FORT WORTH, Texas, June 12, 2014—The Cliburn is pleased to announce the jury for the First Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival—a new program for 13 to 17-year-old pianists taking place June 21–28, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas:
John Nakamatsu, United States (chairman)
Fabio Bidini, Italy
Christopher Elton, United Kingdom
Choong Mo Kang, South Korea
Mari Kodama, Japan
Jon Kimura Parker, Canada
Orli Shaham, Israel/United States
See below for individual biographies.
“The jury for the inaugural Junior Competition was carefully thought out,” said Jacques Marquis, Cliburn president and CEO. “We put together an exceptional group of top international performing pianists and educators with a clear focus on artistic excellence, as well as strong reputations and passion for encouraging and inspiring young artists, and sharing fine music.”
ABOUT THE CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR PIANO COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL
Applications are online now and are due January 9, 2015.
Twenty-four competitors will be selected through online applications and video submissions, which will be 15 to 20 minutes in length and include one étude, one movement of a Classical sonata, and one expressive Romantic work. (Works performed in screening videos can be repeated during Competition Rounds, but no works can be repeated within Competition Rounds.) Competitors will be announced to the public on March 20, 2015.
The Junior Competition will consist of four Rounds:
PRELIMINARY ROUND—24 pianists, each performing a 20-minute recital to include a movement of a Classical sonata and a virtuosic étude.
QUARTERFINAL ROUND—12 pianists, each performing a 30-minute recital to include a Bach Prelude and Fugue and an expressive Romantic work.
SEMIFINAL ROUND—6 pianists, each performing a 40-minute recital (to include a modern/contemporary work) and one concerto movement with piano accompaniment.
FINAL ROUND—3 pianists, each performing one complete concerto with orchestra.
Specific repertoire requirements can be found HERE.
Complete rules and requirements can be found HERE.
The Cliburn will offer a variety of events aimed at the artistic advancement of the competitors and other pianists—seminars, symposia, chamber music collaborations, and more—as well as at sharing the gifts of elite young pianists with the community, through free recitals across Fort Worth. Schedule to be announced in 2015.
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform with each of three finalists under the baton of dynamic conductor Mei-Ann Chen. Competition Rounds will take place in Ed Landreth Auditorium and PepsiCo Hall on the campus of TCU and will be open to the public; tickets will go on sale in early 2015. Competition performances will be webcast live at Cliburn.org.
The prizes for the First Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival in 2015 will be:
FIRST PRIZE: $10,000 cash plus $2,000 scholarship
SECOND PRIZE: $5,000 cash plus $2,000 scholarship
THIRD PRIZE: $2,500 cash plus $2,000 scholarship
A portion of the prize ($2,000 for each of the three finalists, as noted above) is related to furthering musical advancement. If one or any of the top three prizewinners does not make a suitable proposal for the use of the scholarship money within one year of the Competition, that winner forfeits this portion of the prize, at the discretion of the president and CEO of the Cliburn. All three top prizes will also include community residency and mentorship opportunities with the Cliburn. Other special prizes will be announced closer to the Competition dates.
“This will be a competition that will help us establish relationships with the top international talent at an earlier age,” said Marquis, “but, just as importantly, this will be another means for the Cliburn to use its standing and expertise to encourage tomorrow’s great artists. We are providing a valuable forum for them to express themselves and an entrance to the next step of their journeys. The top international jurors, the media and webcast, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the festival atmosphere—which will include performance experience and professional career advice—all make the Competition and Festival significantly useful for a student who has aspirations of being a professional musician.”
ABOUT THE JUNIOR COMPETITION JURY
JON NAKAMATSU, chairman (United States)
Since his dramatic 1997 Cliburn gold medal triumph, California native Jon Nakamatsu's brilliant but unassuming musicianship and eclectic repertoire have made him a clear favorite throughout the world both on the concert circuit and in the recording studio. He maintains a very active touring schedule with orchestra performances, chamber collaborations, and solo recitals, performing widely in North America, Europe, and the Far East. Mr. Nakamatsu records exclusively for harmonia mundi usa, which has released nine CDs to date. www.jonnakamatsu.com
FABIO BIDINI (Italy)
A prizewinner at the 1993 Cliburn and 1992 Busoni Competitions, Fabio Bidini is considered one of the top Italian pianists of his generation, sought after for recital, chamber, festival, and concerto engagements across the world. His discography consists of 13 recordings on renowned labels such as BMG. In 2009, he was appointed piano chair of one of the leading music schools in Europe, the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. Mr. Bidini was one of the youngest graduates ever of the prestigious “Conservatorio Santa Cecilia” in Rome. http://www.fabiobidini.com
CHRISTOPHER ELTON (United Kingdom)
Edinburgh native Christopher Elton is professor emeritus of the Royal Academy of Music, London—a position awarded him in 2011, following 24 years of service as head of keyboard. His students have won or reached the finals in many top competitions, including the Cliburn, Tchaikovsky, Leeds, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Munich (ARD). A competition prizewinner himself, Mr. Elton also studied at the Royal Academy, where he achieved the unusual distinction of the highest performing award, the Dip. RAM, on both piano and cello. www.christopherdelton.talktalk.net
CHOONG MO KANG (South Korea)
Pianist Choong Mo Kang has performed to critical acclaim throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, including a monumental undertaking of performing the complete keyboard works of Bach over a 5-year time period. He has served on the piano faculties of the Peabody and the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, and currently teaches at The Juilliard School and Toho Gakuen School of Music in Japan. His students have been prizewinners in prominent competitions, such as Cliburn, Leeds, Shanghai, and many more.
MARI KODAMA (Japan)
Mari Kodama has established an international reputation for profound musicality and articulate virtuosity at the keyboard, with powerful, yet elegant performances throughout Europe, the United States, and Japan. She recently completed her latest recording project—the complete 32 Beethoven Sonatas for the PentaTone label. Ms. Kodama serves as artistic and musical director for the Forest Hill Musical Days festival, curates a series for young musicians at the Bad Kissengen Festival, and appears annually at Les Folles Journées in Tokyo. www.marikodama.com
JON KIMURA PARKER (Canada)
A veteran of the international concert stage, Jon Kimura Parker maintains a busy touring schedule as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. A true Canadian ambassador of music, Mr. Parker has given command performances for Queen Elizabeth II, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Prime Ministers of Canada and Japan—and is an officer of The Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian honor. A committed educator, he is Professor of Piano at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. www.jonkimuraparker.com
ORLI SHAHAM (Israel/United States)
A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety, and vitality, Orli Shaham has established an impressive international reputation as one of today's most gifted pianists—hailed by critics on four continents for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire and recently referred to as “a first-rate Mozartean” (Chicago Tribune). Driven by a passion to bring classical music to new audiences, the Juilliard graduate maintains an active parallel career as a respected broadcaster, music writer, and lecturer. www.orlishaham.com
ABOUT THE CLIBURN
The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists.
Established in 1962, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely-recognized as “one of the world’s highest-visibility classical-music contests” and remains committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of young pianists and sharing the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience. The Fourteenth Cliburn Competition, held May 24–June 9, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas, welcomed 30 competitors, aged 19–30 and representing 13 nations. Beyond the over 40,000 who enjoyed the Competition in person at Bass Performance Hall, the fully-produced webcast streamed over 13 million minutes of video to more than 170,000 unique viewers in 155 countries.
In addition to cash and other prizes, the six winners of the Competition receive three years of commission-free career management, with the Cliburn arranging and providing full artist services for hundreds of engagements. Extensive media coverage for the winners is generated through a documentary, national and international radio broadcasts, publicity efforts with media worldwide, and recordings with label harmonia mundi usa.
The Cliburn’s four-year cycle:
YEAR ONE—Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
(For pianists 18 to 30; held May 24–June 9, 2013; next in May/June 2017)
YEAR TWO— Non-competition year
(Focus on winners career management and growing local programs)
YEAR THREE—Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival
(For pianists 13 to 17; to be held June 21–28, 2015)
YEAR FOUR—International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™
(For amateur pianists 35 and older; to be held in summer 2016)
Additionally, the Cliburn promotes great music and world-class artists through the annual Cliburn Concerts series at Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It reaches 47,000 elementary school students each year with the education programs of Musical Awakenings® and the community at large with free Cliburn in the Community concerts.
Detailed information about the Cliburn and its programs is available at Cliburn.org.
Official Sponsors of the Cliburn are:
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Ann L. & Carol Green Rhodes Charitable Trust, Bank of America, Trustee
Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County
BNSF Railway Foundation
Crystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust
Edith Winther Grace Charitable Trust, J.P. Morgan, Trustee
Jane and John Justin Foundation
Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
The Burnett Foundation
Exclusive Print Media Sponsor:
Star-Telegram
Exclusive Radio Station:
WRR 101.1 FM
Official Airline:
American Airlines
Official Piano:
Steinway & Sons
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