“For the next week, 21 pianists from seven countries will pour out their hearts in a race of dazzling artistry, jaw-dropping technique and nerves of steel. The World Piano Competition is returning to Corbett Auditorium at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music,” writes Janelle Gelfand in Sunday’s (6/22) Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio). “It is the second year of the reorganized competition, which was founded in 1956. Last year, it formed partnerships with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which plays for the finals, and CCM…. The competition is stiff. Months ago, a pre-screening jury decided who would be accepted from the applicants to compete for $45,000 in cash prizes and a New York debut recital…. Five jurors of international reputation”—Frederic Chiu, Hee Sung Joo, Yoshikazu Nagai, Ursula Oppens, and Andrey Pisarev—“have their pencils sharpened to scrutinize the pianists over several rounds. For a music lover, it’s a chance to hear multiple styles of music, from intimate solo pieces for the piano to blockbuster piano concertos with full orchestra. A highlight will be hearing the three finalists in the Concerto Round on Saturday [June 28] in Corbett Auditorium. For that performance, American conductor William Eddins will lead the Cincinnati Symphony.”
Posted June 25, 2014
