Pay out of equation at Cliburn Amateur, but skill is not
06/04/2002
By SCOTT CANTRELL / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH – The International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs
rules out anyone who makes a primary living as either a pianist or piano
teacher. But, once again, the Fort Worth contest sponsored by the Van
Cliburn Foundation is drawing people with advanced degrees in piano – and
fully professional technical prowess.
Of the 73 pianists to be heard in the competition's preliminary round,
24 performed in Monday's opening sessions at Texas Christian
University's Ed Landreth Auditorium.
Greg Fisher, a Web developer from Denton, played like a man possessed –
which was quite the point in Liszt's Paraphrase on the Waltz from
Gounod's Faust. Mark Horowitz, a cantor and educator from
Buffalo, N.Y., gave a ripely romantic reading of Chopin's Ballade No. 4
in F minor, almost extravagant in its rubato.
| Details: |
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The Third International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs takes place June 3-8 at Ed
Landreth Auditorium, Texas Christian University, University and West Cantey in Fort
Worth. |
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| Tickets: |
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Complete packages: $105
Semifinals, finals and awards: $60
Individual sessions: $10 for preliminaries, $20 for semifinals
and $35 for finals and awards.
Call Central Tickets, 817-335-9000 or 1-800-462-7979.
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| Format: |
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Preliminary round (June 3-5):
Seventy-five applicants will each present a program not to exceed
12 minutes.
• Preliminary
round schedule
Semifinal round (June 7): Eighteen semifinalists will each
present a program not to exceed 20 minutes.
Final round (June 8): Six finalists will each present a program
not to exceed 30 minutes. |
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| Participants |
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The
Competitors |
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The
Jurors |
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| Awards |
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First prize: $2,000
Second prize: $1,000
Third prize: $500
Other prizes: Press jury award; audience award; awards for the best
performance of a work from the baroque, classical and romantic eras; best
performance of a modern work; most creative programming award; and jury discretionary
awards. |
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| On the Web |
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 Video: Amateurs attracting more attention |
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International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs |
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Cliburn
Foundation official site |
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Janice Bates, a retired business owner from Garden Grove, Calif., just
missed the electricity, the sense of danger, of the greatest
performances of the Debussy Feux d'artifice. But both here and in
the composer's Reflets dans l'eau this was luminous, buoyant
playing, with remarkable clarity.
Another Californian, homemaker Linda Poligono, from Greenbrae, gave
authoritative performances of a Scriabin Etude (Op. 8, No. 10) and
Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor (WoO 80).
John Gardecki, a private investor from Virginia, was a Chopin
interpreter to the manner born, with accomplished technique and an Old
World generosity of expression.
Eric Gustafson, a parish administrator from Virginia, brought depth and
assurance to three Moments musicaux by Rachmaninoff.
Irving attorney J. Michael Brounoff – son of former Dallas Symphony
Orchestra violinist Zelman Brounoff – picked three Debussy preludes of
only moderate demands, but he brought a wonderful sense of mystery to
La puerta del vino and Bruyères and just the right
whimsy to General Lavine – Eccentric.
Victor Alexeeff, a composer from Groveport, Ohio, demonstrated some of
the day's most impressive technique and power. But his performances of
Brahms, Debussy and Rachmaninoff were willful and sometimes downright
perverse, notably in a tendency to rush the music.
E-mail scatrell@dallasnews.com
