Edisher Savitski Triumphs At Piano-e-Competition
MINNEAPOLIS Edisher Savitski, a 29-year-old from the Republic of Georgia who resides in South Bend, Indiana, was named First Prize winner of the Third Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition in Minneapolis.
Savitski began his musical studies in his birthplace of Tbilisi, Georgia, attending the Central Music School with Maya Beridze and later, the Tbilisi Conservatory with Nana Khubutia. A frequent performer in recitals and as a soloist with orchestras, he received a special grant from the President of Georgia in 1998.
In 1998, Savitski joined the piano studio of Alexander Toradze at Indiana University South Bend, where he earned his Masters degree and Artist Diploma. The following year, he won second prize at the William Byrd International Piano Competition and was invited to spend the summer studying at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. In 2001, he was one of six pianists to be invited to the prestigious Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. In the same year, he also took First Prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Savitski placed fourth in the first Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition in 2002.
Savitski has performed at Carnegie's Weill Hall, New York; Mozarteum, Salzburg; Wigmore Hall, London; and Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg; as well as in other venues in Japan, Israel, New Zealand and throughout Europe and the United States. He has also appeared in major music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Austria; the Ruhr Festival, Germany; the Ravenna and Stresa Festivals in Italy; and the Gilmore Keyboard Festival. His performances have often been broadcasted on television and radio, including on NPR's "Performance Today."
Next year, Savitski will be pursuing his doctoral degree at Michigan State University, where he received the single fellowship for music students. His future engagements include performances in Portugal and Switzerland and with the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California.
Gregory DeTurck, from the United States; Einav Yarden, from Israel; Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan, from Canada; Mikhail Mordvinov, from Russia; and Ryo Yanagitani, from Canada, were the five other finalists who emerged from the competition's earlier rounds.
The 2006 jury for the Recital and Final Rounds in Minneapolis St. Paul was chaired by Alexander Braginsky of the United States, and included 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.
As grand prize winner, Savitski received a cash prize of $25,000 and performed in a special recital on Friday, July 14 at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Savitksi will also embark on a prestigious recital tour including a November 2006 debut recital at Salle Cortot in Paris, as well as a fall 2007 New York City debut performance at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. He 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 received cash prizes totaling $65,000, furnished by the Grand Hotel Minneapolis.
The complete list of winners in the 2006 International Piano-e-Competition:
First Prize:
Edisher Savitski, Republic of Georgia, age 29
The First Prize includes a $25,000 cash award donated by the Grand Hotel of Minneapolis, a fall 2007 debut recital in Alice Tully Hall at New York's Lincoln Center, sponsored by Yamaha Corporation of America, a CD release on the Ten Thousand Lakes label and a Yamaha DC3M4 Pro 6'1" Disklavier polished ebony grand piano.
Second Prize:
Ryo Yanagitani, Canada, age 27
The Second Prize includes a $15,000 cash award.
Third Prize:
Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan, Canada, age 28
The Third Prize includes a $10,000 cash award.
Fourth Prize:
Mikhail Mordvinov, Russia, age 29
The Fourth Prize includes a $6,000 cash award.
Fifth Prize:
Einav Yarden, Israel, age 27
The Fifth Prize includes a $5,000 cash award.
Sixth Prize:
Gregory DeTurck, United States, age 24
The Sixth Prize includes a $4,000 cash award.
Honorable mention for Schubert Sonata
Ryo Yanagitani, Canada, age 27
Audition recitals and final round performances are 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. To learn more, visit www.piano-e-competition.com. For a multimedia presentation on the competition and how it works, visit http://www.piano-e-competition.com/ecompetition/howitworks.asp.
About the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition
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. The 24 finalists traveled to Minneapolis for the live Preliminary Rounds, including a Recital Round and Schubert Sonata Round.
The six finalists performed 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.
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.
 Edisher Savitski, First Prize winner of the 2006 Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition |
In 1998, Savitski joined the piano studio of Alexander Toradze at Indiana University South Bend, where he earned his Masters degree and Artist Diploma. The following year, he won second prize at the William Byrd International Piano Competition and was invited to spend the summer studying at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. In 2001, he was one of six pianists to be invited to the prestigious Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. In the same year, he also took First Prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Savitski placed fourth in the first Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition in 2002.
Savitski has performed at Carnegie's Weill Hall, New York; Mozarteum, Salzburg; Wigmore Hall, London; and Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg; as well as in other venues in Japan, Israel, New Zealand and throughout Europe and the United States. He has also appeared in major music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Austria; the Ruhr Festival, Germany; the Ravenna and Stresa Festivals in Italy; and the Gilmore Keyboard Festival. His performances have often been broadcasted on television and radio, including on NPR's "Performance Today."
Next year, Savitski will be pursuing his doctoral degree at Michigan State University, where he received the single fellowship for music students. His future engagements include performances in Portugal and Switzerland and with the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California.
Gregory DeTurck, from the United States; Einav Yarden, from Israel; Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan, from Canada; Mikhail Mordvinov, from Russia; and Ryo Yanagitani, from Canada, were the five other finalists who emerged from the competition's earlier rounds.
The 2006 jury for the Recital and Final Rounds in Minneapolis St. Paul was chaired by Alexander Braginsky of the United States, and included 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.
As grand prize winner, Savitski received a cash prize of $25,000 and performed in a special recital on Friday, July 14 at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Savitksi will also embark on a prestigious recital tour including a November 2006 debut recital at Salle Cortot in Paris, as well as a fall 2007 New York City debut performance at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. He 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 received cash prizes totaling $65,000, furnished by the Grand Hotel Minneapolis.
The complete list of winners in the 2006 International Piano-e-Competition:
First Prize:
Edisher Savitski, Republic of Georgia, age 29
The First Prize includes a $25,000 cash award donated by the Grand Hotel of Minneapolis, a fall 2007 debut recital in Alice Tully Hall at New York's Lincoln Center, sponsored by Yamaha Corporation of America, a CD release on the Ten Thousand Lakes label and a Yamaha DC3M4 Pro 6'1" Disklavier polished ebony grand piano.
Second Prize:
Ryo Yanagitani, Canada, age 27
The Second Prize includes a $15,000 cash award.
Third Prize:
Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan, Canada, age 28
The Third Prize includes a $10,000 cash award.
Fourth Prize:
Mikhail Mordvinov, Russia, age 29
The Fourth Prize includes a $6,000 cash award.
Fifth Prize:
Einav Yarden, Israel, age 27
The Fifth Prize includes a $5,000 cash award.
Sixth Prize:
Gregory DeTurck, United States, age 24
The Sixth Prize includes a $4,000 cash award.
Honorable mention for Schubert Sonata
Ryo Yanagitani, Canada, age 27
Audition recitals and final round performances are 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. To learn more, visit www.piano-e-competition.com. For a multimedia presentation on the competition and how it works, visit http://www.piano-e-competition.com/ecompetition/howitworks.asp.
About the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition
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. The 24 finalists traveled to Minneapolis for the live Preliminary Rounds, including a Recital Round and Schubert Sonata Round.
The six finalists performed 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.
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.