Musical Prodigies And Technology Converge At Third Minnesota International Piano-E-Competition
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. Twenty-four of the world's most gifted young pianists will vie for the grand prize at the Third Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition, held July 3 through July 14, 2006 at Hamline University in St. Paul and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"The 2006 Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition promises to be the most exciting yet," states the Competition's Artistic Director, Alexander Braginsky. "This year's contestants were of the highest caliber we've seen since this competition began."
Using the latest in music technology, this unique competition enables artists from around the world to record and transmit their audition performances over the Internet through the use of a Yamaha Disklavier. The unique 9' Concert Grand piano, in addition to being a concert-quality acoustic instrument, features a built-in system to record live performances as MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data. These performances are then recreated on other Disklavier pianos with each note and nuance delivered faithfully, precisely as the pianist originally recorded.
At invitation-only screened auditions held in Shanghai, China; Paris, France; Los Angeles, California and New York City, sixty young pianists chosen from a pool of over 130 applicants from around the world entered their digitally videotaped and recorded MIDI performances on Yamaha Disklavier concert pianos.
In early February, a six-member screening panel judged the contestants' performances using another Disklavier Concert Grand piano and a large projection video screen at Hamline University's Sundin Hall, where the Preliminary Rounds will also take place. This year, twenty-four finalists were chosen to participate.
All of the finalists will travel to Minneapolis for the live Preliminary Rounds, where they will perform a 65-75 minute recital in the Recital Round. Nine will advance to perform a Schubert sonata in the Schubert Round. Performers will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of distinguished international scholars and pianists. This year's jury will include Oxana Yablonskaya, Claude Frank and Awadagin Pratt of the United States; Piotr Paleczny of Poland; Shi Shucheng of China; Alexey Skavronsky of Russia and Dubravka Tomsic of Slovenia. Alexander Braginsky will serve as the Jury's non-voting chair.
Nine performers will be critiqued based on his or her imagination, judgment and overall presentation of the Schubert Sonata. From there, six finalists will be chosen to perform in final rounds with the Nicollet Quartet at Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University on Monday, July 10 and with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall on Wednesday, July 12 and Thursday, July 13. The grand prize winner will be selected on July 13, and will perform in a special recital on Friday, July 14 at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
On July 11, 2006 at 6:30 p.m., at Sundin Hall, the competition's festivities will feature a special event highlighting another fascinating application of Disklavier technology. Dr. John Q. Walker will demonstrate a unique process developed by Zenph Studios for converting old, monaural piano recordings back into note-perfect, dynamic live performances delivered on the Yamaha Disklavier. Powered by this major music production breakthrough, modern audiences can now enjoy Glenn Gould's 1956 recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations "live." One of the best known classical piano recordings ever, attendees will be able to experience the performance as if they were in the actual studio with Gould himself.
Like previous Piano-e-Competition winners Mei-Ting Sun (2002) and Jie Chen (2004), the grand prize winner of this year's competition will be awarded a monetary gift of $25,000 donated by the Grand Hotel Minneapolis, a CD recording issued on the Ten Thousand Lakes label, as well as a Yamaha DC3M4 Pro 6' 1" Disklavier Grand piano.
The winner will also embark on a prestigious recital tour including a November 2006 debut recital at Salle Cortot in Paris and fall 2007 New York City debut performance at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The prevailing pianist will also perform on a live broadcast on Minneapolis Public Radio, as well as in engagements with the Minnesota and Richmond Symphony Orchestras. Second- through sixth-prize winners will receive cash prizes totaling $65,000, also furnished by the Grand Hotel Minneapolis.
All rounds at Sundin and Orchestra Halls will be open to the public. For tickets and schedule information, please visit www.Piano-e-Competition.com. For a multimedia presentation on the competition and how it works, please visit www.piano-e-Competition.com/eCompetition/howitworks.asp.
Audition recitals and final round performances will also be available for the general public to download as MIDI files onto their own computers, or on their own Disklavier pianos, from the Piano-e-Competition home page.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9926, or email infostation@yamaha.com.
About Yamaha:
Yamaha Corporation of America manufactures a complete line of musical instruments, professional audio products, customer-driven support products and computer-based products targeted to both the amateur and professional markets.
 Yamaha specialists George Litterst and Bill Brandom work behind the scenes during the virtual audition round at the Third International Piano-e-Competition. |
Using the latest in music technology, this unique competition enables artists from around the world to record and transmit their audition performances over the Internet through the use of a Yamaha Disklavier. The unique 9' Concert Grand piano, in addition to being a concert-quality acoustic instrument, features a built-in system to record live performances as MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data. These performances are then recreated on other Disklavier pianos with each note and nuance delivered faithfully, precisely as the pianist originally recorded.
At invitation-only screened auditions held in Shanghai, China; Paris, France; Los Angeles, California and New York City, sixty young pianists chosen from a pool of over 130 applicants from around the world entered their digitally videotaped and recorded MIDI performances on Yamaha Disklavier concert pianos.
In early February, a six-member screening panel judged the contestants' performances using another Disklavier Concert Grand piano and a large projection video screen at Hamline University's Sundin Hall, where the Preliminary Rounds will also take place. This year, twenty-four finalists were chosen to participate.
All of the finalists will travel to Minneapolis for the live Preliminary Rounds, where they will perform a 65-75 minute recital in the Recital Round. Nine will advance to perform a Schubert sonata in the Schubert Round. Performers will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of distinguished international scholars and pianists. This year's jury will include Oxana Yablonskaya, Claude Frank and Awadagin Pratt of the United States; Piotr Paleczny of Poland; Shi Shucheng of China; Alexey Skavronsky of Russia and Dubravka Tomsic of Slovenia. Alexander Braginsky will serve as the Jury's non-voting chair.
 The competition's grand prize winner will perform in a special recital on Friday, July 14, 2006 at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. |
On July 11, 2006 at 6:30 p.m., at Sundin Hall, the competition's festivities will feature a special event highlighting another fascinating application of Disklavier technology. Dr. John Q. Walker will demonstrate a unique process developed by Zenph Studios for converting old, monaural piano recordings back into note-perfect, dynamic live performances delivered on the Yamaha Disklavier. Powered by this major music production breakthrough, modern audiences can now enjoy Glenn Gould's 1956 recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations "live." One of the best known classical piano recordings ever, attendees will be able to experience the performance as if they were in the actual studio with Gould himself.
Like previous Piano-e-Competition winners Mei-Ting Sun (2002) and Jie Chen (2004), the grand prize winner of this year's competition will be awarded a monetary gift of $25,000 donated by the Grand Hotel Minneapolis, a CD recording issued on the Ten Thousand Lakes label, as well as a Yamaha DC3M4 Pro 6' 1" Disklavier Grand piano.
The winner will also embark on a prestigious recital tour including a November 2006 debut recital at Salle Cortot in Paris and fall 2007 New York City debut performance at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The prevailing pianist will also perform on a live broadcast on Minneapolis Public Radio, as well as in engagements with the Minnesota and Richmond Symphony Orchestras. Second- through sixth-prize winners will receive cash prizes totaling $65,000, also furnished by the Grand Hotel Minneapolis.
All rounds at Sundin and Orchestra Halls will be open to the public. For tickets and schedule information, please visit www.Piano-e-Competition.com. For a multimedia presentation on the competition and how it works, please visit www.piano-e-Competition.com/eCompetition/howitworks.asp.
Audition recitals and final round performances will also be available for the general public to download as MIDI files onto their own computers, or on their own Disklavier pianos, from the Piano-e-Competition home page.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9926, or email infostation@yamaha.com.
About Yamaha:
Yamaha Corporation of America manufactures a complete line of musical instruments, professional audio products, customer-driven support products and computer-based products targeted to both the amateur and professional markets.
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