’ in the first edition and gave the Opening Recital as a juror of the 2004 competition.

Piers, who lives in London, is one of Australia’s most renowned and engaging performers.

Always in great demand worldwide as soloist and collaborative artist, highlights include a performance of Busoni’s mighty piano concerto at Carnegie Hall, premieres of Carl Vine’s Second Piano Concerto, written specially for him, with the Sydney Symphony and the London Philharmonic, and frequent sold-out recitals at Wigmore Hall.

His concerto repertoire of over 100 works has led to engagements with many of the world’s great orchestras. Five times soloist at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, Piers gave the centenary performance there of Sir Arthur Bliss’s Piano Concerto. His appearances at Carnegie Hall include the New York premiere of Ferdinand Ries’s eighth Concerto for the debut of TŌN (The Orchestra Now).

Piers frequently performs at prestigious festivals, was Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music from 2007 to 2017 and directed the annual Myra Hess Day at the National Gallery in London from its inception in 2006 until 2014. Piers has recorded more than 70 CDs and has premiered works by composers like Brett Dean, Colin Matthews, Richard Mills, Carl Vine and Malcolm Williamson. He and Tasmin Little won the 2021 BBC Music Magazine Chamber Award for their third disc of British sonatas. He has written and presented over 100 programmes for BBC Radio 3.

He holds honorary doctorates from Griffith and James Cook universities, is an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London and in 2012 was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished services to the arts as pianist, mentor and artistic director.

V I C E R EG A L PAT RO N

His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d) Governor-General of the Commonweath of Australia As Patron of the Sydney International Piano Competition, I am delighted to welcome you to the 2021 competition.

In a sign of the times The Sydney is a virtual competition this year.

I congratulate all involved in ensuring that this prestigious competition can proceed and for helping support talented young musicians as they embark on their careers.

I particularly want to welcome the 32 competitors who will perform their pieces online from their home country. Good luck to all of you.

The Arts play an important, unifying role in the fabric of our society.

That is why I am delighted to support a competition that showcases an extraordinary array of passionate musical talent.

Even in these most extraordinary of times, music finds a way to play on.

It is the essential voice of our humanity as individuals and as a society.

His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d)

A RT I S T I C PAT RO N

Valery Gergiev As the Artistic Patron of the Sydney International Piano Competition, I am delighted to welcome you once again, to this significant event and to witness the passion and artistic ability of the young pianists performing in the 2021 Online Competition.

Under very different circumstances this time around, the competitors have been forced to overcome new challenges to deliver performances that will define their futures and set them apart. I applaud the innovative drive and work of all involved with The Sydney to remain a leader of change in the competition world during these unusual times and provide a platform from which one of the greatest competitions for the piano can be staged.

In 2016 I was pleased to support The Sydney by giving the winners an opportunity to perform with me in St. Petersburg in the festival ‘Contemporary Piano Faces’ at the Mariinsky International Piano Festival. I hope that the winners of 2021 will also be able to join me in Russia for some wonderful concerts.

Enjoy these weeks of discovering the talent at this very exciting and prestigious event.

Valery Gergiev

7

MESSAGES CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Virginia Braden OAM Marcus Barker

I extend my warmest welcome to everyone around the world joining us to experience the first ever Sydney International Online Piano Competition. Having been involved with the competition since its inception in 1977, I have witnessed many challenges, but none as significant as the disruption we have all experienced in the past year due to the pandemic.

I know that each competitor in this unique version of the competition will strive for recognition, especially to be crowned the first prize winner, to be able to take advantage of the career development which The Sydney offers.

I wish each one of you the greatest success.

PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS

The Honourable Bronwyn Bishop AO

I could never have thought that we would be delivering our competitors and audiences an event like this in 2021. But it is through the exceptional work of my team that I am pleased to extend my welcome to you, to the reimagined online version of our esteemed competition.

The Friends of the Sydney International Piano Competition have been supporting this world-renowned competition since 1977. On behalf of the Council of the Friends I welcome you, as you watch this online presentation of The Sydney 2021 in the comfort of your own home.

I would like to thank our ever-growing army of donors, supporters and volunteers who have all contributed to this achievement too. They have been by our side as we navigated an uncharted pathway to the start of another thrilling competition this July, a year later than planned, but what a wonderful competition we have in store!

Since the last competition, the Friends have continued to work hard and fundraise by presenting a series of recitals and building our membership to support the competition, including the First Prize of $25,000 which will be awarded in this online edition of The Sydney. The Council of the Friends is made up of passionate volunteers and lovers of the piano whom I wish to acknowledge for their generosity and support. But I also wish to thank the members of the Friends for their continuing loyal support and new members are always welcome.

I pay tribute to all our supporters past and present who have contributed in so many important ways to the competition’s achievements. As the first international competition to be launched in Australia, we have proudly taken our place in the worldwide competition family and are delighted to present our latest venture.

Each competitor will bring their everything to our screens this winter and we will delight in and be astounded by their brilliant pianism.

The Sydney has been part of their journey from 2019, when they were first selected to compete in the 2020 live competition, and then further as we all changed direction for the 2021 online competition.

A wonderful time filled with outstanding music making is about to begin and I hope you enjoy every note and feel uplifted by the tremendous talent you will witness.

Join me with thunderous applause from the comfort of your sofa, to welcome the competitors of the 2021 Sydney International Online Piano Competition!

Virginia Braden OAM

Marcus Barker

I am sure that like our 2016 winner Andrey Gugnin, the 2021 winner will enjoy the support of the Friends and we will also watch with interest the developing careers of other competitors. Each of the competitors we will hear over the coming weeks will delight us in so many ways with their exceptional artistry and musicianship.

What a fascinating time ahead as we witness the excitement of the competition and the emergence of the winner, whomever it may be!

The Honourable Bronwyn Bishop AO

8

FOUNDER AND BENEFACTOR THE COMPETITION’S FO U N D E R A N D B E N E FAC TO R

Claire Dan AM OBE The late Claire Dan AM OBE was born in post-war Hungary and became an Australian citizen in 1954. She dedicated her life to the performing arts and improving opportunities for artists both internationally and in Australia. In 1976 she founded the Cladan Cultural Institute of Australia, a private philanthropic organisation established to encourage and develop international cultural exchange: specifically to allow Australian students and artists to study overseas; to allow overseas students and artists to study in Australia; to allow art and music teachers, theatre and film producers and directors to gain overseas experience; and to encourage overseas teachers to visit Australia for brief periods, during which they would give lectures, demonstrations and masterclasses.

The Institute’s primary aim was to establish and fund the first Sydney International Piano Competition in 1977, fulfilling the vision of its co-founder Rex Hobcroft AM, then Director of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 1989 the Institute instigated the Cladan Awards, an annual presentation for the recognition of and contribution to Sydney theatre performances.

Claire Dan led a vibrant and interesting life.

She was an actress and cabaret performer, appearing at the National and Vig (Comedy) Theatres in Budapest. In 1947, she married the Hungarian Peter Abeles, later Sir Peter Abeles, at that time a cabaret entrepreneur she met in Romania during a one-woman tour. The pair left Hungary to find a better life and after stints in Rome, London and Paris, chose Australia - ‘a safe haven, far from the rest of the world’ - for their new home. Arriving in 1949, Claire Dan taught herself English, though she never lost her distinctive European accent.

In the early seventies, she looked to utilise her European theatrical experience for the benefit of theatre in Australia. She brought the Zagreb Theatre Company’s production of The Liberation of Skopje to Sydney. This project was a success and the first of many, culminating in the foundation of the Sydney International Piano Competition. Claire Dan died in Sydney on 22 October 2012. Her generous bequest has allowed the 2021 Sydney International Online Piano Competition to take place and for the Board to work towards future competitions, in their traditional live format, continuing for many years to come.

TOP: Claire Dan BOTTOM: Claire Dan and Dr Michael Kennedy

9

VALE We acknowledge and pay our respects to the families of those supporters of the Sydney International Piano Competition who have passed away since the last competition held in 2016. We would like particularly to acknowledge some benefactors who continue to provide support to The Sydney through the legacies they have left.

Neville Grace

Dr Michael Kennedy

Alison Burrell

Neville Grace was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Sydney for many years, having been involved with the competition from the early 1980s. Mr Grace left an enduring legacy with a gift to support the competition ongoing. We acknowledge this bequest by awarding a special prize in memory of him.

Dr Michael Kennedy was a keen and vital member of The Sydney from its inception in 1977. Dr Kennedy was also the partner of the Founder, Claire Dan. He served as a member of the Board of Directors and acted as Treasurer for many years, leaving a legacy of operational and management expertise.

Alison Burrell was a long term supporter of the competition, and a bequest was her way of ensuring the music she so loved could be enjoyed by future generations. A talented pianist, Alison had planned to follow her passion of composing but instead had a highly successful career as an economist.

Towards the end of her life she returned to music and was present at a recording of a CD of her compositions two weeks before she passed.

Harry Colligan and Lionel Hann

Jana Chvojka

Harry Colligan and Lionel Hann were two silent but sincerely passionate supporters of The Sydney. Both men left generous bequests which will help develop our national and regional touring and music education activities.

10

Jana Chvojka enjoyed attending the Sydney International Piano Competition for many years. She studied at a conservatorium in Czechoslovakia until interrupted by WWII. Immigrating to Australia in 1968 she recommenced her studies and became a very successful and sought after teacher in Sydney. To express her love and devotion to music, Mrs Chvojka donated competition prize money but unfortunately, never witnessed her donation awarded as she passed away unexpectedly soon after.

We acknowledge her gift by awarding a prize in her memory.

BEQUESTS

Bequest Program The co-founder of the Sydney International Piano Competition, the late Claire Dan AM OBE, had a vision of what The Sydney could do for aspiring young pianists from around the world.

Over almost 45 years, The Sydney has become one of the world’s great piano competitions and has been the launching pad for many young pianists’ international careers.

Recognition of Claire Dan’s passion for The Sydney is well documented by the many young pianists supported by the competition over the years and further, by international jury members, chamber musicians, orchestras, audience members – a never-ending list. Prior to her passing, Claire Dan carefully planned, through a bequest in her Will, that her legacy and support for The Sydney would continue well into the future.

The Sydney is a not-for-profit charity and relies on the generosity of philanthropic individuals like Claire Dan to continue. By providing for The Sydney in your Will, you will not only make a personal contribution to the joy engendered by music-making and the competition itself, but you will also help ensure future generations of talented young pianists benefit from a potentially life-changing experience.

If you feel passionately about the impact that music, piano and creativity can have on our lives, please consider supporting us by leaving The Sydney a gift in your Will.

You will ensure that the work The Sydney does to support musicians and to bring music to audiences across Australia and internationally can continue for generations to come.

For a confidential discussion on how your gift can make a difference, please contact Miranda Davis miranda@thesydney.com.au

2016 Finalist Kenneth Broberg and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

11

Does the Winner Really Take it All?

Andrey Gugnin

Avan Yu

Konstantin Shamray

John Chen

Roberto Cominati

Hanna Cyba

Touching a live wire once too often can be dangerous.

But danger, excitement and exhilaration is what informs those Sydney winters when the Sydney International Piano Competition comes to town! Bartók’s dismissal of competitions as designed ‘for horses, not artists’ doesn’t really hold sway with music-making as exhilarating and inspiring as that heard in those momentous three-or-so weeks, once every four years.

1992 marked The Sydney’s fifth event. Competitors were housed at the Intercontinental Hotel, and at a lavish reception held before the competition began, several pianos were lined up in the hotel foyer and some competitors jointly performed Chopin’s C major Étude Op.10 No.1.

Now that was the kind of horse race that Bartók alluded to and, like any race, it ended with various pianists finishing at different times. C major walked out shaking its head in utter desperation!

12

But the days that followed brought us some monumental playing. I remember Hanna Cyba’s performance of the Prokofiev Toccata, where she generated such voluminous (but never ugly) sound, at complete opposites to her slight physical build. She told me later that the strength came from her stomach muscles. At the same event, Vitali Samoschko learned the wrong Mozart concerto. The competition syllabus specified the A major K.414 but Samoschko learned K.488 (in the same key). A competitor colleague heard him practising K.488 whereupon he realised his mistake: both concertos are in A major, and he had mixed up the Köchel numbers.

A day or so before the performance, he quickly learned K.414 but not in enough time to memorise it, so performed it with the music and was disqualified/placed in sixth place.

Magnanimously, the competition jury allowed him to play his concerto final – Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody – and what a free, enlivening performance it was!

Xiang-Dong Kong

Sergei Tarasov

Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev

Marina Kolomiitseva

In the finals that same year, Olivier Cazal gave a blistering performance of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto and all tickets were on him to win. He didn’t, and in the finalists’ recital, substituted the slow movement of Chopin’s ‘Funeral March’ for his planned Haydn. The look on the jury’s faces was priceless…

But how to remember special moments, given there have been so many examples of elevated music-making over the years – never mind the comparisons one inevitably draws at such an event? What do you take away? Great musicianship and memorable moments, not a recollection of who achieved second or fourth place at such-and-such competition.

After an aborted attempt at releasing a CD of the winner Xiang-Dong Kong’s ‘Rach 3’ from his concerto round at the 1992 competition, I approached Claire Dan with the idea of releasing CDs of highlights from the solo rounds of that year’s event. The intention was to use a democratic approach: no favouritism to be shown towards the chosen winners and finalists, but rather, an attempt to preserve memorable music-making. And so a tradition was born, and with every competition from 1992 until 2016 (with the exception of 2012), CDs were issued from the competition using the same principles – piano playing worthy of representation on record.

Of course, times have changed.

Access is easier, and online facilities enable one to click through to our favourite performances which reside online ad infinitum. But what of all the earlier highlights from previous years? We’ve recently curated more than 14 hours of them, presented in a Limited Edition 11-CD boxed set, recorded by 77 pianists during seven events over two decades. It literally is an A–Z of composers (Agnew to Zaderatsky) and performers (Charlie

Albright to Jie Zheng), the 100 plus pieces organised in seven categories: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century, Transcriptions & Encores, Australian Piano Music and Piano Concertos.

To delve into this retrospective is to enjoy the lyrical grace of Rustem Khairutdinov’s Scarlatti or Andrey Gugnin’s Sibelius, the stillness of Roberto Cominati’s’ second book of Images, the despair in Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev’s Rachmaninoff, the controlled excitement of Hanna Cyba’s aforementioned Prokofiev Toccata and the diamond-brilliance of Yuki Takao’s Hexentanz (Macdowell), and, in UNESCO style, pianists from Russia, Canada, China, the United States, Sweden and Japan (and, of course, Australia) interpreting the piano music of Australia. This anthology shows just what a colossal event The Sydney is, and why it is of such relevance to our cultural calendar.

Whether or not you are familiar with the pianists on this anthology matters little. Fate and time have their own plans for the competition participants and their future paths.

But as a snapshot of some outstanding playing across several Sydney winters, this collection is sure to entertain those unfamiliar with the performers and bring back memories for those who were there.

Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM

Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM, is Senior Vice President at Universal Music Australia and one of the Board of Directors of the Sydney International Piano Competition. ‘Virtuoso: Pianists of the Sydney International Piano Competition (1992–2016)’ is a Limited Edition 11-CD set released on the Decca label and available from www.ClassicsDirect.com.au and selected outlets worldwide.

13

VIRTUOSO PIANISTS OF THE

SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

(1992–2016)

9 Performances by 77 pianists 9 Music by more than 55 composers 9 More than 100 works 9 Solo works and Piano Concertos 9 Baroque · Classical · Romantic Contemporary

11-CD SET

9 Recorded ‘live’ 1992-2016 9 Introduction by Piers Lane 9 LIMITED EDITION

AVAILABLE FROM 17 JUNE Order via Classics Direct www.ClassicsDirect.com.au

Friends of the Sydney International Piano Competition

A passionate membership group who have tirelessly supported the competition since 1977 through volunteer support and fundraising activities. Once again the Friends will donate the $25,000 First Prize in the 2021 Online Competition.

Membership is welcomed for all those who share a love and passion for music.

Join Today 02 9972 3556 tmackin@bigpond.net.au thesydney.com.au/friends

2021 ONLINE COMPETITION DIARY

COMPETITION DIARY Thursday 1 July 7.30pm Gala Opening Concert featuring the 2016 winner Andrey Gugnin and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Sorokin

Andrey Gugnin

Franz Liszt: Les Préludes S.97 Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No.1 S.124 Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Overture) Richard Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries Franz Liszt/Karl Muller: Hungarian Rhapsody No.2

Friday 2 – Friday 9 July Preliminary Round - 40 minute recitals All pieces in all recitals are the competitor’s own choice and an Australian work, of any length or period, must be played in the Preliminary Round. A suitable encore must conclude the program.

Friday 2 July 2pm Maxim Kinasov

Page 37

Sydney Piano Lovers’

Alexandra Pavlova

Page 50

Ian Lucas

Page 70

Dinara Klinton

Page 38

Akihiro Sakiya

Page 51

Friday 2 July 7.30pm Timur Mustakimov

Page 46

Alexander Gadjiev

Page 35

Saturday 3 July 2pm Anna Geniushene

Page 36

Ziyu Liu

Page 41

Saturday 3 July 7.30pm Ke Ma

Page 43

Shion Ota

Page 48

Sunday 4 July 11am Aleksandr Kliuchko Maxwell Foster

Page 39 Page 34

Sunday 4 July 3pm Rustam Muradov

Page 45

Alexander Malikov

Page 44

Monday 5 July 2pm Sydney Piano Lovers’

Tuesday 6 July 7.30pm Calvin Abdiel

Page 26

3

Yangrui Cai

Page 31

4

Kevin Chow

Page 33

Wednesday 7 July 2pm

Wednesday 7 July 7.30pm JunLin Wu

Page 54

Philipp Lynov

Page 42

Thursday 8 July 2pm Dominic Chamot

Page 32

Siqian Li

Page 40

Thursday 8 July 7.30pm Yu Nitahara

Page 47

Artem Yasynskyy

Page 56

Friday 9 July 2pm

Tamila Salimdjanova

Page 52

Alice Burla

Page 30

Ádám Balogh

Page 27

Dmitry Sin

Page 53

Page 49

Ziang Xu

Page 55

2

Page 29

Page 70

Kyoungsun Park

1

Sergey Belyavsky

Tanya Hall

Monday 5 July 7.30pm

18

12 Semi Finalists advancing from the Preliminary Round

Tuesday 6 July 2pm

Friday 9 July 7.30pm including Semi Finalist announcements Antonii Baryshevskyi

Page 28

Se-Hyeong Yoo

Page 57

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Saturday 10 – Sunday 18 July

Friday 16 – Sunday 18 July

Prize Winners

Semi Final Round – 50 minute recitals

Final Round – 80 minute recitals

Semi Final programs must include verbal introductions and a theme of the competitor’s choice.

Final programs should represent competitors’ ideas for a major debut recital and should include verbal introductions and two encores.

Percy Grainger Second Prize

Friday 16 July 2pm

William Murdoch Fourth Prize

Ernest Hutcheson First Prize

George Frederick Boyle Third Prize

Saturday 10 July 7.30pm Semi Finalist 1 Semi Finalist 2

Finalist 1 Friday 16 July 7.30pm

Sunday 11 July 3pm Semi Finalist 3 Semi Finalist 4 Monday 12 July 7.30pm Semi Finalist 5 Semi Finalist 6 Tuesday 13 July 7.30pm Semi Finalist 7 Semi Finalist 8

Finalist 2

Arthur Benjamin Fifth Prize

Noel Mewton-Wood Sixth Prize

Saturday 17 July 2pm Finalist 3 Saturday 17 July 7.30pm

Nancy Weir Best Australian Pianist

An overseas scholarship for an Australian competitor to further their musical career

Finalist 4 Sunday 18 July 11am Finalist 5 Sunday 18 July 3pm including Award ceremony Finalist 6

Edward Goll Best Performance of a work by Liszt

Rex Hobcroft Best Performance of a work by Beethoven

Geoffrey Tozer Most Promising Pianist not Proceeding to the Finals

Wednesday 14 July 7.30pm Semi Finalist 9

Best Program Construction in the Semi Final or Final

Semi Finalist 10 Thursday 15 July 7.30pm including Finalist announcements Semi Finalist 11

Best Performance of a work from any period before 1950 by a rarely-played and unduly neglected composer

Roger Smalley Best Preliminary Recital

Semi Finalist 12 Ignaz Friedman Best Semi Final Recital

6 Finalists advancing from the Semi Final Round

1 2 3 4 5 6

Malcolm Williamson Best Performance of an Australian Piece

Miriam Hyde Best Performance of a work by a Romantic period composer (excluding Liszt)

Lance Dosser Best Performance of a work by a Classical period composer (excluding Beethoven)

Rhondda Gillespie Best Performance of a Twentieth-Century work

Best Program Presentation in the Semi Final or Final

Isador Goodman Best Encore in the Preliminary or Final

19

Looking Back in Time I remember like yesterday that moment of sitting on stage with the other finalists at the Sydney Opera House, the air was electric, and I was getting more and more nervous. When they said the winning place went to me, it was one of those rare moments where you just feel pure happiness. That moment will always stay in my heart.

Having the opportunity to perform on stage in the Sydney Opera House was amazing, here is a place you see only on postcards! Winning the competition gave me so many prestigious engagements and opportunities to perform in front of the whole world, including playing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and concerto performances with Maestro Valery Gergiev.

One of the brightest highlights of my musical career was going on a three-month tour of Australia in 2017, where I fell in love with the country. It was a long-time dream of mine to see Australia and the sheer size of the country was incredible.

I loved exploring every part from the Blue Mountains to the Queensland coast and Uluru, where I saw kangaroos, cuddled koalas and experienced the local cuisine and wine.

Being able to hold performances and masterclasses all around Australia really made me appreciate the importance of music speaking to audiences’ hearts and to see how you can help touch people’s lives and make a spiritual connection.

These life experiences were so enriching to me because it is not just a matter of just practising to play well, you need to have a vast taste of life: to have friends, to love someone, to go through certain sufferings, to explore and to see the beauty in nature. It is all reflected in your playing and inspires me.

Winning the competition also meant I was also able record a CD of Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Sonatas 1 & 2 with independent British label Hyperion Records in London. Hyperion is a very old and prestigious label, and I was nervous because studio recording is so different from performing on stage. You do not get that feedback and inspiration from communicating with the audience and you need to repeat your pieces many times, for many hours. I really felt the pressure to perform my best, so I was speechless when my album won the Instrumental Award in the 2020 BBC Music Magazine Awards.

All this was possible because of the Sydney International Piano Competition and I hope the competitors this year get as much out of being part of it as I did. Even though the competition will be different this year due to the impact of COVID-19, simply being a part of it is to be a winner. It is a unique experience and that’s something very special for every competitor.

And to all those with a season pass watching my Opening Gala performance this year with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, I hope it speaks to you. It has been recorded in front of a live audience in the spectacular Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and filmed exclusively for The Sydney. I will be performing Liszt’s Concerto No.1 alongside some wonderfully concentrated pieces that contain many different moods, so expect a thrilling rollercoaster ride!

Andrey Gugnin

20

Russian-born Andrey Gugnin, winner of the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition and celebrated pianist, has continued to further his international career with concerts, recordings and accolades, including the 2020 BBC Music Magazine Instrumental Award for his Sydney International Piano Competition Hyperion Records prize disc of Shostakovich.

Andrey’s tours as a recitalist, chamber music partner and soloist with acclaimed orchestras (including the London Philharmonic in 2018 which was offered as a prize for winning The Sydney 2016) have taken him to more than twenty countries and venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Louvre and Vienna’s Musikverein. He has appeared as a guest artist at many festivals including the Bard Music Festival in New York State, in addition to completing extensive recital tours across Australian cities in 2016 and 2017, both as a result of his Sydney win.

Last year, when COVID-19 permitted, Andrey continued to play solo recitals across Russia and, in October 2020, joined British violinist Tasmin Little, whom he first encountered in the chamber music round of The Sydney 2016, in her farewell concert at the Southbank Centre in London. Andrey continues his collaboration with Hyperion Records and his third CD for the label is scheduled for release in Autumn 2021.

2016 First Prize winner Andrey Gugnin and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

21

Club 32 Launched in 2018, Club 32 was created as a way for donors to support The Sydney’s 32 competitors directly, following feedback from the 2016 competition that many audience members had their favorites and enjoyed following these competitors’ journeys through the competition from Preliminaries to Finals. The intention was for Club 32 donors to support the cost of each competitor’s visit to Sydney, covering, for instance, airfares and accommodation.

In the lead-up to March 2020, Club 32 supporters were invited to boutique soirées in stunning private residences across Sydney, as part of a concert series by past laureates of The Sydney. Kenny Broberg, Konstantin Shamray and Jayson Gillham were among the featured artists at these salon-style recitals, which were preceded by delicious food and wines provided by sponsors Carillion Wines.

With the online changes to the competition, Club 32 members’ major donations were reallocated to provide crucial support for competitors, wherever they may be currently based, to make the required video recordings of their Preliminary, Semi Final and Finals programs.

Such costs as hire of recording studios, professional level equipment and recording technicians, needed to be met.

22

To nurture the special relationship between the 2021 online competitors and their donors, a personal Zoom chat was organised with each, hosted by Artistic Director Piers Lane.

These first meetings, for the most part, took place over three different time zones, with many of the competitors in countries still struggling with the pandemic and some even in hotel quarantine. Part of the raison d’être of Club 32 is to create new and long-lasting relationships between those most passionate about supporting extraordinary talent and young artists on the cusp of successful concert careers.

The Zoom calls provided each side with an introduction and a warm insight into the young musicians’ lives, turned rather upside down by the events of 2020.

Top drawer competitors and their need of help are the reason our competition exists, and Club 32 provides a practical and powerful way to ensure that these young artists can compete at their best. If you are sympathetic to their needs and would like to join other enlightened philanthropists to support a young pianist in The Sydney 2023 through Club 32, please contact Miranda Davis, miranda@thesydney.com.au for further information.

2021 ONLINE COMPETITORS

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.5 Op.53 Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1: V. Les collines d’Anacapri from Préludes Book 2: XII. Feux d’artifice Igor Stravinsky: Three Movements from ‘Petrushka’ I. Russian Dance II. Petrushka’s Cell III. The Shrovetide Fair Alexander Scriabin: from 12 Etudes Op.8: X. Etude in D♭ major ENCORE

Percy Grainger: In Dahomey: ‘Cakewalk Smasher’

Abdiel, Calvin AU ST R A L IA/I N D O N E S IA | 23 JA N UA RY 2001 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS T H E B R E N N A N LY N C H F O U N D AT I O N F U N D

Calvin Abdiel is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music (Performance) Degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying piano under Natalia Ricci. He has received masterclasses in Australia from such acclaimed pianists as Angela Hewitt, Orli Shaham, Ingar Rose and Ingo Dannhorn, Justas Dvarionas, Michael Endres, Andrzej Pikul, Helen Krizos and Vyacheslav Gryaznov – as well as in Singapore and Indonesia with pianist and conductor Jahja Ling. In 2019, Calvin won the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s George and Margaret Henderson Scholarship, which allowed him to attend further masterclasses in Weimar and Portugal with renowned pianists Ferenc Rados, Dénes Várjon and Boris Berman.

Competition successes led to his orchestral debut with the St Petersburg State Capella Symphony Orchestra and subsequent performances with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Swiss orchestra Les Chambristes. He has also performed in Indonesia, Germany, Denmark, and Israel. He has been broadcast

by ABC Classic FM and Fine Music Sydney.

AWA R D S

2018 Third Prize, Category C: International Piano Competition (Val de Travers, Switzerland) 2017 Winner: Theme and Variations National Piano Foundation Award (Sydney, Australia) 2017 Second Prize, Category C: International Competition for Young Pianists “Steps to Mastery” (St Petersburg, Russia) 2017 Second Prize, Concerto Prize, The Griffith University People’s Choice Prize, Queensland Symphony Orchestra Vote Prize, Best Performance of an Australian Work: Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition (Brisbane, Australia) 2017 Frank Carroll Memorial Award for Most Promising Pianist: Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition (Townsville, Australia)

SEMI FINAL

Enrique Granados: El Pelele (The Straw Man) from Goyescas Book 1 III. El Fandango del Candil – Fandango by Candle Light Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in A minor K.175 Antonio Soler: Keyboard Sonata in C# minor R.21 Isaac Albéniz: from Iberia Book 1 T.105: III. Fêté-Dieu à Séville from Iberia Book 4 T.105: III. Eritaña Ernesto Halffter: Danza de la Gitana Manuel de Falla: Fantasía Bética FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach/Ferruccio Busoni: from 10 Chorale Preludes VIII. In dir ist Freude BWV 615 V. Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr BWV 639 IV. Nun freut euch, lieben Christen BWV 734 Joseph Haydn: Sonata in B minor Hob.XVI:32 I. Allegro moderato II. Minuet – Trio III. Finale. Presto Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Paganini Op.35 Book 1 (Theme and Variations 1–14) Book 2 (Variations 15–28) Leopold Godowsky: from Java Suite I. Gamelan II. Wayang-Purwa, Puppet Shadow Plays III. Hari Besaar, The Great Day Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.39 III. Allegro molto VI. Allegro Samuel Barber: Sonata Op.26 I. Allegro energico II. Allegro vivace e leggiero III. Adagio mesto IV. Fuga: Allegro con spirito ENCORES

“ The only way I counteract the pressures of performing is to just enjoy the music, to focus on the melodic details, the different colours, the subtle nuances.”

26

Johannes Brahms: from 6 Klavierstücke Op.118 II. Intermezzo. Andante teneramente Isaac Albéniz/Leopold Godowsky: from Iberia Book 2 T.105: VI. Triana

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Percy Grainger: from Free Settings of Favourite Melodies IV. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier. Ramble on the Last Love Duet Johann Sebastian Bach/Ferruccio Busoni: from 10 Chorale Preludes V. Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr BWV 639 Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.7 Op.64 Igor Stravinsky/Guido Agosti: The Firebird: Suite for Piano I. Infernal Dance II. Lullaby III. Finale ENCORE

Balogh, Ádám H U N G A RY | 3 0 O C TO B E R 1 9 9 7 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS MARTIN AND SUSIE DICKSON

Ádám Balogh studied in Budapest’s Franz Liszt Academy of Music, completing his Bachelor of Music Degree as a student of Attila Némethy and Gábor Eckhardt. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree at Hannover’s Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien, studying piano under Arie Vardi. He has taken lessons and masterclasses with Dimitry Bashkirov, the late Zoltán Kocsis, Roger Muraro, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Tamás Vásáry, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Douglas Humpherys, Alexander Kobrin and Matti Raekallio.

Making his concerto debut at the age of thirteen with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer, he has since performed with the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hungarian National Symphonic Orchestra, Concerto Budapest, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, the Danubia Orchestra, the NYCA Symphonic Orchestra and the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra. Ádám has performed in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Croatia, Malta, Israel, Vietnam and the United States, including chamber music with the Kodály String Quartet and cellist István Várdai.

AWA R D S

2019 Second Prize: Bartók World Competition (Budapest, Hungary) 2019 Second Prize: Solo Piano Competition, Chautauqua Festival (Chautauqua, USA) 2018 Winner Artist Recognition Scholarship Competition Award: International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York, USA) 2017 Finalist Prize: New York Concert Artists’ Worldwide Debut Audition (New York, USA) 2015 Prize for the Best Performance of a Lyrical Work: Cliburn Junior Competition (Fort Worth, USA)

“ Winning the competition would be a big personal moment for me. As for most competitors, this early period of my career is a big search with a lot of selfdiscovery. Maybe this is how it will always be, but somebody acknowledging you are going the right way is always the biggest reward in my opinion.”

Alexander Scriabin: from 2 Poèmes Op.69 I. Allegretto SEMI FINAL

Béla Bartók: Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs Op.20 I. Molto moderato II. Molto capriccioso III. Lento rubato IV. Allegretto scherzando V. Allegro molto VI. Allegro moderato molto capriccioso VII. Sostenuto rubato VIII. Allegro Frédéric Chopin: Mazurkas Op.59 I. Moderato II. Allegretto III. Vivace Béla Bartók: Suite for Piano Op.14 I. Allegretto II. Scherzo III. Allegro molto IV. Sostenuto Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No.4 in F minor Op.52 Béla Bartók: 2 Romanian Dances Op.8a I. Allegro vivace II. Poco allegro FINAL

Joseph Haydn: Divertimento in A♭ major Hob.XVI:46 I. Allegro moderato II. Adagio III. Finale. Presto Maurice Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit I. Ondine II. Le Gibet III. Scarbo Franz Liszt: La lugubre gondola S.200/2 Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.8 in B♭ major Op.84 I. Andante dolce II. Andante sognando III. Vivace ENCORES

Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky/Sergei Rachmaninoff: Lullaby Op.16 No.1

27

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles: I. Darkly Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev

Baryshevskyi, Antonii U K R A I N E | 1 0 O C TO B E R 1 9 8 8 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR D R D I B R E S C I A N I OA M

Antonii Baryshevskyi studied at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, completing his Master’s degree with Professor Valeriy Kozlov. He has also graduated from the École Normale de Musique de Paris ‘Alfred Cortot’, studying with Professor Marian Rybicki.

Antonii regularly gives recitals at home in Ukraine and performs internationally with such orchestras as the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, St Petersburg State Governor’s Symphony, Israel Philharmonic and Heidelberg Philharmonic. He has performed in London’s Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmoniker, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. He has appeared in international music festivals that include Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano, Switzerland, Chautauqua Festival in the USA, Copenhagen Summer Festival in Denmark and the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Festival in Bolzano, Italy.

He has participated in masterclasses given by Daniel Pollack, Lily Dorfman, Alfred Brendel and Richard Goode and has himself given masterclasses at the International Summer Academy of Music in Ochsenhausen, Germany.

AWA R D S

2014 First Prize: Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (Tel Aviv, Israel) 2011 Second Prize (equal): Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy) 2009 First Prize: International Piano Competition Premio Jaén (Jaén, Spain) 2008 First Prize, Orchestra Finals: Isidor Bajić Piano Memorial Competition (Novi Sad, Serbia) 2005 Second Prize, Intermediate (equal): International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horovitz (Kiev, Ukraine)

“ My wish for each of the competitors is to enjoy this experience and be happy with any result. It is such a great opportunity to show ourselves and to discover something new about ourselves, so I hope everyone will be satisfied.”

28

ENCORE

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles: II. Leggiero e legato SEMI FINAL

Robert Schumann: Carnaval Op.9 I. Préambule II. Pierrot III. Arlequin IV. Valse noble V. Eusebius VI. Florestan VII. Coquette VIII. Réplique (Sphinxes) IX. Papillons X. A.S.C.H. – S.C.H.A.: Lettres Dansantes XI. Chiarina XII. Chopin XIII. Estrella XIV. Reconnaissance XV. Pantalon et Colombine XVI. Valse allemande XVII. Paganini XVIII. Aveu XIX. Promenade XX. Pause XXI. Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins Maurice Ravel: Jeux d’eau Olivier Messiaen: from Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus X. Regard de l’Esprit de Joie FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Prelude and Fugue in D major BWV 850 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.30 in E major Op.109 I. Vivace ma non troppo, sempre legato – Adagio espressivo II. Prestissimo III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in C major Op.56 No.2 Nocturne in F minor Op.55 No.1 Scherzo No.2 in B♭ minor Op.31 Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.3 in F# minor Op.23 I. Drammatico II. Allegretto III. Andante IV. Presto con fuoco Valentin Sylvestrov: Kitsch Music No.1 Igor Stravinsky: Three Movements from ‘Petrushka’ I. Russian Dance II. Petrushka’s Cell III. The Shrovetide Fair ENCORES

Igor Stravinsky: Tango Antonii Baryshevskyi: Toccata

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Franz Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie in C major D.760 I. Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo II. Adagio III. Presto IV. Allegro Franz Liszt: from Transcendental Études S.139 XII. Chasse-neige V. Feux follets XI. Harmonies du soir ENCORE

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles IV. SEMI FINAL

Belyavsky, Sergey RU S S I A | 2 N OV E M B E R 1 9 93 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR MAURICE CASHMERE

Sergey Belyavsky graduated from the the Russian Central Music School, followed by Honours at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and continued in Tel-Aviv at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. He is currently studying at the Kalaidos Musikhochschule in Switzerland in the Meisterklasse of Professor Lev Natochenny.

Sergey has toured in Israel, USA, Germany, Spain, Italy, San Marino, France, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Hungary, South Korea, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, Greece, Morocco and Australia.

He has performed as a soloist with many internationally acclaimed symphony orchestras such as the Russian National Orchestra, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Szeged Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Kazakhstan State Symphonic Orchestra. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana, BOZAR in Brussels, Salle Gaveau and Salle Cortot in Paris and in the Keimyung Arts Center in South Korea.

Sergey has released three solo CDs. AWA R D S

2019 First Prize: Juries in Competition (Salzburg, Austria) 2018 First Prize: Gegen den Strom International Piano Competition (Bad Ems, Germany) 2018 Bronze Medal: Gina Bachauer International Artists Competition (Salt Lake City, USA) 2016 Second Prize and Audience Prize: International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (Budapest, Hungary) 2014 Second Prize and Audience Prize: Maria Canals International Piano Competition (Barcelona, Spain)

Robert Schumann: Carnaval Op.9 I. Préambule II. Pierrot III. Arlequin IV. Valse noble V. Eusebius VI. Florestan VII. Coquette VIII. Réplique (Sphinxes) IX. Papillons X. A.S.C.H. – S.C.H.A.: Lettres Dansantes XI. Chiarina XII. Chopin XIII. Estrella XIV. Reconnaissance XV. Pantalon et Colombine XVI. Valse allemande XVII. Paganini XVIII. Aveu XIX. Promenade XX. Pause XXI. Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev FINAL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.10 in C major K.330 I. Allegro moderato II. Andante cantabile III. Allegretto Frédéric Chopin: Sonata No.2 in B♭ minor Op.35 I. Grave – Doppio movimento II. Scherzo – Più lento III. Marche funèbre IV. Finale. Presto Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.12 in A♭ major Op.26 I. Andante con variazioni II. Scherzo. Allegro molto – Trio III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d’un eroe.

Maestoso andante IV. Allegro Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.6 in A major Op.82 I. Allegro moderato II. Allegretto III. Tempo di valzer, lentissimo IV. Vivace ENCORES

Domenico Scarlatti:

“ It has been sweet and sour, like a cocktail mix, joining at the last minute. A very sweet and pleasant surprise with sour excitement and anxiety. Exactly how I like it to be done.”

Keyboard Sonata in E major K.380 Keyboard Sonata in D minor K.141

29

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Joseph Haydn: Sonata in G major Hob.XVI:6 I. Allegro II. Minuet - Trio II. Adagio III. Allegro molto Franz Liszt: Bagatelle sans Tonalité S.216a Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles I. Darkly II. Leggiero e legato III. Gentle IV. Franz Liszt: Nuages gris S.199 Béla Bartók: Dance Suite Sz.77 I. Moderato II. Allegro molto III. Allegro vivace IV. Molto tranquillo V. Comodo VI. Finale. Allegro

Burla, Alice C A N A DA | 5 AU G U ST 1996 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR M I C K McC O R M AC K

Alice Burla, as one of the youngest students ever accepted at the Juilliard School, studied piano under Oxana Yablonsakya before going to the late Dmitri Bashkirov in Madrid from 2013-2016.

She is currently pursuing her Soloist Master’s degree with Professor Claudio Martínez Mehner in Basel.

She has performed both as soloist and chamber musician in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Teatro la Fenice, Salle Cortot, and the World Economic Forum in Geneva. She has participated in major international festivals in Verbier, Salzburg, Santander, Israel, Poland and Hamamatsu and has worked with renowned musicians Leonidas Kavakos, Richard Goode, Stephen Kovacevich, Ferenc Rados, Dmitri Alexeev, Maxim Vengerov, François Benda and Péter Eötvös, amongst many others. With Pierre Delignies, Alice co-founded the piano duo IndiviDUAL, performing to acclaim at Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona and at the Royal Concertgebouw as part of the Holland Festival.

In 2018, she performed Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto with the Sinfonieorchester Basel. Other orchestral engagements include concertos with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, New York Sinfonietta, Donetsk Philharmonic Orchestra and the Torun Symphony Orchestra.

AWA R D S

2020 Soloist Prize: Jmanuel und Evamaria Schenk Stiftung (Zofingen, Switzerland) 2020 Prizewinner: Migros-Kulturprozent (Zurich, Switzerland) 2020 Prix Collard: Kiefer Hablitzel /Göhner Music Prize (Bern, Switzerland) 2019 Third Prize: Royal Birmingham International Piano Festival Competition (Birmingham, UK) 2019 Third Prize: Concours International de Piano Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Saint-Priest, France)

ENCORE

Alexander Scriabin: from 4 Preludes Op.37 No.1 in B♭ minor SEMI FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: Overture in the French Style BWV 831 I. Overture II. Courante III. Gavotte I/II IV. Passepied I/II V. Sarabande VI. Bourrée I/II VII. Gigue VIII. Echo Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 2 IV. Les fées sont d’exquises danseuses VIII. Ondine from Préludes Book 1: XII. Minstrels from Préludes Book 2: XII. Feux d’artifice Olivier Messiaen: from Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus X. Regard de l’Esprit de Joie FINAL

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Freie Fantasie in F# minor H.300 Robert Schumann: Concert sans Orchestre in F minor Op.14 (1836 version) I. Allegro brillante II. Quasi variazioni. Andantino de Clara Wieck III. Prestissimo possibile György Kurtág: from Játékok Book 3: Hommage à Farkas Ferenc (3) (evocation of Petrushka) from Játékok Book 3: Hommage à Schubert from Játékok Book 6: Les Adieux (in Janácek’s Manner) Gabriel Fauré: from 3 Nocturnes Op.33 I. Nocturne in E♭ minor Samuel Barber: Sonata in E♭ minor Op.26 I. Allegro energico II. Allegro vivace e leggiero III. Adagio mesto IV. Fuga: Allegro con spirito ENCORES

“Each piece that I play becomes an era in my life.

It teaches me something new and leaves a bit of its energy inside of me, helping me develop.”

30

Luciano Berio: from 6 Encores for piano Wasserklavier György Ligeti: from Études Book 1 IV. Fanfares

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Carl Vine: Five Bagatelles I. Darkly II. Leggiero e legato III. Gentle IV. V. Threnody Franz Liszt: from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses S.173 III. Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Paganini Op.35 Book 1 (Theme and Variations 1–14) ENCORE

Dominico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata K.98 in E minor SEMI FINAL

Cai, Yangrui C H I N A | 1 3 N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 0 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS R O B E R T A N D J E N N I F E R R AV E N S

Yangrui Cai began to play the piano at age four, and from the age of eight commenced studies with Jay Sun followed by Dr Vivian Li at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, graduating with distinction in July 2019. He has furthered his studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Ohio USA, with world-renowned pianist, Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch.

Franz Schubert: Four Impromptus D.899 I. Allegro molto moderato II. Allegro III. Andante IV. Allegretto Igor Stravinsky: Three Movements from ‘Petrushka’ I. Russian Dance II. Petrushka’s Cell III. The Shrovetide Fair FINAL

Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in A major D.664 I. Allegro moderato II. Andante III. Allegro

From an early age, Yangrui has given solo recitals in Asia, Europe, Canada and the United States. He has appeared as a soloist in China with the China Hong Kong Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, in Japan with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, and in Todi, Italy with TIMM Ensemble.

Franz Liszt: Transcendental Études S.139 I. Preludio II. Molto vivace III. Paysage IV. Mazeppa V. Feux follets VI. Vision VII. Eroica VIII. Wilde Jagd IX. Ricordanza X. Allegro agitato molto XI. Harmonies du soir XII. Chasse-neige

Yangrui received scholarships to attend festivals in the United States, including Morningside Music Bridge in Boston and the Tanglewood Festival in Massachusetts. He has participated in masterclasses with esteemed musicians Dmitri Bashkirov, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Krzysztof Jablonski and Horacio Gutiérrez.

Frédéric Chopin: from 24 Preludes Op.28 No.4 E minor

AWA R D S

ENCORES

Franz Schubert/Franz Liszt: Die Forelle

2019 Jury’s Special Prize: Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan) 2019 Third Prize (Senior Category): Bosendorfer and Yamaha USASU Competition (Phoenix, USA) 2018 First Prize: Oberlin International Piano Festival (Oberlin, USA) 2017 First Prize: The Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition (Guangzhou, China)

“Playing for a panel of world-renowned judges excites me.

It makes me even more eager to perform and to share because I feel very honoured and fortunate to have this kind of chance.”

31

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Leoš Janáček: In the Mists I. Andante II. Molto adagio III. Andantino IV. Presto Franz Liszt: Réminiscences de Norma de Bellini S.394 ENCORE

Arthur Benjamin: Scherzino SEMI FINAL

Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in E major K.380 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Keyboard Sonata in G minor H.47

Chamot, Dominic S W I T Z E R L A N D | 2 7 J U LY 1 9 9 5 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR P H I L I P BAC O N AM

Starting the piano at the age of nine, it was only three years later that Dominic Chamot was accepted into the class of Sheila Arnold in the Pre-College division of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Cologne, Germany. In 2014 he began studies with Claudio Martínez Mehner at the University of Music in Basel, subsequently completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (Specialized Performance– Soloist). He has also participated in masterclasses with renowned professors Ferenc Rados, Matti Raekallio and Dimitri Bashkirov.

Dominic has played throughout Europe in such hallowed halls as the Berlin and Cologne Philharmonies and Vienna’s Musikverein, but also in New York’s Steinway Hall as part of the Classic Bridge Festival. He has collaborated with orchestras including the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, ORF Symphony Orchestra Vienna, Basel Symphony Orchestra and the St Petersburg Chamber Orchestra with conductors such as Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Cornelius Meister and Joseph Bastian.

Dominic is an avid chamber musician and accompanist: he has been invited to prestigious European chamber music festivals, and worked as an accompanist and musician-actor for Theater Basel.

AWA R D S

2019 Winner, Prix Collard: Kiefer Hablitzel, Göhner Musikpreis, (Bern, Switzerland) 2019 First Prize, Press Prize and Audience Prize: Euregio Piano Award, International Piano Competition (Geilenkirchen, Germany) 2019 First Prize: Compositores de España International Piano Competition, (Madrid, Spain) 2019 Second Prize: Brescia Classica International Piano Competition (Brescia, Italy) 2018 First Prize: Stiftung für Junge Musiktalente Meggen (Meggen, Switzerland)

“ Every piece I will play in the competition has accompanied me in my musical development at different stages of my life. Compiling these into my competition repertoire means a lot to me and playing (hopefully all of it) will be a very emotional experience.”

32

Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor S.178 FINAL

Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in B♭ major D.960 I. Molto moderato II. Andante sostenuto III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace con delicatezza IV. Allegro ma non troppo Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.8 in B♭ major Op.84 I. Andante dolce II. Andante sognando III. Vivace ENCORES

Johann Sebastian Bach: from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Prelude in B♭ minor BWV 867 from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Fugue in B♭ minor BWV 867

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata in C minor BWV 911 Percy Grainger: from Free Settings of Favourite Melodies IV. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier. Ramble on the Last Love Duet Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No.2 in B♭ minor Op.36 (1931 version) I. Allegro agitato II. Non allegro – Lento III. L’istesso tempo – Allegro molto ENCORE

Nikolai Kapustin: from Eight Concert Etudes Op.40 VIII. Final. Prestissimo

Chow, Kevin AU S T R A L I A | 1 4 N OV E M B E R 1 9 9 6 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR RICHARD COBDEN SC

Kevin Chow has a Bachelor of Music with Honours degree from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, having studied piano under Glenn Riddle. He is currently completing a Master of Music Degree on a full scholarship at Yale University, studying with Boris Slutsky after previous work under Boris Berman and the late Peter Serkin.

He has collaborated in masterclasses with notable musicians Lang Lang, Paavali Jumppanen, Alessio Bax and Leslie Howard.

Kevin has performed extensively throughout Australia and given recitals in China, America, Thailand, Morocco, Greece, New Zealand and Indonesia. He has performed as a soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Morocco Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Fremantle Symphony Orchestra. A keen chamber musician, he has worked with the New Haven New Music Initiative and will perform in the 2021 Australian Festival of Chamber Music.

Key highlights in Kevin’s career have included performing for HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in Melbourne and having his performances broadcast on radio throughout Australia and New Zealand.

AWA R D S

2018 First Prize (Piano) and Grand Finalist: The ABC Australian Young Performers Award (Sydney, Australia) 2017 First Prize and The John Allison/Henderson Piano Scholarship: Sydney Eisteddfod (Sydney, Australia) 2016 Winner: Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Concerto Competition (Melbourne, Australia) 2015 Fourth Prize: Thailand International Piano Competition (Nakhon Pathom, Thailand)

SEMI FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Prelude and Fugue in E♭ minor BWV 853 Franz Liszt: from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses S.173 III. Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.7 Op.64 Igor Stravinsky/Guido Agosti: The Firebird: Suite for Piano I. Infernal Dance II. Lullaby III. Finale FINAL

Joseph Haydn Sonata No.55 in B♭ major Hob.XVI:41 I. Allegro II. Allegro di molto Franz Schubert/Franz Liszt: Am Tage Aller Seelen - Litanei auf das Fest Aller Seelen D.343 Robert Schumann: Waldszenen Op.82 I. Eintritt II. Jäger auf der Lauer III. Einsame Blumen IV. Verrufene Stelle V. Freundliche Landschaft VI. Herberge VII. Vogel als Prophet VIII. Jagdlied IX. Abschied Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.29 in B♭ major Op.106 ‘Hammerklavier’ I. Allegro II. Scherzo. Assai vivace III. Adagio sostenuto IV. Introduzione. Largo – Fuga: Allegro risoluto ENCORES

Claude Debussy: from Deux Arabesques L.66 No.1 Andantino con moto Nikolai Kapustin: from Eight Concert Etudes Op.40 VII. Intermezzo

“ Music to me is a medium where I can express the vast, profound emotions of the soul. It is something that I could not live without and I hope to be remembered for being able to use my music to touch many lives and spread the joys of music.”

33

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Carl Vine: Five Bagatelles I. Darkly II. Leggiero e legato III. Gentle IV. V. Threnody Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No.3 in C major Op.2 No.3 I. Allegro con brio II. Adagio III. Scherzo. Allegro – Trio IV. Allegro assai Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.4 in F# major Op.30 I. Andante II. Prestissimo volando ENCORE

Franz Schubert/Franz Liszt: Gretchen am Spinnrade SEMI FINAL

Foster, Maxwell A U S T R A L I A | 1 9 J U LY 1 9 9 1 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR RO S S B L AC K M O R E I N M E M O RY O F D E N I S E B L AC K M O R E

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Maxwell Foster studied piano at the Australian National Academy of Music under the guidance of Rita Reichman. Moving to the United States to further his studies, he gained his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at the Juilliard School, followed by his Master of Musical Arts Degree at Yale University. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins under the guidance of Yong-hi Moon.

Maxwell has performed with major orchestras in Australia, at Hamer Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Perth Concert Hall, and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. He has also performed at international venues such as Carnegie Hall, New York and Wigmore Hall, London.

Maxwell has taught music at all levels at institutions including Melbourne’s Scotch College and Yale University and in the educational outreach programs of the Julliard, Yale and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

AWA R D S

2014 Medal of Encouragement: Maria Canals International Piano Competition (Barcelona, Spain) 2008 Young Performers Award: Symphony Services International (Sydney, Australia)

“ To me music is the abstraction of human feeling and expression. By translating it into harmony and sound, we are able to feel and comprehend what it means to be a living and feeling being.”

34

Robert Schumann: Waldszenen Op.82 I. Eintritt (Entry) II. Jäger auf der Lauer (Hunters on the lookout) III. Einsame Blumen (Lonely Flowers) IV. Verrufene Stelle (Haunted Place) V. Freundliche Landschaft (Friendly Landscape) VI. Herberge (Wayside Inn) VII. Vogel als Prophet (Bird as Prophet) VIII. Jagdlied (Hunting Song) IX. Abschied (Farewell) Johannes Brahms: Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.5 I. Allegro maestoso II. Andante espressivo III. Scherzo.

Allegro energico – Trio IV. Intermezzo. Andante molto V. Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato FINAL

Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in G major D.894 I. Molto moderato e cantabile II. Andante III. Menuetto. Allegro moderato – Trio IV. Allegretto Maurice Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin I. Prélude II. Fugue III. Forlane IV. Rigaudon V. Minuet VI. Toccata ENCORES

Franz Schubert: from Four Impromptus D.899 I. Impromptu in C minor Alexander Scriabin: from 24 Preludes Op.11 XI. Allegro assai in B major

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C major Hob.XVI:48 I. Andante con espressione II. Rondo. Presto Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No.4 in F minor Op.52 Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles III. Gentle V. Threnody Olivier Messiaen: from Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus XV. Le Baiser de l’enfant-Jésus ENCORE

Gadjiev, Alexander I TA LY/ S L O V E N I A | 2 3 D E C E M B E R 1 9 9 4 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS A N T H O N Y A N D S U Z A N N E M A P L E- B ROW N

Alexander Gadjiev began studying piano with his father, Siavush Gadjiev, making his concert debut at the age of nine and giving his first solo recital a year later. He received his Master’s degree at the Mozarteum of Salzburg, under the guidance of Pavel Gililov.

Following his Master’s degree, Gadjiev took his Konzertexamen in Berlin under Eldar Nebolsin.

Alexander has performed at prestigious festivals, including Verbier, the Rubinstein Festival in Łódź, the Chopin Festival in Duszniki, Ravenna Musica and the Kammermusik Salzburg Festival. In demand as a soloist with orchestras, and as a recitalist, he has performed in the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Great Hall of Ljubljana’s Philharmonie, La Fenice in Venice and the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. A tour of Japan included engagements in Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo.

Recently he was selected for the 2019 – 2021 BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, which provides opportunities for him to perform in many of the major festivals and series in the UK, both in recital and as soloist with the BBC orchestras, and to record regularly for BBC Radio 3.

AWA R D S

2018 First Prize, Prix Ranieri 111: Monte-Carlo Piano Masters (Monte Carlo, Monaco) 2015 First Prize and Audience Award: Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (Hamamatsu, Japan)

Alexander Scriabin: from 3 Morceaux Op.45 No.1 Feuillet d’Album SEMI FINAL

Dmitry Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue No.4 in E minor Op.87 Sergei Prokofiev: from Vision fugitives Op.22 I. Lentamente II. Andante III. Allegretto IV. Animato VII. Pittoresco (Arpa) IX. Allegro tranquillo XI. Con vivacità XII. Assai Moderato XIV. Feroce XV. Inquieto XVI. Dolente XVII. Poetico XVIII. Con una dolce lentezza XX. Lento irrealmente Alexander Tcherepnin: from 8 Pieces Op.88 I. Meditation V. Invocation Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.7 in B♭ major Op.83 I. Allegro inquieto II. Andante caloroso III. Precipitato FINAL

Franz Liszt: from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses S.173 VII. Funérailles Frédéric Chopin: Sonata No.2 in B♭ minor Op.35 I. Grave – Doppio movimento II. Scherzo – Più lento III. Marche funèbre IV. Finale. Presto Ludwig van Beethoven/Franz Liszt: Symphony No.7 in A major Op.92/S.464 I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace II. Allegretto III. Presto IV. Allegro con brio ENCORE

Frédéric Chopin: from 24 Preludes Op.28 No.13 F# major Sergei Rachmaninoff: from 10 Preludes Op.23 VII. Allegro

“ The greatest achievement is to gain some simple respect for the work you have done. How I try to achieve that?

Just be 120% in the music!”

35

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Frank Hutchens: Two Little Birds Alfred Hill: Doves Ludwig van Beethoven: Seven Bagatelles Op.33 I. Andante grazioso quasi allegretto II. Scherzo – Allegro III. Allegretto IV. Andante V. Allegro ma non troppo VI. Allegretto quasi andante VII. Presto Béla Bartók: Piano Sonata Sz.80 I. Allegro moderato II. Sostenuto e pesante III. Allegro molto ENCORE

Geniushene, Anna

Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.33 II. Allegro

RU S S IA | 1 JA N UA RY 1991

SEMI FINAL

SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS G R E E B A P R I TC H A R D A N D RO B E RT M I TC H E L L

Anna Geniushene earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. In 2018 she completed a Master of Arts with Distinction and an Advanced Diploma at London’s Royal Academy of Music, studying piano under Professor Christopher Elton. Anna has also taken part in masterclasses with Ferenc Rados, Kirill Gerstein, Rita Wagner, Stephen Hough, Paul Lewis, Imogen Cooper, Pascal Rogé and Steven Osborne.

Her solo and chamber music performances have taken her to such major concert halls as the Great Hall of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, the Konzerthaus ‘Neue Welt’ and Chamber Hall of the Berliner Philharmonie, the Salle Cortot in Paris and Wigmore Hall in London.

A keen chamber musician, Anna has a piano duo with her husband, Lukas Geniušas, and a close collaboration with the Quartetto di Cremona. She also directs an annual festival in collaborative music-making, NikoFestCollection, in Moscow.

AWA R D S

2018 First Prize: Orbetello International Piano Competition (Orbetello, Italy) 2017 Second Prize: International Piano Competition, Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize (Barletta, Italy) 2017 Third Prize, Junior Jury Prize and Chamber Music Prize: Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy) 2015 First Prize Maria Yudina International Competition (St Petersburg, Russia)

“ I always put the scores under my pillow the night before the concert – and I eat dozens of dark chocolates in the hope of stimulating my brain!”

36

Robert Schumann: 3 Fantasiestücke Op.111 I. C minor II. A♭ major III. C minor Alexander Scriabin: Vers la Flamme Op.72 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Grand Sonata in G major Op.37 I. Moderato e risoluto II. Andante non troppo quasi Moderato III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace IV. Finale. Allegro Vivace FINAL

Joseph Haydn: Variations in F minor Hob.XVII:6 Johannes Brahms: Ballades Op.10 I. Andante II. Andante III. Intermezzo. Allegro IV. Andante con moto Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.8 in B♭ major Op.84 I. Andante dolce II. Andante sognando III. Vivace ENCORES

Edvard Grieg: from Lyric Pieces Op.62 No.5 Drommesyn Arno Babadjanian: Humoresque

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Sergei Slonimsky: Intermezzo in Memory of Brahms Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Paganini Op.35 Book 1 (Theme and Variations 1–14) Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.7 in B♭ major Op.83 I. Allegro inquieto II. Andante caloroso III. Precipitato ENCORE

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles: V. Threnody SEMI FINAL

Kinasov, Maxim RUSSIA | 17 JUNE 1993 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR S I LVA N A d ’ I A P I C O

Maxim Kinasov completed his Bachelor of Music Degree with Distinction in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory and his Master of Music (Performance) with Distinction at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He is currently studying an International Artist Diploma course at the RNCM. Maxim has been a soloist of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2012 and has performed in prestigious venues across Russia, Italy, Spain, UK, Brazil and US, including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.

He has performed internationally with the St Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Teatro Carlo Felice, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Hallé.

In April 2020 Maxim garnered multiple awards including Artist of the Month for the Talent Unlimited Music Charity and an Ian Fleming Award at the Help Musicians Postgraduate Awards.

Maxim has participated in the International Rachmaninoff Music Festival and the ‘Gathering Friends’ International Music Festival in Russia, the South Downs Summer Music Festival and the Chester Music Festival in the UK. AWA R D S

2019 First Prize and Special Jury Mention: Citta di Cantù 29th International Piano and Orchestra Competition (Cantù, Italy) 2019 Second Prize and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Prize: 15th Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition (Hastings, UK) 2018 Gold Medal Winner: Royal Northern College of Music Gold Medal Competition (Manchester, UK) 2017 First Prize, Special Tatiana Gaydamovich Award and Special Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Prize for the best performance of a work by Taneyev: Sixth International Sergei Taneyev Chamber Ensembles Competition (Kaluga, Russia)

“ Joining the competition at the last moment has been a challenge, particularly the spoken introductions and performing to an empty hall.

But it’s a challenge I’ve embraced and hope the emotion in my music still comes through to audiences.”

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.30 in E major Op.109 I. Vivace ma non troppo, sempre legato - Adagio espressivo II. Prestissimo III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo César Franck: Prélude Fugue et Variation in B minor Op.18 I. Prélude. Andantino II. Lento III. Fugue. Allegretto ma non troppo IV. Variation. Andantino Samuel Barber: Sonata in E♭ minor Op.26 I. Allegro energico II. Allegro vivace e leggiero III. Adagio mesto IV. Fuga: Allegro con spirito FINAL

Sergiu Natra: Three Street Cortèges I. Festival II. Funeral III. Revolt Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.33 II. Allegro in C major III. Grave in C minor VIII. Grave in C# minor Franz Liszt: from Années de Pèlerinage Book II S.161 VII. Après une Lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev ENCORES

Johann Sebastian Bach/Alexander Siloti: Prelude in B minor BWV 855 Sergei Rachmaninoff: from 10 Preludes Op.23 I. Largo

37

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Sergei Taneyev: Prelude and Fugue in G# minor Op.29 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.28 in A major Op.101 I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung Allegretto ma non troppo II. Lebhaft. Marschmäßig.

Vivace all marcia III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll.

Adagio, ma non troppo, con affeto. IV. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr, und mit Entschlossenheit Allegro.

Percy Grainger: A Bridal Lullaby Franz Liszt /Vladimir Horowitz: Wedding March and Variations from ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ ENCORE

Klinton, Dinara U K R A I N E | 6 J U LY 1 9 8 9 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR HELEN MEDDINGS

Dinara Klinton studied with Valery Piassetski at the Moscow Central Music School, before joining the class of Eliso Virsaladze at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. She subsequently earned her Master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano under Dina Parakhina. Currently, Dinara is an Assistant Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music.

Her orchestral engagements have included the Philharmonia in London, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. She has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Leipzig Gewandhaus, New York’s 92nd Street Y and in Cleveland’s Severance Hall. Festival appearances have included Lugano’s Progetto Martha Argerich, Cheltenham, Aldeburgh Proms and France’s La Roque d’Anthéron.

An experienced recording artist, Dinara has released Chopin: Works on contemporary instruments (2017), the complete Études d’exécution transcendante by Liszt in 2016 (voted BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Month) and Music of Chopin and Liszt in 2007. In March 2021, she released her latest album of Prokofiev’s nine piano sonatas.

AWA R D S

2016 Third Prize: Cleveland International Piano Competition (Cleveland, USA) 2014 Third Prize: BNDES International Piano Competition in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) 2013 Second Prize: International Paderewski Competition (Bydgoszcz, Poland) 2007 Second Prize: Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy)

“ For me, performing precious music written by geniuses is similar to performing surgery: should there really be any difference in doing so for a king – or for a simple man?”

38

Earl Wild: Etude No.3 based on George Gershwin’s “The Man I Love” SEMI FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Prelude and Fugue in C# minor BWV 849 Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No.3 in C# minor Op.39 Robert Schumann: Symphonic Études Op.13 FINAL

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.24 in F# major Op.78 I. Adagio cantabile – Allegro ma non troppo II. Allegro vivace Franz Liszt: Transcendental Études S.139 I. Preludio II. Molto vivace III. Paysage IV. Mazeppa V. Feux follets VI. Vision VII. Eroica VIII. Wilde Jagd IX. Ricordanza X. Allegro agitato molto XI. Harmonies du soir XII. Chasse-neige ENCORES

Sergei Rachmaninoff: from 5 Morceaux de Fantaisie Op.3 I. Elégie Franz Liszt: from Liebesträume S.541 III. Oh lieb, so lang du lieben kannst

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor Op.31 No.2 ‘The Tempest’ I. Largo – Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegretto Franz Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole S.254 Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.3 in A minor Op.28 ENCORE

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles II. Leggiero e legato SEMI FINAL

Kliuchko, Aleksandr RUSSIA | 15 AUGUST 2000 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR T H E H O N B R O N W Y N B I S H O P AO

Aleksandr Kliuchko started playing piano at the age of six, and gave his first recital the following year. He studied with Sergey Arsibashev in the F. Chopin Moscow State College of Musical Performance.

He is currently studying piano under Réna Shereshevskaya at the École Normale de Musique de Paris ‘Alfred Cortot’ and has participated in masterclasses with Dmitry Bashkirov and Paolo Giacometti.

Aleksandr has performed with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rostov Academic Symphony Orchestra and Governor’s Orchestra of the Irkutsk Regional Philharmonic. He has also performed with the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, the Catalan Youth Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic and the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra in Kazakhstan, under the direction of such conductors as Miguel Ángel and Gómez Martínez.

Aleksandr has appeared in various international festivals, including the Stars on the Baikal Festival (Southern Siberia), the Gradus International Piano Festival (Denmark) and the Musical Olympus International Festival (St. Petersburg, Russia).

AWA R D S

2019 Second Prize: Maria Canals International Piano Competition (Barcelona, Spain) 2018 First Prize: Concours Ile-de-France International Piano Competition (Maisons-Laffitte, France) 2018 Third Prize: Paloma O’Shea Santander Piano Competition (Santander, Spain) 2017 First Prize (equal) and Grand Prix: Astana Piano Passion International Festival of Classical Music and the Competition for Young Pianists (Astana, Kazakhstan)

“By recording our performances we must achieve a higher level of quality in our playing as the slightest inaccuracies are more evident than during a live performance. I really hope that when concert life returns, we can combine these approaches and reach new heights in performance.”

Johann Sebastian Bach: English Suite No.2 in A minor BWV 807 I. Prélude II. Allemande III. Courante IV. Sarabande V. Les agréments de la même Sarabande VI. Bourrée I alternativement VII. Bourrée II VIII. Gigue Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No.1 in B minor Op.20 Igor Stravinsky: Three Movements from ‘Petrushka’ I. Russian Dance II. Petrushka’s Cell III. The Shrovetide Fair FINAL

Franz Liszt: from Années de Pèlerinage Book II S.161 VII. Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in B major Op.62 No.1 Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.5 in F# major Op.53 Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev ENCORES

Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.33 II. Allegro Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles V. Threnody

39

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 9 Variations on a Minuet by Duport in D major K.573 Carl Vine: Five Bagatelles I. Darkly II. Leggiero e legato III. Gentle IV. V. Threnody Alexander Scriabin: Fantasie in B minor Op.28 ENCORE

Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1 VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin SEMI FINAL

Frédéric Chopin: Étude in C# minor Op.10 No.4

Li, Siqian CHINA | 12 DECEMBER 1992 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS RO N A N D R H O N D DA McC A L LU M

Siqian Li received a Bachelor of Music Degree at the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music as a student of Madame Huiqiao Bao followed by her Master of Music Degree at the New England Conservatory, Boston, with Professor Alexander Korsantia. In 2020, she received her Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music, London, under the tutelage of Professor Norma Fisher.

Siqian has participated in masterclasses with Emanuel Ax, Sergei Babayan, Russel Sherman, Rodin Shchedrin, Boris Slutsky, Oxana Yablonskaya, Arie Vardi and Ramzi Yassa. She has performed in recitals across China, USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Japan and South Korea and has collaborated with international chamber musicians, appearing in concerts with Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Xiamen Opera Symphony Orchestra, Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra, Ukraine State Symphony Orchestra and the Central Conservatory of Music Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Siqian has participated in festivals including Hamamatsu International Piano Academy, Imola Summer Piano Academy and Festival, Annecy Classical Festival, Puigcerda Piano Festival, Beijing International Piano Festival, Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise and Shanghai International Music Festival.

AWA R D S

2020 First Prize and Chappell Medal: Chappell Medal Piano Competition (RCM, London, UK) 2019 Silver Medalist and Special Prize Winner: San Jose International Piano Competition (San Jose, USA)

“It was incredibly challenging joining late, but I thought it was exactly one of those moments in life where I explore my potential.”

40

Sonata No.2 in B♭ minor Op.35 I. Grave – Doppio movimento II. Scherzo – Più lento III. Marche funèbre IV. Finale. Presto Nocturne in D♭ major Op.27 No.2 Nocturne in C# minor Op.27 No.1 Rondo in E♭ major Op.16 Étude in C minor Op.10 No.12 FINAL

Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in A major K.113 Keyboard Sonata in D minor K.141 Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in G major D.894 I. Molto moderato e cantabile II. Andante III. Menuetto. Allegro moderato – Trio IV. Allegretto Sergei Rachmaninoff: from 10 Preludes Op.23 II. Maestoso IV. Andante cantabile V. Alla marcia from 13 Preludes Op.32 V. Moderato VIII. Vivo IX. Allegro moderato Maurice Ravel/Alexander Korsantia: La Valse ENCORES

Frédéric Chopin: Étude in E major Op.10 No.3 Claude Debussy: from Estampes III. Jardins sous la pluie

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No.2 in F major Op.38 Robert Schumann: Carnaval Op.9 I. Préambule II. Pierrot III. Arlequin IV. Valse noble V. Eusebiu VI. Florestan VII. Coquette VIII. Réplique (Sphinxes) IX. Papillons X. A.S.C.H. – S.C.H.A.: Lettres Dansantes XI. Chiarina XII. Chopin XIII. Estrella XIV. Reconnaissance XV. Pantalon et Colombine XVI. Valse allemande XVII. Paganini XVIII. Aveu XIX. Promenade XX. Pause XXI. Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins ENCORE

Carl Vine: Toccatissimo SEMI FINAL

Liu, Ziyu

Claude Debussy: from Images (Deuxième Série) II. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut

C H I N A | 1 1 M AY 1 9 9 8

from Préludes Book 2 VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune

SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS B R I A N A B E L A N D M A R K M A N TO N

Ziyu Liu began his musical education under Professor Ling Yuan at the Central Conservatory of Music, Middle School, in Beijing. In 2015, he became a student at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, studying piano under Ewa Kupiec and Arie Vardi.

Ziyu has performed in such major concert halls as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Weimarhalle, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Shanghai Concert Hall and the Shandong Grand Theatre. He has performed concertos with the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, the Jenaer Philharmonie in Germany and the Orchestra Filarmonica Mihail Jora din Bacău in Romania. He has taken part in the Mozart International Music Festival in Salzburg, the Weimar Music Festival and the Coburg Music Festival in Germany.

AWA R D S

2019 First Prize: Viotti International Music Competition (Vercelli, Italy) 2019 First Prize and Best Beethoven Concerto: Città di Cantù International Piano and Orchestra Competition (Como, Italy) 2019 First Prize: Singapore International Piano Competition (Singapore)

from Suite Bergamasque No.3 Clair de Lune Johannes Brahms: Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.5 I. Allegro maestoso II. Andante espressivo III. Scherzo.

Allegro energico – Trio IV. Intermezzo. Andante molto V. Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato Peixun Chen: Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake FINAL

Ludwig van Beethoven: Six Bagatelles Op.126 I. Andante con moto, cantabile e con piacevole II. Allegro III. Andante, Cantabile ed espressivo IV. Presto V. Quasi allegretto VI. Presto – Andante amabile e con moto Maurice Ravel: La Valse Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev Alberto Ginastera: Piano Sonata No.1 Op.22 I. Allegro marcato II. Presto misterioso III. Adagio molto appassionato IV. Ruvido ed ostinato ENCORES

“It’s a big challenge to play for judges, but on the other hand, judges are also my listeners. I feel like it’s a concert and I can fully immerse myself in the music. Just think about the music and forget the world.”

Johann Sebastian Bach/Egon Petri: from Was mir behagt ist nur die muntre Jagd IX. Aria: Schafe können sicher weiden (Sheep may safely graze) Frédéric Chopin: Waltz in F major Op.34 No.3

41

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.17 in B♭ major K.570 I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegretto Sergei Taneyev: Prelude and Fugue in G# minor Op.29 Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles I. Darkly II. Leggiero e legato IV. Sergei Prokofiev: Four Études Op.2 I. Allegro II. Moderato III. Andante semplice IV. Presto energico ENCORE

Lynov, Philipp

Francis Poulenc: Improvisation No.15 in C minor Hommage à Edith Piaf SEMI FINAL

RU S S IA | 6 JA N UA RY 1999

Domenico Scarlatti

SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS RO B T H O M A S AO A N D S A M M E E R S AO

Keyboard Sonata in B minor K.27

In 2017, Philipp Lynov graduated with honours from the Central Music School of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, having studied piano under Natalya Bogdanova. He is currently furthering his studies there with Professor Eliso Virsaladze. He has participated in masterclasses with Dmitri Alexeev, Hyoung-Joon Chang, Mikhail Voskresensky, Alexander Kobrin and Uta Weyand.

Philipp has toured extensively in Russia, Germany, Austria, Poland, Spain, Italy, Israel and Switzerland. He has performed with the Irkutsk Governor’s Symphony Orchestra and the Lipetsk Symphony Orchestra, the Astana Symphony Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra and Spain’s Region of Murcia Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with conductors including Kai Bumann, Gonzalo Berná Pic, Yerzhan Dautov, Yury Tkachenko and Vladislav Bulakhov. Philipp has participated in such festivals as the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany and Stars on Baikal International Music Festival in Russia.

He has given recitals and concerts in Poland, the Netherlands, Georgia, Germany and USA. AWA R D S

2019 First Prize: International Paderewski Piano Competition (Bydgoszcz, Poland) 2017 First Prize: Astana Piano Passion International Competition for Young Pianists IV (Astana, Kazakhstan) 2015 First Prize: International Stanislav Neuhaus Piano Competition (Chelyabinsk Russia)

Keyboard Sonata in A major K.113 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor Op.31 No.2 ‘The Tempest’ I. Largo – Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegretto Béla Bartók: Piano Sonata Sz.80 I. Allegro moderato II. Sostenuto e pesante III. Allegro molto FINAL

Robert Schumann: Fantasie in C major Op.17 I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen; Im Legenden-Ton II. Mässig. Durchaus energisch III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in C minor Op.30 No.1 Mazurka in D♭ major Op.30 No.3 Sonata No.2 in B♭ minor Op.35 I. Grave – Doppio movimento II. Scherzo – Più lento III. Marche funèbre IV. Finale. Presto Samuel Barber: Sonata Op.26 I. Allegro energico II. Allegro vivace e leggiero III. Adagio mesto IV. Fuga: Allegro con spirito ENCORES

Francis Poulenc: from Huit Nocturnes VII. Assez allant Franz von Vecsey/György Cziffra: Valse Triste

“It would be very pleasant to be highly appreciated for my hard work, to get some recognition and engagements.

But at the same time, winning is only a beginning of a very serious trial where the winner must prove that he is worthy of such a high estimation.”

42

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.9 in D major K.311 I. Allegro con spirito II. Andante con espressione III. Rondeau: Allegro Maurice Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit I. Ondine II. Le Gibet III. Scarbo ENCORE

Arthur Benjamin: Jamaican Rumba SEMI FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Prelude and Fugue in B major BWV 868

Ma, Ke CHINA | 10 JUNE 1994 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS A N G E L A R AY M O N D A N D C A R O L E R O U S S E L

Ke Ma received her Bachelor and Master degrees with distinction at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Professor Joan Havill, Rolf Hind and Dr Alexander Soares.

Ke has performed extensively across the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary and the US. Solo highlights have included appearances with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Young Musicians Symphony, Suffolk Symphony Orchestra and the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra Miskolc at the Palace of Arts in Budapest. She was the first Chinese pianist to perform at the York Minster, where she was also invited to discuss the influence of the pandemic on musicians.

Ke has made her debut at Wigmore Hall and has undertaken a Tunnell Trust Award tour of Scotland. She has recorded music by Vieuxtemps for Champs Hill Records with violist Timothy Ridout.

AWA R D S

2020 Finalist: Gold Medal Instrumentalists Concerto Competition at Guildhall School of Music & Drama (London, UK) 2016 First Prize: ‘City of Maisons-Laffitte’ and Karoly Mocsari Special Prize: Concours Ile-de-France International Piano Competition (Paris, France)

Frédéric Chopin: Prélude in C# minor Op.45 24 Preludes Op.28 I. C major II. A minor III. G major IV. E minor V. D major VI. B minor VII. A major VIII. F# minor IX. E major X. C# minor XI. B major XII. G# minor XIII. F# major XIV. E♭ minor XV. D♭ major XVI. B♭ minor XVII. A♭ major XVIII. F minor XIX. E♭ major XX. C minor XXI. B♭ major XXII. G minor XXIII. F major XXIV. D minor Prelude in A♭ major Op. Posthumous FINAL

Johannes Brahms: 8 Klavierstücke Op.76 I. Capriccio. Un poco agitato II. Capriccio. Allegretto non troppo III. Intermezzo. Grazioso IV. Intermezzo.

Allegretto grazioso V. Capriccio. Agitato, ma non troppo presto VI. Intermezzo. Andante con moto VII. Intermezzo. moderato semplice VIII. Capriccio.

Grazioso ed un poco vivace Variations on a Theme by Paganini Op.35 Book 2 (Theme and Variations 15–28) Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamasque I. Prélude II. Menuet III. Clair de Lune IV. Passepied Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.6 in A major Op.82 I. Allegro moderato II. Allegretto III. Tempo di valzer, lentissimo IV. Vivace ENCORES

2016 Fifth Prize: Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition (Hastings, UK)

Frédéric Chopin: Waltz in A minor Op. Posthumous

2015 Silver Medal: Prince’s Prize Competition awarded by the Worshipful Musicians’ Company at Guildhall School of Music & Drama (London, UK) to discuss the influence of pandemic on musicians.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov/Anton Arensky: Flight of the Bumblebee

“ This is the third time I’ve been asked to step into a recital at the last minute. It has been a good test for me to always be prepared and ready as a musician and I have found it more exciting than scary.”

43

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in F minor K.519 Keyboard Sonata in B♭ major K.545 Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C major Hob.XVI:50 I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegro molto Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1 II. Voiles Franz Liszt: from Deux Légendes S.175 II. St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots Enrique Granados: Allegro de Concierto Op.46

Malikov, Alexander C A N A D A | 2 M AY 1 9 8 9 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR A / P R O F M I C H A E L S T U B B S I N C E L E B R AT I O N O F AUSTRALIAN PIANIST RUTH GERALD

Alexander Malikov performs extensively across Canada and the United States as soloist and chamber musician. Most recently he has performed virtual recitals in Texas, the Toronto Arts and Letters Club and the Vancouver Müzewest Concerts and has recorded Beethoven’s Cello sonatas Nos.2 & 5 with the principal cellist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Johnson.

Alexander has been featured as Artist in Residence with Minnesota Public Radio and has worked with conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Boris Brott, Gaddiel Dombrowner and Michelle Merrill.

He has performed at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheater in Toronto, the Banff International String Quartet Festival, as ‘Montague Artist’ at the Heidelberg University in Ohio and at the ‘Rising Star’ series at the Texas State International Piano Festival.

A composer himself, Alexander gave the world première of his own piano concerto in 2016.

ENCORE

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles III. Gentle SEMI FINAL

Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.2 in G# minor Op.19 I. Andante II. Presto Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev

Alexander graduated from Oberlin College and the Juilliard School, followed by an Artist Diploma at the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Texas.

He is currently completing an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. Last year he was awarded the Young Arts Educator Award in Florida, USA.

Dmitri Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue No.15 in D♭ major Op.87

AWA R D S

Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata No.4 in C minor Op.29 I. Allegro molto sostenuto II. Andante assai, III. Allegro con brio, ma non leggiero

2020 Second Prize: Walled City Music Online International Piano Competition (Derry, Ireland) 2019 Gold Medal: Manhattan International Music Competition Online (New York, USA) 2015 First Prize: Carl Baldassare Composer-Virtuoso Competition (Cleveland, USA)

FINAL

George Walker: Sonata No.1 for Piano I. Allegro energico II. Moderato III. Allegro con brio

Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamasque I. Prélude II. Menuet III. Clair de Lune IV. Passepied Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No.32 in C minor Op.111 I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio, ed appassionato II. Arietta - Adagio molto semplice e cantabile ENCORES

“ Joining the Sydney Competition at the last moments is a special kind of honor and a tremendous thrill. It brings a unique spontaneity to sharing the music.’

44

John Adams: China Gates Franz Schubert: from 4 Impromptus D.899 III. Andante G♭ major

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Johannes Brahms: 7 Fantasien Op.116 I. Capriccio. Presto energico II. Intermezzo. Andante III. Capriccio. Allegro passionato IV. Intermezzo.

Adagio V. Intermezzo. Andante con grazia ed intimissimo sentimento VI. Intermezzo. Andantino teneramente VII. Capriccio. Allegro agitato Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C minor Hob.XVI:20 I. Moderato II. Andante con moto III. Finale. Allegro Carl Vine: Toccatissimo ENCORE

Dominico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in B minor K.87

Muradov, Rustam RU S S I A | 1 4 O C TO B E R 1 9 8 7 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR BUNNY GARDINER-HILL

Rustam Muradov launched his piano career in Vladikavkaz, graduating from the Middle Specialised College of Music of the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Rustam has taken part in prestigious international piano competitions held in Kazakhstan, in the Southern Highlands of Australia (where he won equal second prize in 2011), in Pörtschach, Austria and in Odessa, Ukraine. He received the Yuri Temirkanov Prize in 2004 and in 2010 he received the Prize of the President of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia.

Rustam has taken part in masterclasses with Sergei Osipenko, Mira Yevtich, Alexander Sandler, Nina Seryogina, Daniel Pollack, Willem Brons and Dmitri Bashkirov. He has toured extensively throughout Russia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Estonia, France, China, and Australia, performing with conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Hobart Earle, Dorian Wilson, Timor Zangiev and Vladimir Spivakov.

Rustam has also performed with high profile orchestras including the Mariinsky Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the Odessa Symphony Orchestra.

AWA R D S

2017 First Prize: 8th Almaty International Piano Competition (Almaty, Kazakhstan) 2016 First Prize: Alexei Skavronsky Competition (Volgodonsk, Russia) 2013 Second Prize: Gyorgos Thymis International Piano Competition (Thessaloniki, Greece) 2012 Second Prize: Mykola Lysenko Music Competition (Kiev, Ukraine)

SEMI FINAL

César Franck: Prélude Choral et Fugue in B minor I. Prélude. Moderato II. Choral. Poco più lento – Poco allegro III. Fugue. Tempo I Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1 X. La Cathédrale engloutie Sergei Rachmaninoff: Variations on a Theme of Corelli Op.42 Theme. Andante. Variation 1. Poco piu mosso Variation 2. L’istesso tempo Variation 3. Tempo di Minuetto Variation 4. Andante. Variation 5. Allegro (ma non tanto) Variation 6. L’istesso tempo Variation 7. Vivace Variation 8. Adagio misterioso Variation 9.

Un poco più mosso Variation 10. Allegro scherzando Variation 11. Allegro vivace Variation 12. L’istesso tempo Variation 13. Agitato Intermezzo Variation 14. Andante (come prima) Variation 15. L’istesso tempo Variation 16. Allegro vivace Variation 17. Meno mosso Variation 18. Allegro con brio Variation 19. Più mosso. Agitato Variation 20. Più mosso Coda. Andante Maurice Ravel: Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn from Le tombeau de Couperin VI. Toccata. Vif. FINAL

Franz Liszt: from Années de Pèlerinage Book II S.161 I. Sposalizio Robert Schumann: Fantasie in C major Op.17 I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen; Im Legenden-Ton II. Mässig. Durchaus energisch III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten Maurice Ravel: Miroirs I. Noctuelles II. Oiseaux tristes III. Une barque sur l’océan IV. Alborada del gracioso V. La vallée des cloches Igor Stravinsky/Guido Agosti: The Firebird: Suite for Piano I. Infernal Dance II. Lullaby III. Finale

“ I have been to Australia once, it was the Southern Highlands region and I experienced the amazing nature and wild animals – I hope one day to return to perform for the Australian audiences.”

ENCORES

Maurice Ravel: Prélude Claude Debussy: from Twelve Études Book 2 No.11 Pour les arpèges composés

45

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C minor Hob.XVI:20 I. Moderato II. Andante con moto III. Finale. Allegro Johann Sebastian Bach/Timur Mustakimov: Prélude from Cello Suite No.2 in D minor BWV 1008 Johann Sebastian Bach/Ferruccio Busoni: Chaconne from Violin Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004 ENCORE

Percy Grainger: from Free Settings of Favourite Melodies VI. Dowland: Now, O now, I needs must part SEMI FINAL

Mustakimov, Timur RU S S I A | 2 O C TO B E R 1 9 8 7 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS MARTIN AND SUSIE DICKSON

Timur Mustakimov began his piano studies at the Music School for Gifted Children in Kazan with Alfiya Burnasheva. He received his Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma from the Mannes School of Music (The New School), studying piano under Vladimir Feltsman. He continued his studies in Piano Performance in the Postgraduate Diploma program at Kazan Conservatory.

In early 2020, he received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia, USA. As a soloist, Timur has performed with the Mannes Symphony Orchestra at the Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Centre and with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in New York under the baton of Vladimir Feltsman. He has also played concertos with the State Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan, with the Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto in Italy and with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony in Iowa, USA. This year, Timur released a debut CD of sonatas by Scriabin and Myaskovsky on the Blue Griffin label.

AWA R D S

2018 Second Prize and Schubert Prize: Alaska International Piano-e-Competition (Fairbanks, USA) 2016 First Prize and Audience Choice Award: Midwest International Piano Competition (Cedar Falls, USA) 2014 First Prize, featured in documentary: NTD International Piano Competition (New York, USA) 2013 First Prize (equal): Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition (Westport, USA) 2013 Winner: Mannes Concerto Competition, (New York, USA)

“ Just a cup of coffee and a bit of silence before going on the stage. Every moment before playing has its own mood and temperature. It seems to me that you feel it instantaneously and decide what to do with it.”

46

Ludwig van Beethoven: Six Bagatelles Op.126 I. Andante con moto, cantabile e con piacevole II. Allegro III. Andante, Cantabile ed espressivo IV. Presto V. Quasi allegretto VI. Presto – Andante amabile e con moto Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: Overture in the French Style BWV 831 I. Overture II. Courante III. Gavotte I/II IV. Passepied I/II V. Sarabande VI. Bourrée I/II VII. Gigue VIII. Echo Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in A major D.959 I. Allegro II. Andantino III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio.

Un poco più lento IV. Rondo. Allegretto Mily Balakirev: Islamey – Fantasie Orientale Op.18 ENCORES

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia in E♭ major BWV 791 Röstäm Yaxin: Sandugash

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1 V. Les collines d’Anacapri VI. Des pas sur la neige VII. Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin Johannes Brahms: 7 Fantasien Op.116 I. Capriccio. Presto energico II. Intermezzo. Andante III. Capriccio. Allegro passionato IV. Intermezzo.

Adagio V. Intermezzo. Andante con grazia ed intimissimo sentimento VI. Intermezzo. Andantino teneramente VII. Capriccio. Allegro agitato ENCORE

Nitahara, Yu J A PA N | 2 4 O C T O B E R 1 9 9 0 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR JANE McCALLUM

Yu Nitahara graduated with honours from the Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai) for both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, having studied piano under Professors Michiko Kasuya-Ohno and Akira Eguchi.

Yu has performed widely throughout his native Japan as well as in other Asian and European countries. He has made appearances in such major festivals as the Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany and the Zilina Spring Festival in Slovakia. He has performed in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Groβer Saal of the Mozarteum, Salzburg and has appeared as soloist with the Morocco Philhamonic Orchestra, the Slovakia Philhamonic Orchestra, Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra, the Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, Kyusyu Symphony Orchestra and the Geidai Philhamonic Orchestra in Japan.

He also enjoys performing as a chamber musician.

Yu received a full scholarship from the Japanese Cultural Affairs and Meiji Yasuda Cultural Foundation to complete his formal studies under Professor Pavel Gililov at University Mozarteum Salzburg, where he now works.

AWA R D S

2020 Third Prize: International Mozart Competition (Salzburg, Austria) 2019 First Prize, Piano: Morocco Philharmonic Orchestra International Music Competition (Casablanca, Morocco) 2019 First Prize: Swedish International Duo Competition – Violin and Piano (Katrineholm, Sweden) 2018 Prize for the Best Piano Accompanist: Enescu International Competition (Bucharest, Romania) 2017 First Prize: Johann Nepomuk Hummel International Piano Competition (Bratislava, Slovakia)

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles II. Leggiero e legato SEMI FINAL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.8 in A minor K.310 I. Allegro maestoso II. Andante cantabile con espressione III. Presto Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata in D major BWV 912 Maurice Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin I. Prélude. Vif II. Fugue. Allegro moderato III. Forlane.

Allegretto IV. Rigaudon. Assez vif V. Menuet. Allegro moderato VI. Toccata. Vif Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata No.20 in A major D.959 I. Allegro II. Andantino III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio.

Un poco più lento IV. Rondo. Allegretto ENCORES:

Robert Schumann: from Waldszenen Op.82 IX. Abschied (Farewell) Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 1 XII. Minstrels

“ I always feel pressure when I play for someone, because I have a responsibility to convey the true message from the composer and I need to trust my music from the bottom of my heart. It is always a big challenge, but also so much fun!”

47

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Jean-Philippe Rameau: Quatrième suite de pièces de clavecin RCT.5 VII. Gavotte et six doubles Maurice Ravel: La Valse Sergei Prokofiev: Four Études Op.2 I. Allegro II. Moderato III. Andante semplice IV. Presto energico Percy Grainger: from Free Settings of Favourite Melodies IV. Strauss. Der Rosenkavalier. Ramble on the Last Love Duet ENCORE

Ota, Shion J A PA N | 2 0 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 0 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR S A N DY WAT S O N

Originally from Osaka, Shion Ota graduated from Tokyo College of Music High School and won a special scholarship to attend Tokyo College of Music where she completed the Piano Performance Course ‘Excellence’. She is currently undertaking a Master’s degree at Nagoya University of the Arts under Yukio Yokoyama after which she will begin studying at the Berlin University of the Arts under Björn Lehmann.

Shion has performed with leading Japanese orchestras, including the Osaka Philharmonic, the Kansai Philharmonic, the Osaka Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and overseas, with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra. She has attended several piano academies, including the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy, the Villa Sandra Piano Academy and the Classical Bridge Festival. From 2013 to 2015, she was the recipient of a Yamaha Foundation Scholarship, in 2017, the Aoyama Music Foundation Scholarship and in 2019, the Rohm Music Foundation Scholarship.

In 2018, Shion was selected as one of five musicians to perform in Japan’s prestigious CHANEL Pygmalion Days competition.

AWA R D S

2018 Second Prize: Malta International Piano Competition (Valletta, Malta) 2013 First Prize, Nomura Prize, Aiko Iguchi Prize, Yasuko Fukuda Prize and Music Encouragement Prize: Student Music Concours of Japan, Junior High School Division (Tokyo, Japan ) 2013 Fifth Prize, Most Promising Artist: Hamamatsu International Piano Academy (Hamamatsu, Japan)

Richard Strauss/Leopold Godowsky: from 6 Lieder von Adolf Friedrich Graf von Schack No.2 Ständchen SEMI FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach/Ferruccio Busoni: Chaconne from Violin Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004 Sergei Rachmaninoff: Variations on a Theme of Corelli Op.42 Theme. Andante. Variation 1. Poco piu mosso.

Variation 2. L’istesso tempo. Variation 3. Tempo di Minuetto. Variation 4. Andante Variation. 5. Allegro (ma non tanto). Variation 6. L’istesso tempo. Variation 7. Vivace. Variation 8. Adagio misterioso. Variation 9.

Un poco più mosso. Variation 10. Allegro scherzando.

Variation 11. Allegro vivace. Variation 12. L’istesso tempo. Variation 13. Agitato Intermezzo. Variation 14.

Andante (come prima). Variation 15. L’istesso tempo.

Variation 16. Allegro vivace. Variation 17. Meno mosso.

Variation 18. Allegro con brio. Variation 19. Più mosso.

Agitato. Variation 20. Più mosso Coda. Andante.

Franz Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole S.254 FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: English Suite No.2 in A minor BWV 807 I. Prélude II. Allemande III. Courante IV. Sarabande V. Les agréments de la même Sarabande VI. Bourrée I alternativement VII. Bourrée II VIII. Gigue Alexander Scriabin: from Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand Op.9 I. Prelude Piano Sonata No.5 in F# major Op.53 Claude Debussy: Images (Deuxième Série) I. Cloches à travers les feuilles II. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut III. Poissons d’or Robert Schumann: Piano Sonata No.1 in F# minor Op.11 I. Introduzione: Un poco Adagio – Allegro vivace II. Aria III. Scherzo: Allegrissimo – intermezzo: Lento IV. Finale: Allegro, un poco maestoso ENCORES

“ It is a great honour to have distinguished people and audiences listen to my performance. On stage, I feel invincible. The stage has special powers. It is the happiest time for me.”

48

Robert Schumann: from Gesänge der Frühe Op.133 I. D major Fritz Kreisler/Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Three Old Viennese Dances II. Liebesleid

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Peter Sculthorpe: Nocturnal Carl Czerny: Variations on a theme by Rode in E♭ major Op.33 Ottorino Respighi: from 6 pieces for Piano I. Valse Caressante. III. Notturno.

Igor Stravinsky: Three Movements from ‘Petrushka’ I. Russian Dance II. Petrushka’s Cell III. The Shrovetide Fair ENCORE

Park, Kyoungsun S O U T H K O R E A | 5 M AY 1 9 9 2 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS D AV I D A N D I D A C O N S TA B L E

Kyoungsun Park earned his Bachelor of Music Degree at Seoul National University, studying piano with Professor Hie-Yon Choi.

He was awarded an ABRSM scholarship to attend the Royal College of Music in London, where, as a student of Professor Dmitri Alexeev, he received a Master of Performance Degree with Distinction.

He is currently studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München in Germany under Professor Michael Schäfer and has participated in masterclasses with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Ian Hobson, Peter Frankl, Julian Martin, Jerome Rose and Matti Raekallio.

In 2012, Kyoungsun made his concerto debut with the Seoul National University Symphony Orchestra in the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center, composing his own jazz-inspired cadenza for the occasion.

He has performed as soloist with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with the Mihail Jora Philharmonic Orchestra in Bacău, and in Korea, with the TIMF Orchestra, the Daejeon Arts Orchestra and the Korea University Orchestra.

AWA R D S

2020 Second Prize: Singapore International Piano Competition (Singapore) 2020 First Prize: Windsor International Piano Competition (Windsor, UK) 2019 Second Prize: ISANGYUN International Music Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea) 2018 Sixth Prize: Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition (Hastings, UK) 2017 First Prize: Japan Piano Open International Competition (Tokyo, Japan)

Alexander Scriabin: from Deux Poèmes Op.32 I. Andante cantabile SEMI FINAL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 12 Variations on a Minuet by Fischer K.179 Frédéric Chopin: Rondo in C minor Op.1 Johannes Brahms: Piano Sonata No.1 in C major Op.1 I. Allegro II. Andante III. Scherzo. Allegro molto e con fuoco IV. Finale. Allegro con fuoco FINAL

Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte Franz Liszt: Grandes études de Paganini S.141 I. Preludio II. Andante III. La Campanella: Allegro moderato IV. Vivo V.La Chasse: Allegretto VI. Theme and Variations: Quasi presto Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No.5 in G major BWV 816 I. Allemande II. Courante III. Sarabande IV. Gavotte V. Bourrée VI. Loure VII. Gigue Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev ENCORES

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Gigue in G major K.574

“ When I was young, there was a day where I had to choose between a piano competition and a math contest. My math teacher suggested I participate in the math contest, ignoring music. That is why I am studying music now.”

Jeonghwi Kim: from Hymn Suite No.2 Be Thou My Vision

49

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Piano Sonata No.6 Op.73 I. Adagio II. Allegro molto Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.2 Op.14 I. Allegro ma non troppo II. Scherzo. Allegro marcato III. Andante IV. Vivace Mikhail Glinka/Mily Balakirev: The Lark ENCORE

Elena Kats-Chernin: Russian Rag II SEMI FINAL

Pavlova, Alexandra K A Z A K H S TA N | 1 7 J A N U A R Y 1 9 9 2 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS J U DY H U N T A N D H U G H H A L L A R D

Alexandra Pavlova began her piano studies at Zhaniya Aubakirova’s Music School at the age of nine. She continued her music education with Natalia Ushakova at the St. Petersburg Conservatory’s Academy of Music, taking part in various festivals and concerts both as soloist and chamber musician. After graduation she continued her studies at the Moscow State Conservatory in the class of Professor Ruvim Ostrovsky.

Alexandra has participated in masterclasses with Fabio Bidini, Jean Marc Luisada, Filippo Faes, Hortense Cartier Bresson, Stanislav Pochekin, Mikhail Voskresensky and Boris Petrushansky.

In 2014, she attended the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, under Professor Lilya Zilberstein.

Alexandra is currently studying with Professor Eldar Nebolsin in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin.

AWA R D S

2019 Nikolai Lugansky Special Prize: 1st International Russian Music Piano Competition (Ryazan, Russia) 2018 6th Prize: Neapolitan Masters International Piano Competition (Naples, Italy)

Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Promenade I] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto I. The Gnome [Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza II. The Old Castle [Promenade III].

Moderato non tanto, pesantemente III. Tuileries IV. Oxen [Promenade IV]. Tranquillo V. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks in their Shells VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle [Promenade V] Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; poco sostenuto VII. The Market at Limoges (The Great News) VIII. Catacombs – With the Dead in a Dead Language IX. The Hut on Hens’ Legs X. The Great Gate of Kiev Claude Debussy: Estampes I. Pagodes II. La soirée dans Grenade III. Jardins sous la pluie Les soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon FINAL

César Franck: Prélude Choral et Fugue I. Prélude II. Choral III. Fugue Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.31 in A♭ major Op.110 I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo II. Allegro molto III. Adagio ma non troppo; Arioso dolente; Fuga.

Allegro ma non troppo Robert Schumann: Carnaval Op.9 I. Préambule II. Pierrot III. Arlequin IV. Valse noble V. Eusebius VI. Florestan VII. Coquette VIII. Réplique (Sphinxes) IX. Papillons X. A.S.C.H. – S.C.H.A.: Lettres Dansantes XI. Chiarina XII. Chopin XIII. Estrella XIV. Reconnaissance XV. Pantalon et Colombine XVI. Valse allemande XVII. Paganini XVIII. Aveu XIX. Promenade XX. Pause XXI. Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins ENCORES

Frédéric Chopin: from 12 Études Op.25 No.1 in A♭ major

“ I was in the deepest depression when I received the call to join the competition. I asked myself, is this a sign from God that I can’t finish like this, that I have to continue with music? It was really significant.”

50

Clara Schumann: from Soirées musicales Op.6 II. Notturno

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Percy Grainger: from Free Settings of Favourite Melodies VII. Fauré: Après un Rêve Op.7 No.1 Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.39 No.9 Allegro moderato. Tempo di marcia Johannes Brahms: Piano Sonata No.1 in C major Op.1 I. Allegro II. Andante (nach einem altdeutschen Minneliede) III. Allegro molto e con fuoco – Più mosso IV. Allegro con fuoco – Presto non troppo ed agitato ENCORE

Claude Debussy: from Suite Bergamasque No.3 Clair de Lune

Sakiya, Akihiro J A PA N | 1 6 O C T O B E R 1 9 8 8 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR JENNIFER HARRIS

Akihiro Sakiya began his piano studies at the age of six, remaining in Japan until he was 18. He graduated as Dux from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris as a pupil of Professor Jacques Rouvier and then continued his studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts with Professor Akiyoshi Sako, gaining his Master’s and Doctoral degrees.

Akihiro has given many recitals in Europe, Asia, North and South America, including the Yokohama International Piano Concert, in the Festival de Nohant and in the Saõ Paulo Beethoven Festival.

He has performed with such distinguished orchestras as the Osaka Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, Japan Philharmonic, Orquestra Ciudad de Granada and Orquesta Sinfónica de Radio Televisión Española.

Akihiro has been working on a progressive recording project of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, with five CDs already released.

Another CD, Akihiro Sakiya Piano Recital was released in 2015.

In August 2019 he made his debut as a conductor, leading Salon Opera’s production of Don Giovanni.

AWA R D S

2015 Finalist Prize: Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition (Santander, Spain) 2014 First Prize, Spanish Music Prize and Audience Prize: International Piano Competition Premio Jaén (Jaén, Spain) 2013 Third Prize (equal): Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy) 2011 First Prize: International Piano Competition of Lyon (Lyon, France)

SEMI FINAL

José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado: from Cartas Celesetes II I. Grande Nuvem De Magalães II. Constelação I (Pavão) III. Alfa e Beta do Índio IV. Constelação II (Peixe Austral) V. Mercúrio (o Planeta mais próximo do Sol) Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.14 in C# minor Op.27 No.2 Sonata quasi una fantasia ‘Moonlight’ I. Adagio sostenuto II. Allegretto - III. Presto agitato Claude Debussy: from Préludes Book 2 VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune Franz Liszt: Réminiscences de Don Juan S.418 FINAL

Johannes Brahms: Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.5 I. Allegro maestoso II. Andante espressivo III. Scherzo. Allegro energico IV. Intermezzo. Andante molto V. Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato Robert Schumann: from Gesänge der Frühe Op.133 I. Im ruhigen Tempo II. Belebt nicht zu rasch V. Im Anfange ruhiges, im Verlauf bewegteres Tempo Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor S.178 ENCORES

Johannes Brahms: from 4 Klavierstücke Op.119 I. Intermezzo. Adagio Enrique Granados: El Pelele (The Straw Man)

“In deciding my repertoire, I wanted to express my musicianship rather than to choose just competition winning pieces. All pieces are what I love, what I understand, and what I want to perform from the bottom of my heart. I hope you will also love them.”

51

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata in D major BWV 912 Muzio Clementi: from 6 Piano Sonatas Op.25 V. F♯ minor Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.7 in B♭ major Op.83 I. Allegro inquieto II. Andante caloroso III. Precipitato ENCORE

Carl Vine: from Five Bagatelles I. Darkly II. Leggiero e legato III. Gentle SEMI FINAL

Salimdjanova, Tamila

Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.2 in G# minor Op.19 I. Andante II. Presto

U Z B E K I S TA N | 9 N O V E M B E R 1 9 9 1

György Kurtág: from Játékok Book 6: Al-Modoz-Va (Day dreaming)

SUPPORTED BY AN ANONYMOUS CLUB 32 DONOR

from Játékok Book 5: Capriccioso-luminoso

Tamila Salimdjanova began her studies at the Uspensky Music School in Tashkent with Tamara Popovich. She went on to study at the Central Music School of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Irina Plotnikova. She completed her Bachelor of Music Degree, a Master of Performance and Artist Diploma in Performance in the UK at the Royal College of Music, studying piano with DmitrI Alexeev and Vanessa Latarche. Currently, she is at the Bern University of the Arts in Switzerland, studying under Tomasz Herbut.

from Játékok Book 6: Tears

Tamila has performed with the Orquestra Experimental de Repertório, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica da Bahia, Moroccan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Thames Chamber Orchestra in venues including Sala São Paulo and Municipal Theatre in Rio de Janeiro, Teatro Castro Alves in Salvador and St Martinin-the-Fields in London. She has appeared as a guest artist at the Radio France Festival in Montpellier.

Tamila’s recent performances include the Festival Les Pianos-Folies du Touquet-Paris-Plage in France and Festival de Inverno Campos do Jordão in Brazil.

AWA R D S

2019 Second Prize (equal): Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition (Lagny-sur-Marne, France) 2018 Third Prize: Campillos International Piano Competition (Málaga, Spain) 2016 Second Prize and Audience Prize: Birmingham International Piano Competition (Birmingham, UK) 2013 First Prize (equal): Massarosa International Piano Competition (Lucca, Italy) 2012 First Prize, Audience Prize: BNDES International Piano Competition (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

“ I made my orchestra debut at the age of nine years old playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.15 K.450 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan under the baton of Kuvanch Usmanov, my grandfather.”

52

from Játékok Book 5: Hommage tardif à Karskaya from Játékok Book 6: Marina Tsvetayeva: It’s Time from Játékok Book 1: Hommage à Tchaikovsky from Játékok Book 3: Hommage à Schubert Robert Schumann: Fantasie in C major Op.17 I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen; Im Legenden-Ton II. Mässig. Durchaus energisch III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten FINAL

Claude Debussy: Estampes I. Pagodes II. La soirée dans Grenade III. Jardins sous la pluie Frédéric Chopin: Mazurkas Op.56 I. Allegro non tanto II. Vivace III. Moderato Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C minor Hob.XVI:20 I. Moderato II. Andante con moto III. Finale. Allegro Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor S.178 ENCORES

Frédéric Chopin: Prélude in C# minor Op.45 Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in D minor K.213

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata in E minor BWV 914 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fantasia in C Minor K.475 Maurice Ravel: La Valse Lindley Evans: Vignette ENCORE

Olivier Messiaen: from Quatre Études de rythme I. Ile de Feu SEMI FINAL

Sin, Dmitry RU S S I A | 1 8 N OV E M B E R 1 9 94 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS E L I Z A B E T H C L A RK A N D D IA NA McV E AG H

Dmitry Sin studied piano from the age of 14 at Moscow’s Gnessin State Musical College, working with Elena Plyashkevich. After his success at the Kabalevsky Competition in Moscow in 2012, he was invited to study with Professor Réna Shereshevskaya at the École Normale de Musique de Paris ‘Alfred Cortot’, graduating with a Concert Diploma four years later. Dmitry continues to study under Professor Shereshevskaya.

In 2018, Dmitry made his debut at the Festival International de Piano de La Roque d’Anthéron in southern France, and has participated in others such as Pianoscope, the Nohant Festival Chopin, Les Pianos Folies Du Touquet-Paris-Plage and the Festival Liszt en Provence.

He has performed as a soloist with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, the Symphony Orchestra of the MIA of Russia, Toulon Opera Symphony Orchestra, the Pasdeloup Orchestra and the Orchestre de Cannes.

AWA R D S

2020 Golden Medal with High Distinction: Fifth Manhattan International Music Competition (New York, USA) 2020 Second Prize: Neapolitan Masters Piano Competition – International Online Piano Edition (Naples, Italy) 2018 Second Prize: Kyungsung International Piano Academy and Competition (Busan, South Korea) 2017 First Prize and Special Prize: International Adilia Alieva Piano Competition (Annemasse, France)

Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No.4 in F minor Op.52 Robert Schumann: Grand Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.14 (1853 version) I. Allegro II. Scherzo. Molto commodo III. Quasi variazioni. Andantino De Clara Wieck IV. Prestissimo possibile Anatoly Lyadov: from Trois Morceaux Op.57 I. Prélude FINAL

Joseph Haydn: Sonata (Divertimento) in A major Hob.XVI:12 I. Andante II. Menuet – Trio III. Finale Robert Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op.6 I. Lebhaft II. Innig III. Mit Humor IV. Ungeduldig V. Einfach VI. Sehr rasch VII. Nicht schnell VIII. Frisch IX. Lebhaft X. Balladenmäßig – Sehr rasch XI. Einfach XII. Mit Humor XIII. Wild und lustig XIV. Zart und singend XV. Frisch – Etwas bewegeter XVI. Mit gutem Humor XVII. Wie aus der Ferne XVIII. Nicht schnell Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No.1 in D minor Op.28 I. Allegro moderato II. Lento III. Allegro molto ENCORES

Franz Liszt: from Grandes études de Paganini S.141 VI. Quasi presto Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.39 V. Appassionato

2017 Second Prize: 2017 International Piano Competition of the Town of Gagny (Gagny, France)

“ Before going to the stage, I try to concentrate on the music and what I am going to say with it, no matter who is (or is not!) sitting in the audience. I always try to play my best and be honest and sincere with the audience – in fact, it’s genius music that I am playing.”

53

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Graham Hair: Under Aldebaran Alexander Scriabin: Fantasie in B minor Op.28 Isaac Albéniz: from Iberia Book 1 T.105 VII. El Albaicín from Cantos de España Op.232 IV. Córdoba Maurice Ravel: La Valse ENCORE

Maurice Ravel: Jeux d’eau

Wu, JunLin CHINA | 12 DECEMBER 1999 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS D O N A L D A N D K AT E M A G A R E Y

JunLin Wu started his piano studies at the age of six with Professor Qi Li at Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangdong, China.

Further studies under Professor Jay Peng Chueh Su and Dr Vivian Li, culminated in his winning a place at the Royal College of Music on a Bowerman Charitable Trust Scholarship, to study with Professor Dmitri Alexeev. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music Degree there.

JunLin has participated in masterclasses with renowned pianists, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Craig Sheppard, John Perry and Antonio Pompa-Baldi. He has appeared regularly on Chinese and international stages and had the honour of being selected to perform in London for the First Lady of the People’s Republic of China, Madame Peng Liyuan.

From 2011 to 2015 JunLin was selected to take part in the Morningside Music Bridge at the New England Conservatory, Boston and made a successful debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall in March 2019.

AWA R D S

2018 First Prize: Chappell Medal Piano Competition, Royal College of Music (London, UK) 2018 First Prize: “In Musica” Roma International Piano Competition (Rome, Italy) 2018 First Prize: Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition (London, UK) 2015 First Prize: Lang Lang International Piano Competition (Shenzhen, China)

SEMI FINAL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.1 in C Major K.279 I. Allegro II. Andante III. Allegro Frédéric Chopin: 2 Nocturnes Op.62 I. Andante II. Lento Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No.2 in B♭ minor Op.36 I. Allegro agitato II. Non allegro – Lento III. L’istesso tempo – Allegro molto FINAL

George Frideric Handel: Suite No.3 in D minor HWV 428 I. Präludium II. Allegro (Fugue) III. Allemande IV. Courante V. Air & Five variations VI. Presto Ludwig van Beethoven: 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli Op.120 Tema. Vivace I. Alla marcia maestoso II. Poco allegro III. L’istesso tempo IV. Un poco più vivace V. Allegro vivace VI. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso VII. Un poco più allegro VIII. Poco vivace IX. Allegro pesante e risoluto X. Presto XI. Allegretto XII. Un poco più moto XIII. Vivace XIV. Grave e maestoso XV. Presto scherzando XVI. Allegro XVII. Allegro XVIII. Poco moderato XIX. Presto XX. Andante XXI. Allegro con brio – Meno allegro - Tempo primo XXII. Allegro molto alla ‘Notte e giorno faticar’ di Mozart XXIII. Allegro assai XXIV. Fughetta. Andante XXV. Allegro XXVI. Piacevole XXVII. Vivace XXVIII. Allegro XXIX. Adagio ma non troppo XXX. Andante sempre cantabile XXXI. Largo molto espressivo XXXII. Fuga: Allegro XXXIII. Tempo di Menuetto moderato ENCORES

Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in D♭ major Op.30 No.3

“Winning a competition at this level would mean a very important decision I made many years ago was right.

In my mind, winning means a beginning of the next step, and we are always going forward, so it should be an encouragement, rather than just an award.”

54

Sergei Rachmaninoff: from 10 Preludes Op.23 VII. Allegro

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor S.178 Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No.1 in D minor BWV 812 I. Allemande II. Courante III. Sarabande IV. Menuet I V. Menuet II VI. Gigue ENCORE

Peter Sculthorpe: Djilile SEMI FINAL

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.29 in B♭ major Op.106 ‘Hammerklavier’ I. Allegro II. Scherzo. Assai vivace III. Adagio sostenuto IV. Introduzione. Largo – Fuga: Allegro risoluto

Xu, Ziang CHINA | 12 SEPTEMBER 1992 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS T O M B R E E N A N D R A C H A E L KO H N A O

Making his solo debut at the age of 11, Ziang Xu studied at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in Liaoning province, China.

He pursued his undergraduate studies in the United States at the Mannes School of Music in New York as a student of Vladimir Feltsman and Victor Rosenbaum, with whom he continued to study for his Master of Music Degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

FINAL

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 988 ENCORES

Franz Liszt: Nuages gris S.199 Philip Glass: from Glassworks I. Opening

Ziang has distinguished himself in several international competitions and has performed widely, including at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, The Ukrainian Institute of America, Hunter College in New York and in New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall.

Ziang is currently studying with Bruce Brubaker as a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the New England Conservatory in Boston, USA. AWA R D S

2018 First Prize: New Orleans International Piano Competition (New Orleans, USA) 2017 First Prize: The Steinway Society of Puerto Rico Award (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 2017 First Prize: The Princeton Festival Piano Competition (Princeton, New Jersey, USA) 2017 First Prize: East Coast International Music Competition (New Jersey, USA) 2017 Second Prize: International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York, USA)

“ All the pieces I choose are close to my personality.

I like lyrical and sentimental works with refined culture.

And I like to imagine that I am playing for the composer himself.”

55

THE COMPETITORS Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita in G major BWV 829 I. Preambulum II. Allemande III. Corrente IV. Sarabande V. Tempo di Minuetto VI. Passepied VII. Gigue Johann Sebastian Bach/Ferruccio Busoni: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 Dulcie Holland: The Scattering of Leaves Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Paganini Op.35 Book 1 (Theme and Variations 1–14) ENCORE

Yasynskyy, Artem U K R A I N E | 2 4 J U LY 1 9 8 8 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONOR LY N D A L L M c C O R M A C K

At age seven Artem Yasynskyy became a pupil at the Special School for Gifted Children run by the Prokofiev Academy in Donetsk, giving his first public concert a year later. In 2006 he was awarded a scholarship to the Prokofiev State Academy of Music, graduating with Honours in 2010. In 2018 he received his Master’s degree at the Hochschule für Künste, Bremen, studying under Patrick O’Byrne.

Artem has performed at the Paderewski Festival in Raleigh, USA, the Musikfest Bremen, the Raritäten der Klaviermusik in Husum, Germany and the Kiev Musical Summernights Festival, among others. Numerous concert engagements have taken him to Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Greece, Norway, Russia and Germany.

Artem’s first CD with works by Joseph Hofmann was released in 2015. His second CD of Scarlatti Sonatas was released in January 2018. He teaches piano and chamber music at the Hochschule für Künste, Bremen.

AWA R D S

2017 Third Prize: Top of The World International Piano Competition (Tromsø, Norway) 2015 Gold Medal and Audience Prize: Cincinnati World Piano Competition (Cincinnati, USA) 2014 Bronze Medal: Gina Bachauer Artist Competition (Salt Lake City, USA) 2013 Hofmann Prize: First German Piano Competition of Polish Music (Hamburg, Germany) 2013 Third Prize and Audience Prize: Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan)

Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in G major K.431 SEMI FINAL

Benjamin Britten: Holiday Diary Op.5 I. Early Morning Bathe II. Sailing III. Fun Fair IV. Night Myroslav Skoryk: Prelude and Fugue in F major Jehan Alain: L’Oeuvre de piano Tôme 3 I. Étude sur un Thème de 4 Notes II. Petite Rapsodie III. Dans le Rêve laissé par la Ballade des pendus de François Villon IV. Taras Bulbas Józef Hofmann: Charakterskizzen Op.40 I. Vision II. Jadis III. Nenien IV. Kaleidoskop FINAL

Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C major Hob.XVI:50 I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegro molto Karol Szymanowski: Variations in B♭ minor Op.3 Theme: Andantino tranquillo e semplice I. (Listesso tempo) II. Agitato III. Andantino quasi tempo di mazurka IV. Con moto V. Lento dolce VI. Scherzando molto vivace VII. Allegro agitato ed energico VIII. Meno mosso. Mesto IX. Maggiore.

Tempo di valse. Grazioso X. Andantino dolce XI. Andantino dolce affetuoso XII. Allegro con fuoco Johann Sebastian Bach: from 15 Sinfonias I. C major BWV 787 II. C minor BWV 788 III. D major BWV 789 VI. E major BWV 792 XI. G minor BWV 797 XIII. A minor BWV 798 XV. B minor BWV 801 Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.8 in B♭ major Op.84 I. Andante dolce II. Andante sognando III. Vivace ENCORES

Maurice Ravel: À la manière de Borodine

“ I love improvising. Every time I learn something new I play it in the manner of famous composers, warming up with improvisations.”

56

Georges Bizet/Vladimir Horowitz: Variations on Themes from Carmen

Repertoire P RE L I M I NA RY

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.27 in E Minor Op.90 I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in B major Op.62 No.1 Ballade No.3 in A♭ major Op.47 Sergei Rachmaninoff: from Études-tableaux Op.39 V. Appassionato ENCORE

Percy Grainger: Shepherd’s Hey

Yoo, Se-Hyeong S O U T H KO R E A | 2 8 F E B R UA RY 1 9 9 0 SUPPORTED BY CLUB 32 DONORS JAN McDONALD AND JANICE TUYNMAN

Se-Hyeong Yoo’s formal piano tuition began at the Seoul National University in South Korea, followed by studies in Hannover’s Hochschule für Musik and at the Royal College of Music in London under eminent masters Dmitri Alexeev, Peter Jablonski, Matti Raekallio, Olivier Gardon and Hee Sung Joo. Currently he is studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim, Germany under Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy.

Se-Hyeong has performed widely in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal and South Korea. He has collaborated with orchestras such as the Harbin Symphony, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa, the Busan Philharmonic and the Bucheon Sinfonietta and conductors including Piotr Borkowski and Osvaldo Ferreira.

Chamber ensemble performances have taken him to unexpected and noteworthy venues like The Blue House – the official residence of the President of South Korea – and the Jinhae Naval Base.

Se-Hyeong has established himself as a creative interpreter of a wide range of music.

AWA R D S

2019 First Prize: International Music Competition Harbin (Harbin, China) 2018 Second Prize: Valsesia Musica International Competition (Valsesia, Italy) 2016 First Prize: Euregio Piano Award International Piano Competition (Geilenkirchen, Germany)

SEMI FINAL

Sergei Prokofiev: from Ten Pieces for Piano from the ballet ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Op.75 IV. Young Juliet V. Masks VI. Montagues and Capulets VII. Friar Laurence VIII. Mercutio Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.8 in B♭ major Op.84 I. Andante dolce II. Andante sognando III. Vivace FINAL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No.10 in C major K.330 I. Allegro moderato II. Andante cantabile III. Allegretto Frédéric Chopin: Barcarolle in F# major Op.60 Aleksandr Scriabin: Waltz Op.38 Robert Schumann Kreisleriana Op.16 I. Äußerst bewegt II. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch III. Sehr aufgeregt IV. Sehr langsam V. Sehr lebhaft VI. Sehr langsam VII. Sehr rasch VIII. Schnell und spielend ENCORES

György Ligeti: from Études Book 3 XVIII. Canon. Vivace poco rubato – Prestissimo Franz Liszt: from Transcendental Études S.139 VIII. Wilde Jagd

“ This is a competition. But it is also great opportunity to share the music of every fellow competitor, not caring about the result as much as enjoying the music of pianists from all over the world.”

57

2021 ONLINE JURY

THE JURY

Olivier Cazal

Mark Coughlan

FRANCE

AUSTRALIA

Olivier Cazal entered the piano studio of Pierre Sancan at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris at the age of 12. He subsequently participated in international piano competitions, winning the Busoni competition, being a laureate at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, winning First Prizes at the Senigallia, Marsala, Bellini, Cantu, Viotti-Valsesia, Jaen, and Pretoria competitions and the People’s Prize and Second Prize at the 1992 Sydney International Piano Competition.

Mark Coughlan is a pianist, conductor, artistic director, music critic, educator and businessman, holding leadership roles in the Australian performing arts and higher education sectors.

He has performed all around the world in concerts and in festivals, in solo recitals, in chamber music ensembles and as a soloist with many different orchestras. After performing at the Busoni Festival as a soloist and being a jury member at the Bolzano International Piano Competition, he was invited to be the president of the jury at the new Oleggio International Piano Competition in May 2018.

He is frequently invited to give masterclasses in Asia, America, Australia and Europe including recently at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles and the Horowitz Summer Music Academy in Kiev. He was once again president of the jury at Oleggio and at the Gallineri Piano Competition in November.

Olivier Cazal has been teaching piano at the Conservatoire de musique de Chantilly since 1981. He has recorded Francis Poulenc’s complete piano works for the Naxos label.

Mark has been closely associated with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for the past 10 years, as both a board member and, more recently, CEO. He has also been a member of the board of Musica Viva Australia, West Australian Youth Orchestra, national chairman of the Australian Music examinations Board and chairman of the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference. Mark was founding Chairman of Lost and Found Opera and has also served as Chairman of the Government House Foundation of Western Australia.

Mark is an experienced piano teacher and mentor, a former Head of Keyboard, as well as Head of Music, at the University of Western Australia and a lecturer in piano pedagogy at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. As a pianist he has performed in Europe, South-East Asia and around Australia, playing concertos, recitals and chamber music.

As a conductor, he works with a range of orchestra, at both professional and community levels.

In 2006, Mark established a concert series at Government House Perth, serving as Artistic Director until 2019. This program has a strong focus on nurturing young talent as well as presenting major national and international artists.

Mark has been a three times finalist for ‘West Australian of the Year’ in the Arts and Culture category.

59

THE JURY

Đặng Thái Sơn

Olga Kern

V I E T N A M /C A N A D A

RUSSIA/USA

Đặng Thái Sơn began his piano studies with his mother, Madame Thái Thị Liên, then a professor at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, continuing at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Vladimir Natanson and Dmitri Bashkirov. In 1980, he won First Prize and Gold Medal at the Tenth International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Russian-American pianist Olga Kern is one of the leading pianists of her generations. Born in Moscow to a family of musicians, she attained international prominence as the first woman in over thirty years to receive the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

His international career has seen him perform with orchestras such as London’s Philharmonia, Orchestre Nationale de Paris, Staatskapelle Berlin, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Czech Philharmonic, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Japan’s NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with illustrious conductors including Sir Neville Marriner, Pinchas Zukerman, Mariss Jansons, Paavo Järvi and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

He holds positions in the Piano Faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music and Oberlin Conservatory of Music (USA). He has sat on the juries of such prestigious international piano competitions as the Warsaw International Chopin Piano Competition, Cleveland (USA), Clara Haskil (Switzerland), Artur Rubinstein (Israel), Busoni (Italy), Montréal (Canada) and the Hamamatsu (Japan). Đặng Thái Sơn has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Melodya, Victor JVC and the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

His CD of Paderewski’s compositions with the Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy was selected as “La Clef du mois” (Disc of the Month) by ResMusica (Paris, France) in 2017.

60

First Prize winner of the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at seventeen, Olga is a laureate of many international competitions. In 2016 she served as Jury Chairman of both the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the first Olga Kern International Piano Competition, where she also holds the title of Artistic Director.

Olga frequently gives masterclasses and serves on the piano faculty of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Olga was appointed the Connie & Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music at the Virginia Arts Festival in 2019 and was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York City.

She has toured extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia, performing with leading symphony orchestras including the Royal National Scottish Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the National Russian Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic and more.

Olga has featured in multiple documentaries and her discography includes recordings of Brahms, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and her 2004 Grammy-nominated disc of Rachmaninoff. Most recently, she released a recording of the Rachmaninoff Sonata for Cello and Piano with cellist Sol Gabetta.

Seta Tanyel

Vladimir Tropp

AUSTRIA

RUSSIA

Acclaimed for her distinguished performances of the core repertoire and for her championing of the works of lesserknown composers, Seta Tanyel’s artistry and pianism have excited much attention from audiences.

Vladimir Tropp is one of the leading piano pedagogues in Russia: chair of the piano faculty of the Gnessins Russian Academy of Music and professor at the Moscow State Conservatoire. Through his teaching, he strives to maintain the highest traditions of the Russian piano school.

Born in Istanbul of Armenian parents, she studied at the University of Vienna with Dieter Weber and Bruno Seidlhofer, before continuing her studies in London with Louis Kentner.

She was a major prize winner at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in 1973 and the inaugural Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Israel in 1974.

Seta has toured extensively in Europe, Russia, the Middle and Far East, North and South America, performing with orchestras including the London Symphony, the Philharmonia, the Vienna Symphony, the Stuttgart Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic.

An active chamber musician, Seta has given many master classes, taught at the Yehudi Menuhin school in London and has adjudicated many International piano competitions.

With a discography encompassing solo, chamber and orchestral works by Bax, Beethoven, Brahms, Babadjanian, Frank, Grieg, Khatchaturian, MacDowell, Moszkowski, Poulenc, Scharwenka, Shostakovich, Schubert, Schumann and Stenhammar, Seta Tanyel has received countless accolades for her 22 recordings.

He has performed and given master classes in Russia, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Finland, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Canada, Costa Rica, Taiwan and South Korea. As a frequent soloist and chamber musician in music festivals, he concentrates on the Romantic repertoire, attracting particular acclaim for his performance of works by Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Medtner. He has recorded works

by Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Medtner. One of his CDs, Russian Miniatures, won the prestigious ‘Japanese Academy of Recording’ award as the best of the year.

Professor Tropp has undertaken extensive research into Rachmaninoff’s international archive, publishing articles and taking part in documentary films. He serves on the boards of the Rachmaninoff and Scriabin Societies in Russia.

Professor Tropp is a regular jury member of international and national piano competitions, among them the F. Lamond International Competition in Glasgow, and the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition in Moscow.

61

THE JURY

Preselection Jury At the end of 2019, applications from around the world to take part in the live 2020 Sydney International Piano Competition, came flooding in. 285 applications were received from 34 countries including Russia, United States, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hungary, Brazil, France and of course Australia. The unenviable task of selecting just 32 competitors from all the applications fell to the Preselection Jury: Piers Lane AO Gwenneth Pryor Geoffrey Saba Michael Spring Kathron Sturrock

Mira Yevtich SERBIA

Mira Yevtich started playing the piano when she was three years old. After leaving school in Belgrade, she entered the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire where she was awarded a doctorate in Piano Performance (Class Stanislav Neihaus). She also completed a postgraduate course at Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow (Class Professor Boris Moiseyevich Berlin). Mira has toured extensively across Austria, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Australia and more.

Her extensive discography includes CD recordings for Jugoton in Yugoslavia, Collegno, Germany, Award Australia, Belair Music and Quartz Music. Mira has held the position of visiting professor at Rimsky Korsakov Conservatorium of Music, St. Petersburg and Monash University, Melbourne.

She has appeared as a jury member at many international piano competitions, spanning Cleveland, Shanghai, St. Petersburg and Sydney. Mira has also performed with many internationally acclaimed conductors including Eugeny Svetlanov, Valery Gergiev, Aleksandr Anissimov, Alexander Polischuk, Ilmar Lapinsch, Dmitry Yablonsky and Akira Naito.

In addition to a prolific performance and recording schedule, Mira Yevtich is passionately involved in the development and promotion of young musical talent. She is co-founder of the Mariinsky International Piano Festival held in St. Petersburg, with the conductor and director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Maestro Valery Gergiev. This festival is an inspirational musical event, held once a year with performances from the world’s top pianists.

62

2021 ONLINE RULES AND PRIZES

RULES AND PRIZES

Online Competition Rules 1. The Sydney International Online Piano Competition is open to the 32 competitors and reserve competitors accepted to take part in the cancelled 2020 Sydney International Piano Competition.

2. The competition is open to pianists of any nationality born between 26 July 1987 and 8 July 2002. The age of some competitors may exceed 32 years in this edition due to the delay in staging the event.

3. Piers Lane is the non-voting Chairman of the Jury of seven distinguished international musicians. In the unfortunate event of a Juror falling seriously ill, he would replace the Juror for the round required.

4. No ties will be allowed for prizes.

5. The competition will consist of three pre-recorded rounds: a 40 minute Preliminary recital, a 50 minute Semi Final recital and an 80 minute Final recital. All 32 competitors must record all three recitals.

6. Performances must have been recorded within the 3 months preceding the submission date. Preliminary, Semi Final and Final round recordings may be recorded on the same or on separate days.

13. All results of the Sydney International Online Piano Competition will be revealed to the public and the competitors on Sunday 18 July.

14. The relative standing of competitors in Preliminary and Semi Final rounds will not be revealed to jury or public.

15. At all stages of the competition the jurors are banned from publishing the status of any competitor. Should any juror break this embargo it will result in the competitor in question being disqualified from the competition and the juror’s name and breach of embargo will be published as the reason for disqualification.

16. Each recital program should be constructed as a recital, such as would be presented for a public concert. Each program should have its own logic and shape, chosen to highlight the competitor’s range and strengths, while following the repertoire guidelines and demonstrating a developed understanding of program-building and communication with an audience.

17. All works must be played from memory.

18. The Preliminary Round video should consist of a recital program no longer than 40 minutes.

7. Performance videos must include one single, unedited camera angle that shows the face and hands of the competitor at all times. This camera angle will be used for judging.

a. It may contain a mix of unrelated repertoire but should be carefully programmed to make a cohesive whole.

The choice and shaping of program will be taken into account by the jury.

8. A representative of The Sydney will attend the recording session via live Zoom broadcast to validate the recording is done in a single, unedited take.

b. The program must include an Australian piece of any length or period. It may be included in the main body of the recital, or it may be the encore.

9. All raw video and audio files must be uploaded to The Sydney’s secure transfer platform immediately after the recording session and as observed by its representative via a Zoom screenshare session.

c. The Preliminary Round recital should include an encore suitable to the program. The encore timing is in addition to the 40 minute recital repertoire. The encore should be verbally introduced.

10. Competitors are encouraged to record before a live audience of any size, but the performance is acceptable with or without audience in attendance.

d. 12 competitors will be chosen to advance to the Semi Final.

11. The jury will assess the 32 Preliminary recitals during the first fortnight of April, the 12 Semi Final recitals during the second fortnight in April and the six Final recitals during June.

12. From 1 May 2021, if a competitor is unable to record a Final recital due to personal circumstances influenced by the global pandemic, The Sydney may choose to allow the public broadcast of the competitor’s Preliminary and Semi Final recitals. However, the competitor will forfeit any prizes and money that may have been awarded, having failed to submit the three required recordings.

64

19. The Semi Final Round video should consist of a program no longer than 50 minutes. a. The program should be based on a theme of the player’s choice and the shaping of the overall program will be taken into account by the jury. b. The theme must be explained in a detailed written statement but may also be spoken about by the competitor during the presentation. Submission of the detailed written statement to The Sydney is required within ten days of the recordings.

c. Spoken introductions to each work or group of pieces will be required. The introductions must precede each separate work or group of works in the program, spoken beside the piano, and recorded as part of the single, unedited take. Spoken introductions should include the name of the piece and the composer and any details the performer feels would contribute to an appreciation of the performance. The introductions may be witty or serious, very personal or merely factual. The contestant’s ability to communicate verbally will be taken into account by the jury.

The spoken introductions should preferably be in English. Where spoken English introductions are not possible, written translation of all comments must be submitted to The Sydney within ten days of the recordings. d. Six competitors will be chosen to advance to the Final.

20. The Final Round video should consist of a program no longer than 80 minutes. a. The repertoire should reflect the player’s concept of an ideal debut recital at a major concert hall in any country of the world. b. The performance must contain spoken introductions to the pieces, preferably in English, as per the requirements for the Semi Final Round. c. The program must be played without interruption or edits – without the customary long intermission between first and second halves of the program, though up to five minutes of rest may be taken at some point in the program, with the competitor in full view at all times. d. Two encores with spoken introductions should be added. The encore timing is in addition to the 80 minute recital repertoire.

21. The broadcasting order of competitors was determined at a public event in Sydney on 25 March. Competitors will maintain the same broadcasting order throughout all rounds of the competition.

22. The casting of votes will be done via an electronic poll.

A live Zoom call with all members of the Jury will be held to finalise any further tie-break voting.

23. The following procedure will apply to all voting unless otherwise indicated. a. The juror will cast one vote.

Group A will consist of names with seven out of seven votes from the jury.

Group B of names with six out of seven votes from the jury.

Group C with five out of seven votes and so on.

c. Should no competitor then attain a majority vote, a further ballot will be held between the two competitors with the most votes. d. Should there be a tie of two competitors with three votes each, a second ballot will be held of the tied competitors. e. Should there be a tie between competitors for the second most votes, the jury will first hold a ballot to decide between those tied competitors. i. Another ballot will then be held between the winner of that vote and the competitor with the most votes but who did not receive a majority or at least half of the votes. f. In the event that seven different names were selected for any vote, the Chairman of the Jury would select four of these names and then voting would proceed as normal. g. In the event of a jury deadlock the Chairman of the Jury will cast a deciding vote.

24. Any juror having, or having had during the preceding five years, a family, teaching, professional or personal relationship with a competitor must declare such a relationship to the rest of the jury. Masterclasses do not count as a teaching relationship. That juror may include that competitor’s name in any vote. That vote will not count as a vote on behalf of that particular competitor: instead, it will become the ratio between the total number of votes received and the number of jurors eligible to vote for that competitor.

25. All decisions of the Jury are final.

26. The Sydney reserves the right to photograph, film, record, broadcast, live stream, reproduce, transmit, play, show and/or televise all parts of the competition. Competitors have granted to the competition and their broadcast and promotional partners these rights.

27. Changes to the rules and regulations may be required from time to time in response to the ever changing effects of the global pandemic.

b. The names will be sorted into groups according to numbers of individual votes.

65

RULES & PRIZES

Prizes We are grateful to our sponsors and the many generous and committed individuals around Australia and overseas who have supported our prizes. Australia has produced or provided a home for some of the world’s greatest pianists, whom we are proud to recognise in our prize list.

Prize List E R N E S T H U TC H E S O N

WILLIAM MURDOCH

Prize donated by Friends of the Sydney International Piano Competition

Donated by Robert Albert AO, Silvana d’Ipacio, Peter and Helen O’Meara, Gary Nash and 3 Anonymous donors

F I R S T P R I Z E $ 2 5,0 0 0

Ernest Hutcheson (1871-1951) was born in Melbourne. A child prodigy, he later studied under Reinecke and Stavenhagen in Leipzig. He moved to New York in 1914, where he became Dean (1926-1937) and then President (1937-1945) of the Juilliard School. His students included Abram Chasins and the Australian Bruce Hungerford. Some of his infrequently played compositions have been recorded by Australian pianist Ian Munro, and his books include the still consulted The Literature of the Piano and The Elements of Piano Technique.

FO U RT H P R I Z E $ 12 ,50 0

William Murdoch (1888-1942) was born in Bendigo, studied at the Melbourne Conservatorium under Laver, and later at the Royal College of Music in London. In 1919, he became the favourite collaborator of the violinist Albert Sammons, and the pair then formed the Chamber Players with the violist Lionel Tertis and the Australian cellist Lauri Kennedy, grandfather of Nigel. Murdoch’s transcriptions of Bach are worth playing. He composed, and also published books on Brahms and Chopin.

PERCY GRAINGER

S EC O N D P R I Z E $2 0,0 0 0

Donated by Loz Copley

Percy Grainger (1882-1961) was born in Melbourne. A child prodigy, he studied in Frankfurt from the age of 13.

He lived in London from 1901 to 1914, was Grieg’s favourite exponent of his Concerto, famously collected original folk melodies and arranged many of them.

He was a one-off: his compositions are highly innovative, he designed musical instruments, set up the Grainger Museum in his birthplace, married in front of an audience of 16,000 in the Hollywood Bowl and became an American citizen in 1914.

G E O R G E F R E D E R I C K B OY L E

T H I R D P R I Z E $ 1 5,0 0 0

Donated by Ivy Lane League: Rita Avdiev, Jan Bowen AM, Barbara Carney, Gundo Frenda, Liz Gibson, Hugh Hallard, Sinclair & Wendy Hill, Neroli Hobbins, Barbara & Deborah Leser, Glenice MacLellan, Jean-Claude Niederer & Neil Hendry, Helga Rash, Murray Shaw, Hywel Sims, Li-Leen Tan, Andrew Wells and an anonymous donor

George Frederick Boyle (1886-1948) was born in Sydney and at the age of 15, gave concerts in 280 towns throughout Australia and New Zealand. Paderewski suggested he study with Busoni, his teacher from 1905 to 1910. Through Busoni’s interventions, he debuted under Sir Henry Wood at the Proms in London and succeeded Ernest Hutcheson as Head of Piano at the Peabody Institute (1910-1922) in the United States, where he premiered Debussy’s Preludes. He then taught at the Curtis Institute (1922-1924) and the Juilliard School (1923-1940).

His students included Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber.

66

ARTHUR BENJAMIN

F I F T H P R I Z E $ 1 0,0 0 0

Donated by Rosalind Carlson OAM

Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960) was born in Sydney, though grew up in Brisbane.

He later studied under Stanford, Dunhill and Frederick Cliffe at the Royal College of Music, where he later taught such luminaries as Benjamin Britten, Alun Hoddinott, Bernard Stephens, Joan Trimble, Stanley Bate, Lamar Crowson, Natasha Litvin (later Barry Humphries’ mother-in-law), Muir Mattheson, and the Australians, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Miriam Hyde, Dorian Le Gallienne and John Carmichael. The Jamaican Rumba is his best known composition, but his output is large and distinctive. Before he commenced teaching piano at the Royal College of Music in London, he was a piano professor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music from 1919 to 1921.

N O E L M E W TO N -WO O D

S I X T H P R I Z E $ 7,50 0

Donated by Ron, Lynn and Marcus Ogden

Noel Mewton-Wood (1922-1953) was born in Melbourne, studying there under Waldmar Seidel, later at the Royal Academy of Music in London and with Artur Schnabel in Italy. He toured with Richard Tauber and performed throughout the UK, in France, Germany, South Africa, Poland, Turkey and Australia. After he committed suicide at the age of 31, Britten composed his third Canticle for a concert in Mewton-Wood’s memory. He has left a wonderful recorded legacy, including the monumental Concerto by Sir Arthur Bliss.

NANCY WEIR

REX HOBCROFT

Donated by Youth Music Foundation Australia

A gift from the late Mrs Jana Chvojka

Nancy Weir (1915-2008) was a Melbourne child prodigy. She made her debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at 13, playing Beethoven 3. Public subscription allowed her to travel to Berlin for three years’ study with the great Artur Schnabel, before studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Harold Craxton. She made her BBC Proms debut playing Bach under Sir Henry Wood. Her career changed direction with WWII, when she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, due to her perfect German being useful for decoding. She played concertos in Egypt, Palestine and Italy at this time. After the war, she returned to tour Australia under Galliera and sometime later returned permanently as a member of the Ormond Trio. From 1966 she taught at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, her students including Piers Lane. Her LPs reveal her marvelous sound and high intelligence.

Rex Hobcroft AM (1925-2013) born in Renmark, South Australia, was the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Sydney International Piano Competition from its inception until 1985, serving on four of its juries. He was a considerable pianist (the first to perform the cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas in Australia), conductor, composer, teacher and administrator. He directed both the Tasmanian and New South Wales conservatoria, introducing the vision of a ‘music university’, vastly expanding the range of courses on offer in a conservatorium. He was also foundation head of the keyboard department of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, and Founder Director of the Music Department of the University of Tasmania and Tasmanian Opera Company. He influenced the establishment of the University of Western Australia’s School of Music.

OV E R S E A S S C H O L A R S H I P FO R A N

G EO F F R E Y TOZ E R

Donated by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust

Donated by Joan Adler

B E S T AU S T R A L I A N P I A N I S T $1 0,0 00

AU S T R A L I A N C O M P E T I TO R TO F U RT H E R T H E I R M U S I C A L C A R E E R $ 1 0,0 0 0

E D WA R D G O L L

B E S T P E R FO R M A N C E O F A WO R K BY L I S Z T $ 5,0 0 0

Bequest from Neville Grace

Edward Goll (1884-1949) was born in Bohemia, Austria-Hungary. He was one of five personal students of Antonín Dvořák, later studying with Emil von Sauer, a student of Franz Liszt. At 20 he went to Paris to play concertos with Arthur Nikisch, then to England to work with Hans Richter and Sir Henry Wood.

In 1911 Goll went to Melbourne on a concert tour. He married and settled there. Henri Verbruggen, the inaugural Director of the NSW Conservatorium of Music, offered him a post in Sydney, but he accepted an alternative offer from the University of Melbourne and soon after, an appointment as musical director of Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne.

He was a popular teacher who inspired many. He stressed sightreading, proper listening and constant, unremitting practice.

Prominent pupils included Margaret Sutherland and Nancy Weir.

From the early 1930s he taught mainly privately. He made many recordings.

B E S T P E R FO R M A N C E O F A WO R K BY B E E T H OV E N $ 5,0 0 0

M O S T P RO M I S I N G P I A N I S T N OT P RO C E E D I N G TO T H E F I N A L S $ 5,0 0 0

Geoffrey Tozer (1954-2009) was brought to Melbourne from India as a child of four. At eight, he made a televised debut playing Bach with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and at 13 was the youngest ever recipient of a Churchill Fellowship, which took him to London for lessons from Maria Curcio. At 14, he reached the Semi Finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition and the following year appeared at the BBC Proms playing Mozart under Sir Colin Davis. At 16, he stayed with Britten for several weeks, appearing at the Aldeburgh Festival accompanying Rostropovich. He had abundant musical faculty, improvising on themes given to him by audiences, sight reading orchestral scores, transposing at sight and playing largescale works with ease. He recorded Medtner and others for Chandos and frequently presented the works of somewhat neglected composers like Artur Schnabel and Busoni.

He was championed by the former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating.

SEMI FINAL OR FINAL

B E S T P RO G R A M C O N S T RU C T I O N $ 5,0 00

Donated by A/Prof Michael Stubbs in celebration of his aunt, Australian pianist Ruth Gerald BEST PERFORMANCE OF A

WO R K F RO M A N Y P E R I O D B E FO R E 1 950 BY A R A R E LYP L AY E D A N D U N D U LY N EG L EC T E D C O M P O S E R $ 5,0 00

Donated by Harold Fabrikant, Dr Andrew Mitterdorfer and Daniel Mitterdorfer in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Louis Vierne in 2020

67

RULES & PRIZES ROGER SMALLEY

B E S T P R E L I M I N A RY R EC I TA L $ 3,000 Donated by the Council of the Friends of The Sydney: Len Amadio AO, Michael Baume AO, The Hon Bronwyn Bishop AO, Annette Blinco, Judith Einstein, Glenys Granger, Jenny Granger, Jennifer Harris, Sylvia Laurent, Christine Liddy AO, Peter Lazar AO, Terry Mackin, Jan McDonald, Diana-Rose Orr, Alf Reichardt OAM, Ross Steele AM and Janice Tuynman

Roger Smalley (1943-2015) was well known in the contemporary music scene in his native UK before taking up a three-month residency at the University of Western Australia, Perth in 1974. Two years later, he became a permanent member of the staff until his retirement, when he moved to Sydney. He fulfilled commissions from groups all over the world and they appear on more than 20 discs. He was a distinguished pianist in his own right and left a discography of music by Australian composers, sonatas by his teacher John White and Schumann song cycles.

IGNAZ FRIEDMAN

BEST SEMI FINAL RECITAL $3,000 Donated by Dr Robert Mitchell in memory of Denis Condon

Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948) was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, acclaimed by fellow pianists like Rachmaninoff. in Poland, he studied with Leschetizky and after a debut in Vienna playing three huge concertos in one evening, his career took him all over the world for over 2800 concerts. He came to Australia for a tour in 1940, avoiding WWII dangers, and settled in Sydney until his death. He played until prevented by ill health in 1943 and taught gifted students. His recordings, particularly of Chopin’s Mazurkas, are legendary.

MALCOLM WILLIAMSON

B E S T P E R FO R M A N C E O F A N AU S T R A L I A N P I EC E $ 3,0 0 0

Donated by Dr Robert Mitchell in memory of Denis Condon

Malcolm Williamson CBE AO (1931-2003) began piano studies with Alexander Sverjensky at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1943, and studied composition with Alex Burnard and Eugene Goossens.

On moving to London at 19, his exposure to different types of music was reflected in his own compositions, as were the influences of Stravinsky, Messiaen, Boulez, the music of the second Viennese school and the late nineteenth-century German and Italian operatic composers.

He converted to the Roman Catholic faith and this was an important influence on his music. Williamson devoted himself entirely to composition from the early 1960s. His compositional output included symphonies, stage works, chamber, choral and religious music, film and television works, a number of operas for children, ballets and music for solo piano. In 1975 he became the nineteenth Master of the Queen’s Music, the first non-Briton ever to have held that position. He received the CBE, and the AO for services to music and the mentally handicapped and an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Melbourne.

68

MIRIAM HYDE

B E S T P E R FO R M A N C E O F A WO R K BY A RO M A N T I C P E R I O D C O M P O S E R ( E XC LU D I N G L I S Z T ) $ 3,0 0 0 Donated by Janice Tuynman in memory of her husband Hank Tuynman

Miriam Hyde AO OBE (1913-2005) was born in Adelaide, but after graduating from the Elder Conservatorium studied piano under Arthur Benjamin and Arthur Hadley at the Royal College of Music in London, composition under R.O. Morris and Gordon Jacob. She premiered her first concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, played Beethoven 4 under Sir Malcolm Sargent, and her own second concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under Constant Lambert.

She taught for many decades in Sydney and played to an extraordinary level into her nineties. She was, in addition, a great educator, a published poet and prolific composer.

LANCE DOSSER

B E S T P E R FO R M A N C E O F A WO R K BY A C L A S S I C A L P E R I O D C O M P O S E R ( E XC LU D I N G B E E T H OV E N ) $ 3,0 0 0

Donated by Drs Keith and Eileen Ong

Lance Dossor (1916-2005) was born in Weston-super-Mare, UK. At 16 he obtained an open scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he studied piano with Herbert Fryer and composition with Herbert Howells. At 22, he came fourth, when Emil Gilels won the Queen Elisabeth Competition. During WWII, Dossor served in the Royal Artillery in Egypt, Italy and Germany and, as part of the troops’ entertainment wing, brought classical music to the services. After 1946, he became a professor of the Royal College of Music, resuming his career with solo recitals, concertos and chamber music. In 1953 Dossor joined the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide and became a central figure in the musical life there. After his retirement from full-time teaching, at the end of the 1970s, he continued to teach part-time for another 20 years. His influence on the musical life of Australia, and in Adelaide in particular, has been significant, through his performances and his numerous disciples.

R H O N D DA G I L L E S P I E

B E S T P E R FO R M A N C E O F A T W E N T I E T H - C E N T U RY WO R K $ 3,0 0 0 Donated by Minnie Biggs

Rhondda Gillespie (1941 – 2010) was born in Sydney as an only child and gave her first public recital at age 12. She studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Alexander Sverjensky and in Britain with Louis Kentner and Denis Matthews.

Wilfred Josephs' 14 Studies for Piano Op.53 were written for Gillespie, Joy Blech, and Yonty Solomon and she gave the world premiere of the complete set at the Cheltenham Festival in 1967. She was a specialist in the music of Franz Liszt and brought to light many of his lesser-known works. With the actor Michael Gough she gave the first complete performance in London of Liszt's dramatic recitations She was also renowned for her focus on contemporary music, and she gave many world premieres of British music. In 1984, Gillespie and her fellow Australian pianist Robert Weatherburn formed a professional duo and premiered John Dankworth's Fantasia Enigmatica in 1986.

B E S T P RO G R A M P R E S E N TAT I O N IN THE SEMI FINALS OR FINALS $3,000

P R I Z E E N G AG E M E N T S The First Prize winner will have the following engagements:

– A national tour of Australia supported by a grant from the bequest of Harry Colligan and Lionel Hann

Donated by Virginia Braden OAM ISADOR GOODMAN

BEST ENCORE IN THE P R E L I M I N A RY O R F I N A L S $ 1 ,0 0 0

Donated by Kathron Sturrock

Isador Goodman AM (1909-1982) was born in Capetown, but won a job at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music when he was just twenty and remained in Australia for most of the rest of his life, as one of its greatest pianists. He gave endless recital and concerto performances, introducing works like Prokofiev’s 7th Sonata to Australia; played between films when musically directing cinemas in Melbourne and Sydney; played to 150,000 servicemen in more than 200 concerts as a Lieutenant in the Australian Army; presented his own television shows, played jazz in nightclubs, composed – his was a truly extraordinary contribution to Australian pianism.

P R I Z E S FO R T H E S I X S E M I F I N A L I S T S N OT P RO C E E D I N G TO T H E F I N A L S $1,000 E AC H Donated by Mrs Wendy Weight OAM

– A concerto engagement with the London Philharmonic Orchestra – A CD recording for Hyperion Records – Concert appearances at the Bard Music Festival, New York – A concert engagement for the Amigos de Música Os Agostos, Portugal – A tour of five American festivals A further selection of engagements will be awarded to the winner and/or other finalists. These will include: – A concerto engagement with Maestro Valery Gergiev in the Contemporary Piano Faces, Mariinsky International Piano Festival in St Petersburg – A concerto engagement with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra – The Laza Kostic Foundation Prize – concerts in Serbia – A recital for the winner of the Best Australian Prize in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall at Melbourne Recital Centre plus a performance fee of $1,000 presented

by Hoang Pham – winner of the 2008 Best Australian Prize.

All engagements are subject to final negotiation between the prize winners, the Sydney International Piano Competition and/or presenters, and are subject to change.

Sydney / Melbourne / Gold Coast w w w . a u s t r a l i a p i a n o w o r l d . c o m

A QUALITY PIANO ACHIEVES YOUR GOALS!

69

The Sydney Piano Lovers’ Competition The Sydney International Piano Competition has always inspired pianists and audiences alike, stimulating interest in the piano and music in general and providing a platform to showcase outstanding pianists from around the world and assisting in developing their careers. In 2020, the Sydney Piano Lovers’ Competition was launched to provide inspiration for amateur Australian pianists, and for The Sydney to connect more deeply with Australian piano-loving audiences.

The international jury, comprised of Artistic Director Piers Lane AO, Kathron Sturrock (Royal College of Music, London) and Nikos Stavlas (Morley College, London), provided encouragement to mature pianists to pursue their musical goals, the winner to be rewarded with an invitation to perform in the Sydney International Online Piano Competition. In the end, the jury selected co-winners of the competition: Dr Tanya Hall and Ian Lucas.

Dr Tanya Hall achieved her LMusA at 14, winning an AMEB General Scholarship, and even performing concerts in Japan. She topped the state in 3U Music in her HSC, majoring in piano performance. When it came to choosing a career path, Tanya describes the decision not to pursue music as ‘heartbreaking,’ instead choosing medicine at university and then completing training as a psychiatrist.

After a long break, Tanya has returned to the piano under her previous teacher Fr. Peter Dwyer, who studied under the late Eunice Gardiner. Tanya said ‘It would be an enormous honour for me to be able to perform in some small way at the competition I had long dreamed of entering.’

Dr Tanya Hall N E WC A S T L E , N S W

PROGRAM

Antonio Soler: Keyboard Sonata in F# major No.90 Robert Schumann/Franz Liszt: Widmung (Liebeslied) Sergei Rachmaninoff: from 13 Preludes Op.32 XII. Allegro Aram Ilyich Khachaturian: Toccata in E♭ minor

Ian Lucas is a retired airline pilot who began learning the piano at five years of age in Hobart, taught by his mother. He practised continuously through his teenage years with true love for the instrument. Professional life took over, but after a 32 year break, he returned to the piano, falling right back in love. He now houses a small concert hall on his property, Lucas Parklands, near Montville in Queensland, where he hosts classical concerts for the community throughout the year. Aptly, his beautifully crafted entry to the competition was dedicated to his late mother.

We want to thank all those who entered the inaugural Sydney Piano Lovers’ Competition and we are pleased to have connected with and inspired piano lovers in our community.

Subscribe to The Sydney’s monthly newsletter to be in the know about the next Sydney Piano Lovers’ Competition.

Ian Lucas MONTVILLE, QLD

PROGRAM

Johann Sebastian Bach: from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II Fugue No.7 in E♭ major BWV 876 Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in C# minor Op. Posthumous Franz Liszt: from Années de Pèlerinage, Book II S.161/5 V. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca George Enescu: Fugue from Prélude et Fugue

70

Save an extra 10% on a Limelight subscription

With its fresh, new-look magazine, Limelight offers Australia’s best coverage of music, arts and culture through in-depth, analytical and literary articles.

Subscribe through this page with promo code THESYDNEY and save an extra 10% on an annual print and digital subscription, including 11 magazines and free digital access for just $79.20, normally $88.

Scan the QR to subscribe online or visit subscribe.limelight-arts.com.au

72

Composing the Future Composing the Future is the latest initiative created by the Sydney International Piano Competition as part of our long, proud and successful history promoting and commissioning Australian piano compositions. In the past, notable Australian composers, including popular names such as Carl Vine, were commissioned by The Sydney to write two or three set works from which the competitors chose their mandatory Australian piece for the preliminary rounds of the competition. For the 2016 competition these rules were refined, allowing competitors to select an Australian work of their own choice, so that they might opt for something that resonated personally with them, and which they might continue to perform throughout their lives.

In the spirit of supporting Australian composers and fostering this tradition, Composing the Future was born. The chief aim is to encourage a wide range of Australian composers to write specifically for the piano, to enlarge the Australian repertoire for solo piano, to encourage Australian pianists to perform more contemporary music and eventually to publish a lasting collection of Sydney-inspired Australian works.

The Sydney was fortunate to receive a generous matched funding grant for Composing the Future from Creative Partnerships Australia through their Plus One funding program. This meant that each donation The Sydney received, up to a total of $25,000 was matched dollar for dollar by Creative Partnerships Australia, increasing the total fundraising to over $50,000. Crucially it meant Composing the Future received the investment it deserved to play a prominent part in inspiring the creation of Australian piano repertoire.

Composing the Future now invites Australian composers to submit new or unpublished solo piano works by 10 December 2021. Pieces of any length may be submitted, ideally between 10 and 20 minutes, and the piece may be in any style and form eg. a set of preludes, or a four-movement sonata, a virtuoso transcription – or a mere bagatelle!

The pieces will be judged by a panel of eminent Australian pianists in partnership with The Sydney’s Artistic Director, Piers Lane, with the winner attracting both a substantial cash prize of $20,000 and a world premiere performance by the winner of the 2021 Sydney International Online Piano Competition during their 2022 national tour across Australia.

In addition, up to five other entries will be awarded cash prizes and will receive public performances of their work by members of the jury of pianists. These awards and performances during 2022 will celebrate the 45th anniversary of The Sydney.

As entries roll in, The Sydney will continue to provide updates on all the developments of this new competition, designed to spotlight our Australian composers and pianists. Composing the Future offers a valuable opportunity for them to be recognised and rewarded.

Help us spread the word! Encourage professional and outstanding young Australian composers to submit entries to the competition. Together we can nurture Australian artists and creativity, ultimately enriching Australia’s offering to the piano world at large.

For eligibility and application details visit thesydney.com.au

The fundraising campaign launched in February 2021, with a generous founding donation from an anonymous donor, setting Composing the Future on the path to success. Further generous supporters pledged their donations and the target of $25,000 was reached ahead of the May 2021 deadline.

We are delighted to have enjoyed such encouraging support from current and new donors to The Sydney and extend our heartfelt thanks.

Composing the Future is supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through Plus 1

73

Friends of the Competition The Friends of the Sydney International Piano Competition have existed as part of The Sydney since day one back in 1977, when Claire Dan AM OBE established what has become over the last four decades, the world-renowned and prestigious event we all now celebrate. The President of the Friends, The Honourable Bronwyn Bishop AO, was approached by Claire Dan at the time to establish a Friends group to support the fledging competition. To this day Bronwyn remains as the President steering this passionate group of volunteers, who have provided much needed support for every edition of the competition.

74

The Friends remain an independent group and continue through memberships and presenting a series of concerts, to fundraise and donate the first prize, which in 2021 will be $25,000. Their fundraising dollars also go to support other activities of the competition, including in 2016 the first ever livestream of the Preliminary Rounds, broadcasting all competitors beyond the Verbrugghen concert hall to the world.

This significant investment by The Friends enabled The Sydney to join other world competitions, introducing the excitement of the live competition in Sydney to global audiences.

The Sydney is grateful for the ongoing support of The Friends and everything they have done since 1977.

The Friends are a membership group and welcome new members to join at any time. They also enjoy special benefits of discounted ticket prices to their own annual concert series, priority booking and discounted tickets to the live competition in Sydney and are kept up to date with a quarterly newsletter direct into each member’s letterbox.

If you would like to join as a member of The Friends, simply join online at www.thesydney.com.au/friends or download a membership application form. The Council of the Friends continually looks to welcome new members to the Council, and if you are interested to find out more information and how you can become actively involved please, email the secretary Terry Mackin: tmackin@bigpond.net.au

75

Philanthropic Giving Cycle of Giving The Sydney International Piano Competition is a registered not-for-profit charity and relies on the generosity of individuals to continue its important work inspiring and supporting pianists and audiences across Australia and internationally.

Cycle of Giving is the vital annual donation program, supporting the core work of The Sydney. Gifts to Cycle of Giving ensure not only the continuation of the main competition, but also the important work between competition years, including the extensive metro and regional tours of the most recent finalists. In addition, it supports the education work of The Sydney through masterclasses and school workshops, reaching young Australian students far and wide.

Since the 2016 competition, The Sydney has brought a number of that year’s finalists back to Australia, touring to metro and regional centres and sharing exceptional pianism in local concert halls, most likely near you. The laureates travelled the length and breadth of the country performing, coaching amateur pianists in local masterclasses and visiting schools to inspire the next generation of music lovers.

Following the 2021 Online Competition The Sydney will once again resume touring and education activities as our regions re-open after the pandemic. This will begin, restrictions allowing, with the First Prize winner on a national tour of the country in 2022.

The Cycle of Giving was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven’s cycle of 32 piano sonatas and the patrons who supported him whilst composing them. There are seven levels of support, beginning at $100, and each level takes its name from one of Beethoven’s famous sonatas. All gifts over $2 to Cycle of Giving are tax deductible and go directly towards ensuring this world class competition continues for another generation. For further information on how to support please contact Miranda Davis, miranda@thesydney.com.au

Champions Fund – Thank you!

Thank you to all the generous donors who supported the Champions Fund in 2020 and 2021. Like every Arts organisation, The Sydney was severely challenged in 2020: the unexpected loss of income from the July 2020 competition and the costs that go with cancelling such an event were considerable. With no support received during this time from Federal and NSW Arts agencies, we needed our own ‘champions’. The Champions Fund was created as a direct result of the effects of this catastrophic year, to ensure that The Sydney can continue past the Online Competition this year.

The Champions Fund supported The Sydney in 2020 and will continue to support our activities following the Online Competition, to get our pianists back on stage performing in concerts, masterclasses and workshops throughout Australia.

Thank you for your generous support.

76

ABOVE: 2017 Andrey Gugnin masterclass Taree NSW; 2019 Oxana Shevchenko masterclass Broome, WA CLOCKWISE: 2019 Oxana Shevchenko masterclass Broome, WA; 2017 Andrey Gugnin tour Ukaria, SA; 2018 Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev tour Alice Springs, NT; 2019 Kenneth Broberg masterclass Coffs Harbour, NSW; 2018 Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev tour Tamworth, NSW

77

Donors and Supporters Prize Donors

Club 32

Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust

Brian Abel and Mark Manton

Joan Adler

Philip Bacon AM

Minnie Biggs

The Hon Bronwyn Bishop AO

Virginia Braden OAM

Ross Blackmore in memory of Denise Blackmore

Rosalind Carlson OAM A gift from the late Jana Chvojka Loz Copley Robert Albert AO, Silvana d’Iapico, Gary Nash and Peter & Helen O'Meara Friends of the Sydney International Piano Competition The Council of the Friends of The Sydney* Bequest from Neville Grace Ivy Lane League** Dr Robert Mitchell in memory of Denis Condon

Tom Breen and Rachael Kohn AO Brennan Lynch Foundation Fund Dr Di Bresciani OAM Maurice Cashmere Elizabeth Clark and Diana McVeagh Richard Cobden SC David and Ida Constable Silvana d’Iapico Martin and Susie Dickson (x 2) Bunny Gardiner-Hill Judy Hunt and Hugh Hallard

Dr Andrew Mitterdorfer, Daniel Mitterdorfer and Dr Harold Fabrikant

Jennifer Harris

Ron, Lynn and Marcus Ogden

Anthony and Suzanne Maple-Brown

Drs Keith and Eileen Ong

Jan McDonald and Janice Tuynman

A/Prof Michael Stubbs in celebration of his aunt, Australian pianist Ruth Gerald

Jane McCallum

Kathron Sturrock Janice Tuynman in memory of her husband Hank Tuynman

Donald and Kate Magarey

Rhondda and Ron McCallum Mick and Lyndall McCormack (x 2) Helen Meddings

Mrs Wendy Weight OAM

Greeba Pritchard and Robert Mitchell

Youth Music Foundation Australia

Robert and Jennifer Ravens

* Len Amadio AO, Michael Baume AO, The Hon Bronwyn Bishop AO, Annette Blinco, Judith Einstein, Glenys Granger, Jenny Granger, Jennifer Harris, Sylvia Laurent, Christine Liddy AO, Peter Lazar AO, Terry Mackin, Jan McDonald, Diana-Rose Orr, Alf Reichardt OAM, Prof. Ross Steele AM and Janice Tuynman ** Rita Avdiev, Jan Bowen AM, Barbara Carney, Gundo Frenda, Liz Gibson, Hugh Hallard, Sinclair & Wendy Hill, Neroli Hobbins, Barbara & Deborah Leser, Glenice MacLellan, Jean-Claude Niederer & Neil Hendry, Helga Rash, Murray Shaw, Hywel Sims, Li-Leen Tan, Andrew Wells and Anonymous x 1.

Chair Donor Piers Lane, donated by the late Jane Mathews AO & Tom Breen and Rachael Kohn AO

78

Angela Raymond and Carole Roussel A/Prof Michael Stubbs in celebration of Australian pianist Ruth Gerald Rob Thomas AO and Sam Meers AO Sandy Watson Anonymous x 1

Cycle of Giving Donors T H E H A M M E R K L AV I E R Anonymous x 1 L E S A D I E U X / DA S L E B E WO H L Robert Albert AO

Angus and Kimberley Holden Elizabeth Stuart & Bruce MacDiarmid Anthony and Suzanne Maple-Brown T H E A P PA S S I O N ATA Andrew Bell & Joanna Bird

Alison Brown Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway The late Jane Mathews AO Timothy & Eva Pascoe Tony Strachan T H E WA L D S T E I N Bob & Alison Carr

Dr John H Casey Loz Copley Drs Frank & Ailbhe Cunningham Martin Dickson Geoff & Anna Joyce Alec & Leanne Leopold Kevin & Deidre McCann Donald & Kate Magarey Ron, Lynn & Marcus Ogden Hoang Pham Greeba Pritchard Timothy Rohl AM & Paul McGrath Margaret Sikora Janice Tuynman Maree Watts Anonymous x 2 THE TEMPEST Jill Davies

John Meyer Shanthini Naidoo Janet and Michael Neustein

THE MOONLIGHT Professor The Honorable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO

Stephen Bell Rebecca Cheng Liz Claridge Lorraine & Rodney Gibson David & Christine Hartgill Penny Herbert in memory of Dunstan Herbert Dr Sue Lane Sally Mactier Ann McFarling Helen & Phil Meddings Ben & Judy Mills Carole Roussel Studio W Spencer White Family Pamela Whalan Anonymous x 7 T H E PAT H É T I Q U E Karen Baker

Lindsay Bergin The Chuang Foundation Rae Cottle Joy Evans Anthea Fawcett Lorraine & Rodney Gibson Vivienne Nabarro

Fairlie McColl Jill McLelland

Trusts and Foundations

Drs Keith and Eileen Ong Timothy & Eva Pascoe Alf Reichardt OAM Dr Ben Steinberg Maree Watts Andrew Wells Anonymous x 34

Gala Opening Concert Jillian Williams

Corporate Partner

Composing the Future FOUNDING DONOR

Anonymous SUPPORTING DONORS

Martin and Susie Dickson Kathryn and Donald Magarey Marguerite May

Wine Partner

Jan McDonald Diana McVeagh Ruth Procter Maree Watts Anonymous x 1

Ruth Procter Frank Robertson

Media Partners

Wendy Robinson Patricia Staunton Dr Ben and Mrs Janette Steinberg Yvonne Ten Pas Judith Turner Anonymous x 6

Champions Fund

Composing the Future is supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through Plus 1.

Bequests Alison Burrell

Susan Alexander

Harry Colligan and Lionel Hann

Michael Baume AO

Claire Dan AM OBE

Erica Booker

Neville Grace

Rosalind Carlson OAM Alison Carr

IT Partner

Richard Cobden SC David and Ida Constable Silvana d’Iapico Christopher Forsyth Jacinta Heffey Peter Heffey Helen Marcionetti

79

How to watch and enjoy the Competition Online Broadcast Instructions and Trouble Shooting: a step-by-step guide Watching the broadcast online couldn’t be easier! Whether you’ve already got your tickets or are yet to purchase, we’ve got everything you need to know below. First things first, https://watch.thesydney.com.au dashboard is a super easy way to access everything all in one place. It’s where you go to access important updates, contacting the team throughout the event, viewing the event schedule, buying your tickets and watching your Online Competition performances each day.

To get you ready, here’s your very own step-by-step guide to a completely seamless viewing experience and an incredible three weeks of musical performances.

https://watch.thesydney.com.au W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

WAT C H A N D E N J OY

• A viewing device: a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, desktop or smart TV.

On the day of your selected session, click ‘My Tickets’ on the top right-hand corner of the dashboard and click ‘Watch Now’ on the session you want to watch. Remember all sessions you buy are yours to keep and available for an unlimited time to ‘rewatch’ on demand. Now sit back, relax and don’t miss a minute of the magic as our competitors give the performance of a lifetime!

• An internet connection.

• A digital season pass or single ticket purchase (See how below).

• Speakers (usually in-built into device) or headphones.

• A comfortable seat and a beverage of choice to enjoy over 50 piano recitals.

BUYING TICKETS

Simply select the performances you want to watch, or a full season pass and ‘buy now’. It’s as easy as that!

1. Go to https://watch.thesydney.com.au 2. Click ‘Buy a Full Season Pass’ and then ‘Buy Now’ or scroll down to view all available individual sessions.

3. Click ‘Register’ to set up a login, enter your details and click ‘Register’. (Keep these login details safe as you will need them to watch the broadcast in July).

4. Enter your card details and click ‘Pay’.

5. Your tickets will now be safely waiting for you in ‘My Tickets’ on the dashboard and will be available on the session’s premiere date.

TESTING SOUND AND VIDEO

If you’d like to test out your home sound and video in advance of the broadcast, head to the dashboard to watch a beautiful recital by 2016 Winner Andrey Gugnin playing his Preliminary round two recital. Just click ‘Watch Now’ or click on Andrey Gugnin’s picture.

80

TECHNICAL HELP AND SUPPORT

Sometimes things don’t work out how we want. If for any reason you need some help click the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) button in the top right-hand corner of the dashboard. Here you’ll find answers to questions ranging from how to access the broadcast on a mobile device, stream to your TV and test your internet speed.

We will also run some online training sessions in advance of 1 July, simply go to the dashboard to see when the next online training session is scheduled. These training sessions are free and are available to all ticket holders, to give you complete peace of mind that you are all set up to go.

If you are having technical difficulties during the broadcast, the support team will be available via our virtual Help Desk featured on the dashboard.

Credits Board of Directors

S T O R Y C R E AT I V E A N D P L AY 2 7 M E D I A

Virginia Braden OAM – Chairman

Hugo Johnstone-Burt: Director Matt White: Director Chris North: Master of Ceremonies

Tom Breen Hamish Lane Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM

M O T E L P I C T U R E C O M PA N Y

Shanthini Naidoo

Sophie Georgiou Stef Mileski

Ron Ogden

THE20

Elizabeth Stuart

Alecia Groom: Senior Designer Fflur Higgs: Creative Manager Kim Maisch: Website Developer

Team

TA Z T E C H

Piers Lane AO Artistic Director Marcus Barker Chief Executive Simon Crossley-Meates (until February 2021) Marketing Manager Megan Staal (from February 2021) Marketing Manager Miranda Davis Philanthropy and Development Director Jane McCallum Fundraising Consultant (2019 – 2020) Kate Murphy Project Manager Kabuku PR Belinda Dyer Amy Chilcott Roderick van Gelder Technical Manager Suzy Browne Bookkeeper John McPhillips Videographer 5STREAM

Tim Kelly: Executive Producer Claudia De Foe: Post Production Producer Paul Evans and Aidan Barrett: Livestream Developers Steve Semmler Farr: Stream Technician Bradley Bridgens: Editor Esther Yong: Editor Matt Bird: Editor Assistant

Simon Hughes David Hall Henrique Mariano Kaleb Southwell T H A N K YO U T O O U R VO LU N T E E R S

Ross Blackmore Heather Brittain Stephen Crampton-Hayward Cathal Farrell Hugh Hallard Anita Levy Jiarong (Scarley) Liu Rebecca Murphy Lizzi Nicoll Ciarán Nolan Amy O’Hanlon Laura O’Herlihy Rowan Scott Adrian Sims Judy Skatssoon Kathron Sturrock Andrew Wells Yoki Yao Xiao Yi Ooi Anna Zavidova FUNDRAISING SUPPORT GROUP

Karen Baker Virginia Braden OAM Kylie Bryden-Smith

Jane McCallum Sam Miller Robert Mitchell Shanthini Naidoo

Council of the Friends The Honourable Bronwyn Bishop AO President Jennifer Harris Deputy President Glenys Granger Senior Vice President Terry Mackin Treasurer Elizabeth Grey Secretary Phillipa Allen Leonard Amadio AO Michael Baume AO Annette Blinco Gloria Coroneos Jenny Granger Peter Kyle Sylvia Laurent Peter Lazar AM Christine Liddy AO Jan McDonald Connie McManus Diana-Rose Orr Xavier Shea Prof Ross Steele AM Janice Tuynman P H OTO C R E D I T S

Pages 3 & 4: Daniel Boud Page 6: Keith Saunders Page 9: Marco Borggreve Page 10: Ken Leanfore (Neville Grace) Page 11: Daniel Boud Pages 12 & 13: Daniel Boud (Andrey Gugnin & Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev) Pages 18 & 20: Anna Levert Page 21: Daniel Boud Pages 22 & 23: Kate Murphy Page 62: Stefano Romeo Page 74: Daniel Boud Page 75: Peter Lazar; Ken Leanfore Pages 76 & 77: Marcus Barker

81

PO Box R104 Royal Exchange NSW 1225 02 9241 3291 ABN 15 001 467 536 Details of this program are correct at the time of printing and are subject to change.

thesydney.com.au