Issue 2 The Minnesota International Piano –e-Competition offers a special opportunity for December, 2005 young pianists worldwide to participate in a competition of the highest artistic quality and integrity. Our artistic vision is to bring young artists, with the promise of lasting and important careers, to the public’s attention. From the Artistic Director Greetings, that I found myself having to in- tions where he is from, every crease the number of the admitted musician asks if he have heard A lot has happened since our last to 68, instead of the expected 60. about the e-Competition. He says, letter came out. On November 18, I When you want to break the rules, “Yes, a couple of times…” went to NYC to attend the debut it helps being the Artistic Director! recital of our last winner Jie Chen, On a personal note: I went back to presented at the Alice Tully Hall. It And speaking of the rules: some Moscow, for the first time in over , Co-FounderArtisticand Director was a big success! There were things are going to change. As you 33 years. It was an exciting trip, about 600 people in attendance, can see, we have added and it was great to be back where , Managing, Director, Newsletter Editor , Co-Founder and CEO , Co-Founderand CEO and Jie played superbly, bringing “Minnesota” to the e-Competition’s I was born. But, I’m staying put. them to their feet at the end; not name. I felt that we need to make Happily, I might add. After all, I an easy task in NYC. There were a sure everybody knows we have an have lived most of my life in Min- Alexander Braginsky Jeffrey Wirth Sick Dr. Stella couple of concert agents among actual home “on the ground”. Too neapolis. these present, and we were held many were getting the impression up waiting for quite some time that e-Competition is happening Now off to China, Japan and Los backstage, as one of them en- somewhere in the Internet space; Angeles, to attend the Disklavier gaged Jie in a long talk. We shall and music is being performed on recordings in January. Stella Sick see… electronic instruments. We are is going to coordinate the ones in preparing a major overhaul of our New York and Paris. Don’t you feel A long and exhausting process of website to explain clearly and sorry for her? We’ll let you know selecting the participants for concisely the way it really works. what transpires, but in the mean February’s Virtual Auditions has In the meantime, our popularity is time, have a Happy Holiday season come to an end. We received 132 rapidly growing: my student Jason and may the New Year bring you applications — an increase of Wirth, who is studying in NYC now, the best! more than 60% over the last u t I n t e r n a t i o n a l l o n a t i n a r n t e u t I tells me that whenever he men- competition. The level was so high Alexander Braginsky Inside this issue: Meet the Applicants 2 Meet the Screening Jury 2-3 Disklavier/Video Recordings 3 Upcoming Local Events 4 Alexander Braginsky, Jie Chen and Stan Zielinski, Director of the Yamaha Artist Services International after Jie’s New York Debut Concert in Alice Tully Hall, November18, 2005 E-Piano News M u s i c i a n s I n D e b b e D n s I n a i c s i u M Page 2 E-Piano News Meet the Applicants The initial application screening has country was the United States with 23 and Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan and come to a close, and it is very exciting applicants, with China and South Korea Edisher Savitsky from the inaugural to see so many as close seconds (with 19 and 17 competition as well as Inna Faliks, young musicians applicants respectively). The Konstantin Krasnitsky, Boris Feiner, interested in the competitors came with a wide Marouan Benabdallah, and the fifth competition. A range of backgrounds: from prize winner Hanna Shybayeva are thin trickle of seasoned competitors and active vying for the top prize. envelopes that recitalists to the young but ambi- The sixty-eight Disklavier round par- 132 applicants started back in tious grade school pupils (such October turned as our youngest applicants, the ticipants represent twenty-two coun- tries. In this next stage they will be 27 countries into an avalanche, 15 year-old twins from Indone- with one day sia). competing for the chance to Viktoria Korchinskaya-Kogan, come to Minnesota and per- 5 audition sites bringing more than Second Prize Winner ‘02 forty applications Choosing pianists form in person. The contest- 1 winner to my desk! I guess, be careful what who would advance to ants have a choice of five you wish for. Now that the selec- the next round was a different locations to do tion process is over, let’s take a daunting task, and not these preliminary auditions closer look at our pool of applicants. just because of the (Disklavier/Video Re- The Competition drew 132 young pian- quantity, but primarily cordings). And the task of ists, who represent twenty-seven due to a truly high selecting the next 24 contest- countries: Australia, Belarus, Canada, quality of applicants. ants who will compete in China, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Hun- The sixty-eight who Minnesota will be up to gary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, were chosen to con- Claire Huangci, 16, the young- Screening Jury. The Twin tinue is a very impres- est participant of the Cities audience will have a Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Disklavier auditionns. New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Romania, sive group, that in- unique opportunity to hear Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Taiwan, cludes a number of former competi- these performances in February, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the tors, and even prizewinners, from the 2006 (see Disklavier/Video Re- United States. The most represented 2002 and 2004 Competitions. Vital cording Sessions, p. 3). Stahievich, Esther Park, Joshua Izzard Meet the Screening Jury This year the Minnesota International avant-garde. He has performed more the faculty of the International Music Piano-e-CompetitionInside Story Headline is happy to pre- than 20 world premieres, most of Summer Course in Vienna, Austria, sent the following distinguished musi- which were works commissioned and and has given numerous master cians as our Screening Judges: written for him. He concertized exten- classes. Currently, Braginsky teaches sively in the former USSR, Israel, at the University of Minnesota School Alexander Braginsky, the Artistic England, Belgium, Italy, Germany, of Music, where he is Professor of Director of the Minnesota Interna- Taiwan, People’s Republic of China, Piano. tional Piano-e-Competition, will re- Spain, France and the United States. prise his role as the non-voting Chair Braginsky has recorded for a variety Accomplished performer and aca- of the committee. Mr. Braginsky was of record labels, and has performed demic Rees Allison is Professor of born and educated in Moscow. His for radio stations worldwide. Piano and Chair of the Music Depart- repertoire extends from Baroque to Braginsky serves as a professor on ment at Hamline University. Dr. Alli- Issue 2 Page 3 son, who has performed as a soloist Alvin Chow has appeared throughout ning students and is a frequent lec- with the Minnesota and St. Louis Sym- North America and in Asia as orches- turer for teacher workshops and phony Orchestras, is currently work- tral soloist and recitalist. In addition, master classes in America and ing with the chamber groups The he has performed extensively in duo- throughout the world. Dr. Pollei is Musical Offering and The Hill House piano recitals with his wife, Angela very active in the work of the National Chamber Players. Cheng, and his twin brother, Alan. Mr. Conference on Piano Pedagogy, the Chow has performed in major concert Music Teachers National Association, Edmund Battersby, American born halls of the United States, Europe and and the World Federation of Interna- and trained, is a pianist of interna- Asia. He has been heard in national tional Music Competitions. tional reputation. He has performed broadcasts on National Public Radio’s with many of the country's top or- “Performance Today” and on CBC The name of Sontraud Speidel is chestras and has played recitals in Radio in Canada. Formerly a profes- familiar to many as a member of the major capitols around the world. He sor at Southwest Missouri State Uni- International Jury for the 2002 and has recorded for Musical Heritage versity and the University of Colorado 2004 competitions. Sontraud Speidel, Society, Koch International, Marco at Boulder, he is currently on the won the J.S. Bach International Piano Polo and Naxos. A versatile chamber artist faculty of the Oberlin Conserva- Competition in Washington D.C. at the musician, he has played with groups tory of Music. age of 18. She is a prolific performer such as the Tokyo Quartet, Orion and recording artist. Speidel, has Quartet and at festivals including International ambassador for piano given recitals in both solo and cham- Library of Congress, Santa Fe, La music, Paul Pollei, native of Salt Lake ber music, and has performed with Jolla, Mostly Mozart (NY) and the City, is a Founder-Director of the Gina orchestras throughout Europe , North Seattle Chamber Music Festival. He is Bachauer International Piano Founda- and South America , Israel and Asia. a member of the distinguished piano tion which sponsors festivals and She currently serves as Professor of faculty of Indiana University, Bloom- international competitions.