Untitled - Chopin Foundation
Transcription
Untitled - Chopin Foundation
CHOPIN FOUNDATION OF THE UNITED STATES, INC. Officers & Directors Krzysztof Penderecki - Honorary Chairman Fall 2015 Blanka A. Rosenstiel - Founder & President Olga Melin - Vice President Richard Lubman - Treasurer Rebecca Baez - Secretary Dr. Adam Aleksander - Artistic Advisor Jadwiga Viga Gewert - Executive Director Volume XXV / Number 1 Directors Agustin Anievas, Roberta O. Chaplin, Rosa-Rita Gonzalez, Dr. William J. Hipp, Renate Ryan, Lorraine Sonnabend Regional Councils Mack McCray - San Francisco Chopin Council Allan Park - Northwest Chopin Council Christopher Onzol - Southwest Chopin Council Scholarship Committee Dr. Adam Aleksander, Agustin Anievas, Dr. Hanna Cyba Advisory Board Bonnie Barrett - Yamaha Artist Services Joel Harrison - American Pianists Association Gary Ingle - Music Teachers National Association Ron Losby - Steinway & Sons International Artistic Advisory Council TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Founder and President..................................... 2 Chopin Foundation Donors and Contributors................................ 3 Message from the Executive Director............................................ 4 Highlights from Last Season ......................................................... 5 2015 National Chopin Competition Winners.................................. 6 Competition Moments ................................................................. 7 Reflections on the Competition by Eric Zuber................................ 8 Sponsor Spotlight: Harvey Chaplin................................................ 9 2015-16 Season of Winners................................................10 & 11 2015 Scholarship Recipients & MTNA Chopin Awards................ 12 Agustin Anievas, Martha Argerich, Emanuel Ax, Jeffrey N. Babcock, John Bayless, Luiz Fernando Benedini, John Corigliano, Ivan Davis, Christopher T. Dunworth, Charles Dutoit, Nelson Freire, Bruno Leonardo Gelber, Gary Graffman, Horacio Gutierrez, Marta Istomin, Byron Janis, James Judd, Cyprien Katsaris, Zoltan Koscis, Garrick Ohlsson, Paloma O’Shea, Daniel Pollack, Maurizio Pollini, Abbey Simon, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Michael Tilson Thomas, Charles Wadsworth, Susan Wadsworth, Krystian Zimerman Chopin Foundation Scholarship Program.................................... 13 Editorial XVII International Chopin Competition ....................................... 18 Polonaise is published semi-annually by the Chopin Foundation of the USA 1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, FL 33141 Editorial Office: 305-868-0624 • 305-865-5150 (Fax) E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.chopin.org Publisher: Lady Blanka A. Rosenstiel Executive Editor: Jadwiga Viga Gewert Editor: Barbara Muze Contributors: Mack McCray, Chris Onzol, Allan Park, Beata Paszyc, Lynne Schaefer, Eric Zuber Design: Rick Tuckerman, Zoom IQ San Francisco Chopin Council .................................................... 14 NW Chopin Council .................................................................... 15 SW Chopin Council .................................................................... 16 Our Sponsors ............................................................................ 17 International Federation of Chopin Societies ............................... 19 2015 Chopin Competitions Conference ...................................... 19 Chopin Master Class Weekends.................................................. 20 Support Young American Pianists................................................ 21 Copyright © Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc. All rights reserved. Message from Founder “It ’s not that people don’t like classical music. It ’s that they don’t have the chance to understand and to experience it.” Gustavo Dudamel Blanka A. Rosenstiel Founder and President I t is hard to believe that it is has been 40 years since we first presented the American Chopin Piano Competition. This past Spring, the Chopin Foundation celebrated this anniversary with the 9th National Chopin Piano Competition in Miami. We were very impressed with the 24 contestants who were selected to participate in 10 days of intense music making. The 9 distinguished jurors had the difficult task of deciding who among these young American pianists would take home a total of $159,000 in cash prizes. In the end, 6 finalists were chosen with the First Prize of $75,000 going to Eric Lu, a brilliant 17 year-old who is studying at Curtis Institute of Music. In addition to his cash prize, the largest of any such competition in the US, the Chopin Foundation has arranged an extensive concert tour for Eric. The tour includes solo performances and appearances with orchestra, and has taken him to Atlanta, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Newport Music Festival in Rhode Island and Duszniki, Poland – to name just a few - where he has received terrific reviews. Eric, along with Second Prize winner, Rachel Naomi Kudo, has gained automatic acceptance to the XVII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw taking place from October 2 through October 23, 2015. I will be there along with a delegation of US-based Chopin enthusiasts to cheer for our young Americans. 2 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 If you are not among the lucky few who were able to get tickets to this pivotal event, we encourage you to watch the activities broadcast via live streaming on your computers. Best of luck to the contestants and may the best Chopinist win! Each new day brings something to look forward to at the Chopin Foundation. In addition to our annual programming which includes the Southern Wine & Spirits’ Chopin for All Free Concert Series, the Salon Concerts at the lovely La Gorce Country Club, and the Scholarship Program for Young Pianists, we are always looking for ways to further our mission of supporting young talented musicians. This year we are looking into the possibility of presenting Chopin Master Classes with members of our Competition Jury. We are also actively building an endowment for the Foundation so that the seeds we have planted will continue to be fertilized and will keep blooming long into the future. Once we achieve our endowment fund goal, we will qualify for matching funds from the State of Florida. Please consider making a donation to the Chopin Foundation Endowment Fund this year so that all of our great programs can continue for years to come. As always, my deepest appreciation goes to all of our caring members, supporter, sponsors and volunteers without whom our mission could not become reality. Our Donors We extend our deepest thanks to those whose vision and support have helped us this year with our mission: to develop the next generation of great musicians! May we continue to add to this esteemed roster others who would join us in support of our mission. FOUNDER PATRONS Lady Blanka A. Rosenstiel Idelia Alvarado Hilda Andrews Isa Baez Phillip Balbi Erica Balogh & Jim Barklow Irene Barowska-Gladek Jewel Bertman Lina Blondet Andrzej Bytnar Michael Caldwell S. Peter Capua, Esq. Kay Carpenter & B G Carter Buddy & Diane Cohen Lucette Comer Carmen Cuenca Alfred Cuzan Eldris De La Torre Shelby Dennis Winstead Dr. Carlos & Carmen Dominguez Dr. Allan & Susan Dunn Norman Edelcup Wendy Erickson Olga Figueras Florence Fowlkes Roberto & Marie Friedman Margarita Garcia Mario Garcia Pamela Jo Garrison Lenore Gaynor Donna Genet Marcia Green Olga Gulinsky Clifford & Norma Hall Joseph Hegleh Madeline Hillsberg Christopher Humberstone & Luisa Ruffin William Hutchinson IBM Alma Kadragic Laura Keith Leda Kwiatek Dr. Steven Lagerberg Norman & Margaretha Leathers Little Keswick Foundation GRAND BENEFACTORS The Beveridge Family Foundation Harvey & Roberta Chaplin The City of Coral Gables Brenda Bruce Fountain Funding Arts Network Florman Family Foundation Marvin & Isabel Leibowitz Ann E. Leibowitz Fund Richard & Theresa Lubman Olga & David Melin Miami-Dade County Miami Salon Group The Sascha Gorodnitzki Foundation Rosenstiel Foundation Joy Segal The State of Florida Stephen & Lorraine Sonnabend Southern Wine & Spirits of America Joseph & Ligia Wiegand Family Foundation BENEFACTORS Agustin & Carol Anievas American Council for Polish Culture Audrey Love Charitable Foundation Manuel & Rebecca Baez George Berberian Chopin Vodka The Garvin Family Foundation Rosa-Rita Gonzalez Keith & Agnes Gray Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Janine Lennox Jadwiga Henderson William & Frankie Hipp Maestro William Noll Maestro Grzegorz Nowak Renate Ryan Joseph Lavinio Drs. Dipnarine Maharaj & Jacqueline Gouvea Miami Foundation Avis Neiman Bac Hai Nguyen & Bao-Tran Doan Sabrina Noto Packman, Neuwahl & Rosenberg Dr. Carlos Perez Palisades Contractors - in memory of Paul Roth Mike Periu Elizabeth & Ralph Piotrovsky Luis Pujol Daisy Richardson Hedwig Ringger Carole Romer Carol Sadowski Vivian San Juan Alicja Schoonover Peter & Lisa Seite Fred Seltzer Sophia Sieczkowski Clara Sredni Barbara Stephens Richard & Margarita Tonkinson Duane & Liliana Treeman Jacqueline Tuozzolo Louise Valdes-Fauli Migdania Vega Gerrit & Tatiana Verburg Jerry Wang Jean Warner Julie & Bob Williamson Linna Wing Lawrence Wong FRIENDS David Adler Sonia Alcazar Marian Alperstein Robert Arnebeck Naomi Barrettara Allan Behm Julia Benavides James Butt James Campbell Jack Cohen Raymond Copell Ann Marie Crawford Dory Cruz Rosemarie Curasi Grecia Falcon Candido Font Jean Fraser Nancy Hanna Petrina Hurlbert Sandra Ivy Yasmin Jacob Kurien Jacob Claire Jacobson Jessica Jetley Gary Johnson Patricia Laland Barbara Levy Stephen Lipster Annabella Lou Iona Luke C.S. Mason Susan Mattes Teresa Mestre Marlon Migala Cheng Mitch Li Chiung Moyant David Niemiec Yolaine Numa Marta Olchyk Raul Recasens Lulu Rosen Eugene Ross Leonard Sanginario Leslie Silverman Peter Steeger Peter Steinberg Dean Taylor Arlene Terrinoni Richard Vaz Carol Warsawer Maria Wiesmann Joanna Zaremba Evhen Zasadney Maria Zayas POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 3 Executive Director’s Message T he Ninth National Chopin Competition made the last season very special for us. We hope that if you were not with us in Miami, you watched its sessions via live streaming. Now we all look forward to the XVII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, and keep our fingers crossed for our winners! Jadwiga Viga Gewert In addition to the National Competition, last season featured five concerts within the annual Chopin for All FREE concert series, two salon concerts and two other performances in collaboration with partner organizations. Our audiences were able to listen to some of the new winners, and other great young artists – please see the photos on the next page. We have also awarded ten new scholarships for young American piano students, and two Chopin Prizes at the MTNA’s Piano Performance Competition. Executive Director In November we will start the new season of concerts, presenting new and past laureates who will return to South Florida to play for us. It will be a real Season of Winners! Please visit our website www.chopin.org to learn more about our programs and activities. In the world of piano competitions, there are many perspectives and thoughts on the merits and shortcomings of these endeavors. The jurors come with very personal notions as to what they look for in a pianist based on years of training and knowledge gained from experience. The audience has its own set of expectations. And then there are the contestants who enter the event with a certain outlook and with hopes of achieving specific goals. In a wonderful moment of personal insight, a prize winner of this year’s 9th National Chopin Piano Competition, Eric Zuber, shared his thoughts about this competition and competitions in general on his Facebook page – just two days after the awards ceremony. We reprint it here with Eric’s permission. While it is only one pianist’s perspective, we feel his words will resonate with anyone who has ever participated in a competitive event as a spectator, juror or contestant. We invite you to read Eric’s essay on page 8. Winners, Jurors and Supporters of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition 4 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 Highlights from Last Season POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 5 Competition Prize Winners & Underwriters Ninth National Chopin Piano Competition Miami, FL February 20 – March 1, 2015 First Prize $75,000 – Eric Lu Underwritten by the Rosenstiel Foundation. Presented by Lady Blanka A. Rosenstiel. Fourth Prize $10,000 – Eric Zuber Underwritten and presented by Olga & David Melin. Plus automatic acceptance to the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition, and concert performances in the United States and abroad. Second Prize $35,000 – Rachel Kudo Underwritten by the Board of Directors of the Chopin Foundation, with major support from Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sonnabend, and with additional support from Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Baez. Presented by Mrs. Roberta Chaplin. Fifth Prize $5,000 – Joshua Wright Underwritten by the Ann E. Leibowitz Fund and Dr. Joy Segal. Presented by Isabel and Marvin Leibowitz. Plus automatic acceptance to the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Sixth Prize $4,000 – Alexander Beyer Underwritten by the American Council for Polish Culture. Presented by Ms. Judy Tompkins. Third Prize $20,000 – George Li Underwritten by the Joseph & Ligia Wiegand Family Foundation in Memory of Joseph Wiegand. Presented by Dr. John McAuliffe. Special Prizes Best Mazurka $1,000: Best Polonaise $1,000: Best Sonata $1,000: Best Concerto $1,000: 6 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 Joshua Wright - Underwritten by Maestro William Noll Rachel Kudo - Underwritten by Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Baez George Li - Underwritten by Mr. George Berberian Eric Lu - Underwritten by Ms. Rosa Rita Gonzalez Semi-finalists not advanced to the finals $1,000 each Underwritten by the Sasha Gorodnitzki Foundation, presented by Mrs. Miyoko Lotto Third through sixth prize winners also received an all-expense-paid trip to Warsaw, Poland to attend the Preliminary Round of the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition in April 2015, underwritten by Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Leibowitz. Competition Moments POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 7 From Eric Zuber’s Facebook page…March 3, 2015 I ’m finally home, at least for a short while. What a memorable week I had in Miami! I feel honored to have made the finals once again and to have received a prize. In competitions, whether they be of the sports or of the music variety, the only truly satisfied person is the one who walks away with the gold medal, but it is unrealistic to think that one can win gold every time-- there are simply too many fabulous young talents, and too many varying jury opinions on what constitutes a winning performance. More importantly, I was very happy to have had the opportunity over the last three months to get back to so many of Chopin’s incredible masterpieces that I had played in the past, and to add some new ones to my repertoire. The depth and variety of emotions that this music allows us to express as performers and to feel as listeners never fails to astonish and inspire me, and this week was a great and personal reminder of why I’m so thankful as a pianist to spend my days in the company of such incredible statements of the human spirit. For me, these emotions were made even more visceral and immediate by the recognition that this was to be my final competition. As the finale of the Chopin Concerto came to a close, I felt a great sense of joy and gratitude overwhelm me, partially brought on by the rousing finish that Chopin had so magnificently penned, and partially because all of the unforgettable moments of my past ten years as a competitor came rushing back to me. Say what you will about the merit of competitions, but they have given me the chance to travel to so many amazing places around the world, to meet some of my closest friends, and to play on many of the world’s greatest stages. Perhaps more importantly, they have afforded me the opportunity to stare down my biggest fears and emerge on the other side- sometimes victorious and sometimes not-- but always standing. And that is a priceless thing. Musically, I leave the world of competitions more humbled, and in some ways more confused than ever before. I grew up as a young musician thinking that there were some objective truths to be had regarding the method of making good music, and for 20 years I have been meticulously taught to navigate the razor-thin boundary between artistry and selfish indulgence. But I now have years of experience 8 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 seeing what I had come to consider to be ‘good taste’ consistently trampled without consequence, and performances that I would consider exploitative, shallow, and selfish hailed for their ‘sensitivity and artistry.’ All this has left me wondering whether the musical road signs that I had constructed for myself, and the ones that others had constructed for me, are perhaps artificial and unnecessary in the world of art. In short, I have never been less sure of what is ‘good’ or what constitutes ‘over-the-top,’ and question whether these labels are even necessary in a world where audience members know less and less about the substance of what they hear. These days, both in and out of the competition circuit, I hear more and more playing that is less and less connected to the score, playing that goes for audience points and quick emotional fixes, as if we as musicians have become both the needle and the drug that periodically injects our users (the audience) with their desired ‘ooh that’s nice’ moment, whether it be of the subtle coloristic or of the bravura variety (I call it the “Lang Lang School of Emotional Manipulation,” peace be upon him). It certainly feels nice to be able to manipulate an audience into feeling a certain way emotionally, and judging from audience reactions to this type of performance, they obviously don’t seem to mind being manipulated. But I have to ask myself-- are we really giving the audience the kind of transcendent experience that the composer had envisioned, or have we become puppet-masters to willing subjects, merely pulling their strings to satiate our own cravings for acceptance and validation? Some other questions that I have been pondering: Does integrity matter if no one knows what it is? Do I even know what it is or have I been fooling myself into thinking that it is something tangible, quantifiable, and achievable? Who am I to tell an audience what they should enjoy? Can anyone play a simple melodic phrase without jerking it into incomprehensibility anymore? Does that kind of subtlety-free emoting equate with sensitivity? Does any of this even matter? As for me, and perhaps this is a personal credo as I go forward into the next phase of my career, if I wished to be known for anything, I would hope to be thought of as the type of artist that works to glorify the music that means so much to me. If I am not that now, then I consider it a personal failing and I wish to become it. When an audience listens to me it is my hope that they would be exhilarated, not by me, but by the music of the great composers who spilled their heart and soul on paper so that we could come to a communion with them and feel what they felt at that moment of creation. That competitions are about the musician and not the music is understandable-it comes with the territory. But this is the very thing that makes me feel most uncomfortable about them, and it is the thing that I will miss the least. As I hang up my competitive cleats for the final time, I look back with great fondness at the moments I have had over the past decade, and I look forward with excitement to a new chapter in my career and an opportunity for a new perspective on music-making. Sponsor Highlight The Chopin Foundation of the United States is honored to recognize Harvey and Roberta Chaplin for their generous support and in particular for sponsoring the Chopin for All Free Concert Series for many years. This concert series enriches the cultural lives of thousands every year – many who might not otherwise be able to attend such high quality classical music performances. Thank you Harvey and Roberta for all the good you do for our community. May your acts be an inspiration to many. B increasingly active in many causes, including opera and the fine arts. y the time that Harvey Chaplin graduated from Brooklyn Boy’s High School in 1946, he had already begun his career in the wine and spirits industry as a part-time mailroom employee at Schenley Industries in Manhattan. He eventually worked his way up the ladder to become assistant director of marketing at Schenley. In 1969, Mr. Chaplin joined Southern Wine & Spirits of America, along with other founding executives. Prior to becoming its Chairman and CEO in 1994, Mr. Chaplin served in numerous senior executive roles running day-to-day operations of the company from 1969 to 1993. Roberta Chaplin is a native of Brooklyn, New York’s Brighton Beach area. She graduated from Brooklyn College and began a career in interior decorating. After moving to Florida in 1978, she established a thriving commercial and residential interior decorating consulting practice and became In 2002, Harvey and Roberta married, and together they have helped many thousands through their extraordinary generosity. Harvey & Roberta Chaplin “Do all the good you can To all the people you can, In every way you can. As long as you can.” In addition to their tremendous support of the Chopin Foundation, Harvey and Roberta have been recognized and honored by many international and national charities. Their indelible footprint has impacted the South Florida community, as they have spread their generosity amongst many welldeserving organizations and philanthropies. The Chaplins reside in Miami. He has three children – daughter Terry Jove and sons Paul, an orthopedic doctor, and Wayne, who currently serves as the President and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits of America. Harvey is the proud grandfather of nine grandchildren – Monica (Chaplin) Starosta, Katie, Elizabeth, David, Mark and Jennifer Chaplin; Scott, Ryan and Tyler Jove. Harvey Chaplin POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 9 2015-2016 CHOPIN FOR ALL 2015-16 FREE Concert Series Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. All concerts are presented in two locations Saturdays at 3 PM Broward County Main Library 100 S. Andrews Ave Fort Lauderdale & Sundays at 3 PM Granada Presbyterian Church 950 University Drive Coral Gables November 7 & 8, 2015 ERIC ZUBER A prize winner of the 2015 & 2010 National Chopin Piano Competition. Also a major prize winner at the Cleveland, Rubinstein & other competitions. December 5 & 6, 2015 GEORGE LI A prize winner of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition & Silver Medalist of the 2015 Tchaikovsky Competition. January 16 & 17, 2016 JOSHUA WRIGHT A prize winner of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition plus the Washington, Seattle & New York International Piano Competitions. 10 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 February 27 & 28, 2016 TBA A finalist of the 2015 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland. March 19 & 20, 2016 HANA CHU Semi-finalist of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition & prize winner of the Korean Nationwide Music & New York International Piano Competitions. April 16 & 17, 2016 Young Pianists Concerts Selected local piano students in an all-Chopin program. May 14 & 15, 2016 ERIC LU First Prize Winner of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition Season of Winners CHOPIN SALON CONCERTS CHOPIN AT KEY BISCAYNE Followed by wine reception & optional dinner March 6, 2016 at 5 pm FREE Concert – Artist TBA 4:00 PM - La Gorce Country Club 5685 Alton Road, Miami Beach, Florida Salon Concerts with reception are FREE for Members Non-Members are also welcome: $45 Elegant buffet dinner (wine & tip included) for only $55 Reservations required: (305) 868-0624 November 22, 2015 Jon Nakamatsu 1995 winner of the National Chopin Piano Competition & 1997 winner of the Van Cliburn Key Biscayne Community Center 10 Village Green Way, Key Biscayne Presented in partnership with the Village of Key Biscayne. For more information or to reserve tickets, please call (305) 868-0624 or visit www.chopin.org Chopin Foundation of the United States 1440 79th St. Causeway, Suite 117 Miami, FL 33141 January 10, 2016 Krzysztof Jablonski Laureate of the 1985 International Chopin Competition & other prestigious competitions March 13, 2016 Kevin Kenner 1990 top winner of the National Chopin Piano Competition & International Chopin Competition POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 11 2015 Scholarship Recipients Chopin Prizes Awarded at the 2015 Music Teachers National Association Piano Competition Year 1 David Sacks, 15 Valerie Narumi, 16 Amanda Mac, 15 Greenwich, CT Stanford University Online High School Piano Teachers, Miyoko Lotto / Ursula Oppens Yorba Linda, CA Valencia High School Piano Teachers, Dr. Grace Fong / Dr. Ron Anderson Concord, CA Northgate High School Piano Teacher, Dr. Jed A. Galant The Chopin Foundation was once again pleased to award the Chopin Prize at the MTNA Junior and Senior Solo Piano Competitions. They were presented during the Annual MTNA Conference held in Las Vegas, NV this past March. Year 2 Trenton Chang, 17 Christopher Richardson, 16 Logan, UT Logan High School and Utah State University Youth Conservatory Piano Teacher, Gary Amano Evren Ozel, 16 Lake Forest Park, WA Shorecrest High School Piano Teacher, Duane Hulbert John Schindler, 16 Minneapolis, MN Walnut Hill School for the Arts Natick, MA Piano Teacher, Wha Kyung Byun Lewis Zou, 15 Hartland, WI eAchieve Academy Piano Teacher, Margarita Kontorovsky Solon, OH Solon High School Piano Teachers, Emanuela Friscioni / Alvin Chow Jessica Zhang, was awarded a Chopin Prize of $500 by the Chopin Foundation of the United States for the Best Chopin Performance by Junior Solo Piano. Pictured with Jessica is Barbara Muze, Marketing/Development Manager of the Chopin Foundation of the United States, presenter, and Fei Xu, teacher. Year 4 Michael Davidman, 18 New York, NY Curtis Institute of Music Piano Teachers, Efrem Briskin / Robert McDonald Kadar Qian, 17 Westford, MA Westford Academy Piano Teacher, A Ramon Rivera Daniel Eras was awarded a Chopin Prize of $1,000 by the Chopin Foundation of the United States for the Best Chopin Performance by Senior Solo Piano. Daniel moved to the United States from San José, Costa Rica, in 1996. He is a piano student of Alexander Braginsky. 12 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 Scholarship Program for Young P ianists Requirements, Repertoire and How to Apply - Online Applications Only! The purpose of the Chopin Foundation Scholarship Program is to support and encourage young, talented American pianists through up to four years of preparation for the National Chopin Piano Competition of the United States, which is held in Miami, Florida, every five years. Up to ten (10) renewable scholarships of $1,000 are awarded each year on a competitive basis to outstanding young American pianists who demonstrate a special affinity for the interpretation of Frédéric Chopin’s music. In addition, the Scholarship may grant half-awards in the amount of $500 to qualified applicants. A half-award may be granted to an applicant only once during the four-year program. Eligibility Procedure The Scholarship Program is open to all qualified American pianists (US citizens or legal residents) not younger than 14 and not older than 17 years of age on May 15 of their first year of application. As of 2015, all Scholarship applications must be submitted online. Please visit the Chopin Foundation website, www.chopin.org for a link to the online Scholarship application. PLEASE READ ALL ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE PREPARING YOUR APPLICATION. The following are required and must be uploaded with the application: Renewal The scholarships are renewable for up to four years as long as the recipient continues to study piano, maintains satisfactory academic progress, and each year submits an application including a video recording of an unedited performance of the Chopin works required for that year for evaluation. The Scholarship Committee may accept an application of the returning applicant even if one year was skipped within the four-year period. Any applicant who was not awarded a scholarship may reapply the following year, submitting a new recording of the music of his/her choice from the repertoire required for the year in which he/she was not accepted. Reapplication is allowed only once while in the Scholarship Program. Repertoire Year 1: 2 Etudes, 2 Nocturnes, and your choice of: a Ballade or Barcarole in F-sharp Major Op. 60 or Fantasia in F Minor Op. 49 Year 2: 6 consecutive Preludes from Op. 28 played in order, 2 Waltzes, and 2 Mazurkas Year 3: 1 Sonata and 1 of the following Polonaises: Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise in E-flat Major Op. 22 or Polonaise in F-sharp Minor Op. 44 or Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major Op. 61 Year 4: 1 of Chopin’s two Concertos – all movements - with orchestra or a 2nd piano 1 Statement of career goals. 2 Two recommendations from piano teachers or professional piano performers. The recommendation letters may be uploaded and submitted with your application; or they can be mailed directly to the Chopin Foundation – postmarked on or before May 15; or emailed to [email protected] directly from the recommender, with a date on or before May 15. 3 A video recording of Chopin’s works as required for Years 1 – 4 (listed previously), must be recorded in one session - but must be saved and uploaded as separate files. For example, Year 1 applicants would upload three files: one with the 2 Etudes, one with the 2 Nocturnes and one with the chosen piece. The recording must be of professional quality, but cannot be edited. Please label the uploaded files with the name of the piece(s) and the edition used or you may upload the list of pieces and editions as a separate document in the optional upload area. 4 Proof of current school enrollment/statement of being home-schooled. 5 Non-refundable $25.00 application fee. 6 Optional: Upload additional page(s) to list significant repertoire studied. Place an asterisk (*) by works performed in public. Include copies of programs/ reviews, if possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For a link to the online application, please visit www.chopin.org. Applications, along with all attachments listed above, must be received by May 15th. Scholarships will be announced by July 15th. Please contact the Chopin Foundation with any questions: Phone: (305) 868-0624 • Web: www.chopin.org • Email: [email protected] POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 13 Chopin Foundation Council of San Francisco T his season has been a busy and successful one for the San Francisco chapter. In December we had our traditional holiday concert and reception at the Queen Anne Hotel (beautiful as always, its dark-paneled public room full of amazing historical Christmas decorations), at which our 2014 Competition winners performed again. Joining them was San Francisco Conservatory student Ning Zhou, from Shanghai, who has been accepted into the 2015 preliminary round of the Warsaw Chopin Competition. In February 22, 2015, we enjoyed our annual Concert celebrating Chopin’s birthday at the City’s venerable Old First Church. This year was a gala celebration, a three-hour concert featuring ten of the Bay Area’s most distinguished pianists, including Jacqueline Divenyi, Daniel Glover, Nancy Lee Harper, Heidi Hau, Mack McCray, Corey McVicar, Gwendolyn Mok, Robert Schwartz, Hanson Tam and William Wellborn. We are already looking forward to inviting one of the winners of the National Chopin Competition to perform in San Francisco on February 21, 2016. Mack McCray, President Birthday Concert Artists 2015 Chopin Young Pianists Competition Winners Winners of the 2014 Chopin Young Pianists Competition after Annual Holiday Concert with members of the Board On June 6 we had our nineteenth annual Chopin Young Pianists Competition. The Competition has become so popular and so big that we have had to use two sets of judges to accommodate all the contestants in the three categories. The winners performed the following evening at the San Francisco Conservatory in a Winners Concert in which they received their diplomas, monetary awards, and a beautiful flower. They will perform again at the Chopin Christmas concert in December. Winners of the 2015 Chopin Young Pianists Competition FIRST AGE CATEGORY (THROUGH 9) First Prize Ray Chen Second Prize Mia Kao Third Prize Katharine Vari Honorable Mention Mai Arai Honorable Mention Alex Lin 14 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 SECOND AGE CATEGORY (10-12) First Prize Leo Jergovic Second Prize Dominic Pang Third Prize Gawon Choi Honorable Mention Anna Guan Honorable Mention Irene Geng THIRD AGE CATEGORY (13-15) First Prize Second Prize Third Prize Honorable Mention Andrew Semenza Cami Akioka Leyla Kabuli Andrew Lin Chopin Foundation Council of the Northwest O ur 2015 Chopin Festival attracted 147 children from 6 different states. We awarded 13 Gold Medalists with scholarships totaling over $1000, and one concerto winner the opportunity to perform with Federal Way Symphony. Allan Park, President Our adjudicators this year were Dr. Jack Winerock, Nancy Weems and Dr. Judith Widrig. They judged over 25 combined hours at the beautiful Bellevue Presbyterian Church in three different auditoriums. The Gold Medalists performed at the University of Washington, Brechemin Auditorium the very next day and the Silver Medalists performed in Kirkland, WA, two weeks later. Our very capable and passionate board was ready to celebrate their artistry by showering them with medals, flowers and refreshments. Complete video performances of the Gold and Silver Medalists can be found at: www.chopinnw.org. We are also pleased to announce an addition of two board members: Dr. Yelena Balabanova, a Steinway Artist, and Kurt Kolb, a pianist and one of the founders of University of Washington Presidential Piano Series Concerts. Along with new board members from 2014, Dr. Hanna Cyba and Dr. Adam Aleksander, our Northwest Chopin board has no shortage of brilliant minds and wonderful hearts. 2015 NW Chopin Festival winners: Division A (ages 9 and under) Gold Medalists: Constantina Tsang, Alison Tan, Catherine Chong Silver Medalists: Andre Ye, Jerry Li, Mia Chen Division D (ages 16-18) Gold Medalists: Andrew Barnwell, Christopher Son Richardson, Jason Dan Silver Medalists: Kyler Schubkegel, Val Wold, Micah Hollen, Kennadi Hawes Division B (ages 10-12) Gold Medalists: Edward Zhang, Eashan Vagish, Adrian King Silver Medalists: Daniel Chen, Dora-Ziyan Chen, Alex Zhang, Jaden Zhang, Daniella Tsang, Allyson Kim, Anna Wang, Paige Everling, Sandy Huang, Kaia Burgos, Nicole Yang, Jeremy Lin Division C (ages 13-15) Gold Medalists: Shannon Cassady, Bryan Zhao, Stephen Binondo Silver Medalists: Andrew Ma, Mya King, Alex Camai, Emily Pan, Jenna Everard, Emily Kim, Ariel Stiber, Casey Sim, Lauren Yoon, Preston Lee Division E (ages 19 and up) Gold Medalists: Hyun Su Seo Silver Medalists: Chelsea Bloomberg, Mari Okamoto Division F (Concerto & Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise) Winner to Perform with Federal Way Symphony: Christopher Son Richardson Alternate: Millicent McFall Honorable Mention: Frederick Huyan Our next Festival will take place on January 23, 2016. As always, we plan to award Adjudicators for the 2016 competition are Dr. Jeffrey Biegel from Brooklyn gold and silver medals in each age category, and select the winner of the Concerto College, Dr. Rachelle McCabe from Oregon State University and Dr. Milica Jelaca Jovanovic from Western Washington University. Division, who will perform with the Orchestra Seattle, Clinton Smith conducting. POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 15 Chopin Foundation Council of the Southwest T he Southwest Council of the Chopin Foundation of the United States was founded in 2014, and held its inaugural concert on December 6, 2014 in Agoura Hills, California. The concert featured The Rice Brothers, performing an all Chopin recital titled “Chopin’s Heart, Your Heart.” Stacey Medina and Anjey Mossakowski acted as masters of ceremony and introduced the organization and its directors to the audience. Our main event of the Fall 2015 season was a concert by the winner of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition, Eric Lu, who will soon be competing in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland beginning in October. The concert took place on Sunday August 30, 2015 at the historic South Pasadena Library with a full house including film, fashion, music, and arts celebrities and esteemed guests such as the Consul for Culture, Science, Education and Polish Community, Ignacy Zarski, who following the introductory words of Christopher Onzol, President of the Southwest Council, graciously outlined the meaning and historic significance of the International Chopin Piano Competition. Chris Onzol, President Since then, members of the board have participated in Polish cultural events throughout Southern California, hosted by other Polish-American organizations in an effort to promote our new organization and establish connections for future cooperation. In the first months of our existence we focused on building membership and trying to establish a series of events, such as house concerts, media presentations, lectures, and an annual festival to promote young talents. L-R order: Christopher Onzol, Katarzyna Pytlarczyk , Eric Lu, Consul Ignacy Zarski , Maja Trochimczyk, Director, Polish Music Center Mr. Lu delighted the audience with 31 Chopin works. His performance was followed by a standing ovation, including high praise from many wellknown pianists and pedagogues from the Los Angeles area. Excerpts and interviews from the concert were filmed by the Road 28 Productions team for a news segment on TV Polonia 24. Please stay tuned for news about future happenings and we hope to see you at our next event. For additional information please visit www.chopinswcouncil.com Johnny & Chris Rice 16 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 Our Sponsors The Chopin Foundation’s programs are sponsored in part by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the MiamiDade County Mayor and the Board of Commissioners; the City of Coral Gables; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council of Arts and Culture; numerous generous individuals; and the following: POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 17 XV11 International Fryderyk Chopin P iano Competition Warsaw, Poland Held under Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland Presented by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute Competition Calendar October 1 – 23, 2015 National Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw The competition sessions will be broadcast live at http://chopincompetition2015.com October 1, 8 pm Inaugural Concert, Martha Argerich, Nelson Goerner & Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacek Kasprzyk, conductor October 2, 6 pm Inaugural Concert, Garrick Ohlsson, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Male Choir, Wojciech Rajski, conductor October 3 - 7 October 9-12 October 14-16 First Stage Second Stage Third Stage October 17, 8 pm Celebrations marking the 166th anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin’s death. Mozart Requiem, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Jacek Kasprzyk, conductor; Holy Cross Church, Warsaw October 18-20, 6 pm Finals October 21 October 22 October 23 18 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 Winners’ Concert Second Winners’ Concert Third Winners’ Concert Competition Jury Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, Chair Dmitri Alexeev Martha Argerich Dang Thai Son Akiko Ebi Philippe Entremont Nelson Goerner Adam Harasiewicz Andrzej Jasinski Garrick Ohlsson Janusz Olejniczak Piotr Paleczny Ewa Pobłocka John Rink Wojciech Switała Dina Yoffe Yundi Li The International Federation of Chopin Societies The International Federation of Chopin Societies was established in 1985 in Zelazowa Wola, Poland, the birthplace of Frédéric Chopin, as a global organization representing Chopin Societies from all over the world. Since 1989 the Federation has been a part of the International Music Council, which is a member of UNESCO. The Board of the Federation is elected by the General Assembly for a fiveyear term. Current Board of Directors President: Theodor Kanitzer (Austria - Vienna) Vice-Presidents: Ivan Klansky (Czech Rep.- Marianskie Laznie) Antoine Paszkiewicz (France - Paris) First Conference of Chopin Competitions in the World Warsaw/Radziejowice, Poland, April 21 through 23, 2015 Organized by The Fryderyk Chopin Institute (NIFC), this meeting was the first opportunity for the organizers of the Chopin competitions from all over the world to meet and discuss issues concerning their programs. More than 15 competitions from 13 countries (and four continents) were represented at the conference. Three other organizations (including the Alink-Argerich Foundation) were guests at the assembly. During the conference, participants had the chance to present information on their respective competitions, as well as to become familiar with the activities, achievements and problems of the other participants. The conference was held in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, which fostered the exchange of ideas and a willingness to cooperate across the borders. General Secretary: Elzbieta Artysz (Poland - Warsaw) Treasurer: Andrzej Merkur (Poland - Duszniki) Members of the Board: Rosa C. Ferra (Spain - Valdemosa) Jadwiga Gewert (USA - Miami) Kazimierz Gierzod (Poland - Warsaw) Sookie Schober (Germany - Hannover) Ilse Schwarz Schiller (Germany - Taunus Oberursel) Horoyuki Takashima (Japan - Tokyo) The NIFC was represented by its Director, Dr. Artur Szklener, Deputy Director, Dr. Wojciech Marchwica, Coordinator of the International Chopin Competition, Mr. Jerzy Michniewicz, and the VIP Coordinator, Mrs. Monika Strugala. All participants shared a desire to intensify collaboration among the Chopin competitions, facilitate information exchanges and create a worldwide Chopin competition system under the leadership of The Fryderyk Chopin Institute. The Chopin Competition Conference will provide a platform for such a system and for teamwork among its membership. Delegates attending the meeting of IFCS in Torun, Poland, May 2015, with local government officials POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 19 Master Class Weekends Jon Nakamatsu Krzysztof Jablonski Kevin Kenner Margarita Shevchenko Agustin Anievas FE ATUR ING TH E JU RO RS O F T H E 2 0 1 5 N AT IO N AL CH O P IN P IANO C OM PE TI TI ON The Chopin Foundation of the United States is offering a new Chopin Master Class program for young pianists (ages 17-25) within the 2015-2016 season in Miami. The proposed program will consist of three Master Class Weekends, each including a concert by one of the jurors of the 2015 National Chopin Piano Competition: November 21 - 23, 2015 – Jon Nakamatsu January 9 - 11, 2016 – Krzysztof Jablonski March 12 - 14, 2016 – Kevin Kenner The above mentioned pianists will be a part of that respective weekend’s Master Class, along with two other jurors, Margarita Shevchenko and Agustin Anievas. The three-day sessions would give every participant an opportunity to study with these great internationally acclaimed master musicians. During the pilot year of this program, only five young pianists will be accepted for each Master Class Weekend. In keeping with the Foundation’s mission, preference will be given to American pianists (born or naturalized). Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. This project will focus exclusively on the music of Frederic Chopin, and especially on the program required for the National and International Chopin Piano Competitions. Participants will choose up to five pieces from the repertoire of the 2015 Chopin Competition to play during the Master Class Weekend. Every participant will be guaranteed one hour with each of the teachers. Expenses A registration fee of $400 covers three days of master classes, including lunches. It also includes the cost of the concert and a post-concert dinner at the La Gorce Country Club. Participants will be housed by host families in the Miami area. If host families are not available/not desired, local hotels will be suggested, in which case participants would be responsible for housing costs. Participants will be responsible for transportation to and from Miami, as well as local transportation. Application deadlines October 1, 2015 for November 21 - 23 weekend November 15, 2015 for January 9 - 11, 2016 weekend January 15, 2016 for March 12 - 14, 2016 weekend Please submit a letter of application via email to [email protected] including the names of piano teachers and the number of years studied. Include your age, place of birth, citizenship status, and schools attending/attended. Please also list the 5 pieces you wish to perform and a paragraph stating how you hope to benefit from the Master Class Weekend. For more information contact the Chopin Foundation at (305) 868-0624 or by email to [email protected] Day One: 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Teacher: Agustin Anievas MORE GOOD NEWS! Day Two: 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Teacher: Margarita Shevchenko; 4:00 PM – Concert & dinner We are pleased to welcome Kevin Kenner to Miami! An internationally acclaimed pianist and top prize winner of the 1990 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Kenner is joining the faculty of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Day Three: 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Teacher: Jon Nakamatsu / Krzysztof Jablonski / Kevin Kenner 20 // POLONAISE FALL 2015 Contributions DONATION FORM Please be generous and join us in our mission YES, I want to help talented, young musicians! The Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc., is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Miami, FL, and dedicated, since 1977, to the support of young American rising-star classical musicians through scholarships, performance opportunities and international exchange programs. The Foundation also offers these talented young pianists a chance to compete in the National Chopin Piano Competition of the USA, held in Miami every five years. The Chopin Foundation is committed to making classical music accessible to ALL by presenting a FREE Concert Series in two locations in South Florida. Our mission is carried out on the West Coast by councils in San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles. The Chopin Foundation is a member of the National Music Council and the International Federation of Chopin Societies. Enclosed is my tax-deductible donation of: $________________ With your support, young talented American artists will receive the encouragement they need and the recognition they deserve. Thanks to your generosity, the music of Frédéric Chopin will be kept alive, enriching our lives and preparing new generations of classical music lovers. Please apply my donation to: l General Programming l Competition Fund l Endowment Fund l Scholarship Fund l In Memory of ______________________________________________ Please make check payable to: The Chopin Foundation NAME: ______________________________________________________ COMPANY: __________________________________________________ ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________ CITY: ___________________________ STATE: _______ ZIP: ________ HOME PHONE#: _____________________________________________ EVENING PHONE#: __________________________________________ What Your Contribution Helps Fund • National Chopin Piano Competition of the USA • Chopin for All FREE Concert Series in South Florida • Four-year Scholarship Program for Young American Pianists, ages 14-17 • Winners Exchange Program with European counterparts • Semi-annual Polonaise magazine, sent to all major music schools and music teachers across the USA; Chopin Societies around the world; our Scholarship Recipients, Young Pianists and Competition Applicants; and our Members. E-MAIL ADDRESS: ___________________________________________ Mail to: Chopin Foundation of the United States 1440 79th St. Causeway, Suite 117 Miami, FL 33141 To donate by credit card, please visit www.chopin.org or call (305) 868-0624 for more information. Please contact me about: l In-kind contribution l Estate Planning l Planned Giving l Volunteering Donations to the Chopin Foundation of the United States are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Foundation is a non-profit corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. POLONAISE FALL 2015 // 21 CHOPIN FOUNDATION OF THE UNITED STATES 1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117 Miami, Florida 33141 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FLORIDA PERMIT NO. 573