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Oberlin Cooper International Piano Competition:

Getting to know four of the thirty-three competitors

by Mike Telin

On Thursday, July 19, thirty-three young pianists representing seven countries will begin arriving on the campus of Oberlin College to compete in the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition.

First held in 2010, the competition alternates annually between piano and violin and is open to young musicians between the ages of 13 and 18. Participants will compete in four rounds in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The fourth, fifth, and sixth prizes of $1,000 each, and the Audience Prize of $500 will be presented at the conclusion of the Recital Final Round in Oberlin (elimination round), on Wednesday, July 25.

The top three finalists will compete on Friday, July 27, for first, second, and third prizes in performance of complete concerti with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall under the direction of Jahja Ling. The first prize of $10,000 also includes engagements with professional orchestras in Beijing and Shanghai, China. The second prize of $6,000 and third prize of $3,000 will also be awarded that evening. The top three competitors also will be awarded full four-year scholarships to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, pending admission.

WCLV, 104.9 FM, will air live broadcasts of the final recital rounds on Wednesday, July 25 at 7 pm from Warner Concert Hall, Oberlin, and the final concerto rounds with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall on Friday, July 27 at 8 pm.

During the past weekend we spoke to four of the competitors by telephone and got their thoughts about why they chose to compete, their repertoire choices and how they prepare, and to chat about their careers as pianists and other interests.

Rachel Breen, (15) Oakland, California

MT: Why did you decide to enter the Cooper International Competition?

RB: I knew a lot of people who have entered before, and I really like meeting other pianists. It’s always a fun experience to meet people from around the world.

MT: How do you prepare for a competition?

RB: I usually would practice a lot more, but I was in summer school and spending ten hours a day studying oceanography. I do love competing, but not because I’m all that competitive, I just find it fun because I do like being together with everyone.

MT: How did you choose your repertory? Do you like all of the pieces?

RB: I’m sort of specializing in Bach, who I really like, so I didn’t want to come in with a program that didn’t have a lot of Bach. But on the other hand, I don’t have a lot of big virtuosic pieces in my repertoire.

MT: You’re also playing “Three Movements from Petrushka”. Are you a fan of Stravinsky?

RB: Actually not, but I thought the piece, especially the second movement, is interesting because of the many colors that it has and it sounds like an orchestra.

MT: Did the orchestral version influence your approach to the piece?

RB: Yes, In fact I do have a recording of Stravinsky conducting it in 1961. That was the only recording I listened to because I think it is so interesting to hear the woodwinds and brasses performing with all of the different sounds.

MT: How is it that Glenn Gould became your “idol”?

RB: My dad was a jazz musician; he played saxophone. He had a recording of Glenn Gould, the second recording of the Goldberg Variations, that he would play in the car, and he sort of instilled in me that that was music. I played only Bach until I was ten because I didn’t have a teacher, and I sort of learned from these recordings. Now I have very different interpretations, but his are unique and interesting. I really appreciate how eccentric he was; he had a path of his own and a lot of people don’t do that.

MT: You also have an academic side; how did you become interested in Latin and French?

RB: We had to take French beginning in kindergarten, so it became something that my friends and I would speak. And we had to take Latin beginning in sixth grade. In high school there were a lot of Latin events and contests that were really fun, and it brought the whole Latin group together. It’s an interesting language because so few people have any idea what it is now.

MT: What do you do at these competitions?

RB: We’ll take academic tests, and there are all sorts of events that might seem ridiculous to anyone who doesn’t know that they are supposed to be loosely based on Latin history, but we get together in groups and sing songs. It’s a lot of fun.

Constance Kaita (17) Manalapan, New Jersey

MT: Why did you decide to enter the Cooper International Competition?

CK: I first heard about it a couple of years ago when several of my friends whom I had met at summer music festivals had competed, and I thought this is a great opportunity.

MT: What do you enjoy about attending summer festivals?

CK: It’s a completely different environment for me. I get the chance to go to places and meet people who have similar interests and surround myself with other people who are interested in the same things that I am; that’s the best part.

MT: How do you prepare for a competition?

CK: Generally I glue myself to the piano bench. I practice a lot more when preparing for a competition. Also my mother is one of my teachers, and she helps me a lot when I’m preparing for a competition.

MT: Your repertoire: do you like all of these pieces or did you choose them to meet the competition's requirements?

CK: A little of both. These are all pieces that I am very familiar with because I have been playing them in competitions for a while, so I have grown to like them. Although I can’t say that I did like all of them when I first started working on them.

MT: Is there a period of music that you find more difficult, for example baroque or classical?

CK: There has always been something about the elegance that goes along with playing Bach that makes it just a little bit harder for me to come by, rather then going all out with passion and emotion with romantic pieces. So being able to refine myself to be able to play Bach, for me that always takes a lot more effort.

MT: Do you have any pre-performance rituals? Lucky charms, or clothing that you always wear?

CK: Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. My aunt, who’s also a pianist, and one of my teachers, has this thing about eating a banana before she performs. She says there is something about bananas that makes you calm down. So if I am extremely nervous I feel I have to follow her words and eat a banana.

MT: How did your performance at the Beijing Music Festival come about?

CK: A group of music teachers in the United States who had some connections in China thought it would be a good idea to create an American Chinese exchange program, and my teachers were involved. They thought it would be a good opportunity for me.

MT: That must have been very fun. What cultural differences stick in your mind?

CK: The thing I remember most was that concert etiquette is extremely different. During the first concert I was wondering why people were talking and moving around through the entire performance. We then learned that if you are talking and enjoying yourself, that is the Chinese way of showing that you appreciate the music as opposed to staying silent as we do here.

Kimberly Hou (18) Fairfax, Virginia

MT: Why did you decide to enter the Cooper International Competition?

KH: It is purely for the learning experience. Four years ago I competed in my first International competition, and I learned so much from listening to and watching the other competitors. Afterwards I also got to talk with the judges and they offered some very valuable feedback.

MT: You have been entering competitions for some time; how has your preparation changed as you have gotten older?

KH: When I was younger and learning a new piece, I would go along with all the musical details that my teacher taught me. As I got a little older, I started to develop my own style, with my teacher's guidance. I began to decide a lot more stylistic details on my own. My teacher gave me that freedom, so that I could develop into the musician that I chose to be.

MT: Your repertoire: do you like all of these pieces or did you choose them to meet the competition's requirements?

KH: Every time I pick new repertoire I make sure that I do love them. I choose them for the enjoyment and the learning of each piece.

MT: Do you have any pre-performance rituals? Lucky charms, or clothing that you always wear?

KH: The only thing that remains the same with each competition is that I am nervous. Other then that I can have anything from a very nice meal to something from Burger King, or have a short or long practice on the day of a performance.

MT: You are also an avid chamber music player; how did you first get involved in chamber music?

KH: Several years ago my teacher introduced me to a violin and cello teacher who was looking for a pianist to join a chamber ensemble with their students. At the time I didn’t know that much about chamber music but my teacher said that I should go for it, so I did, and I have to say that it changed my life. It opened my eyes to so many things like the communication that occurs between each musician in the ensemble.

MT: You have many non-musical interest, biology, debate, 3-D animation and languages; Are these interests part of your decision to enroll in the Juilliard/Columbia combined program?

KH: Apart from 3D animation, which I do purely for enjoyment, the others are partially the reason why I am entering the combined program. I could have chosen the total musical path that I would get at Juilliard, but I also wanted to broaden my horizons. I know people say that all of the time, but I wanted my college experience to be something where I could open my eyes to things I have never been exposed to. I come from Arlington VA, and I have seen a few things here and there, but there are so many other things, so many other cultures and aspects of cultures which I have never seen before.

Micah McLaurin (17) Charleston, South Carolina

MT: Why did you decide to enter the Cooper International Competition?

MM: The prize money and the chance to be able to play with The Cleveland Orchestra is an amazing opportunity, so I decided that I would give it a shot.

MT: How do you prepare for a competition?

MM: I just practice as much as I can handle. Usually on the day of, I like to focus mentally. I don’t really have any special things that I do, but it is always my goal to make people cry. For me this means that it was a good performance and that you touched the audience. I want my playing to have that effect on people. I want it to say something to them.

MT: How did you choose your repertory? Do you like all of the pieces?

MM: Yes, I like all of the pieces very much. I have performed most of them and they are all pieces that I think I can play well. I want to present myself as the musician that I am and present myself the best that I can.

MT: Is there one period of music that you enjoy more then the others, for example baroque or classical?

MM: I definitely like the romantic genre the most, especially Chopin and Rachmaninoff.

MT: You are scheduled to perform Rachmaninoff’s 2^nd sonata. That is a very big work; how long have you been playing the piece?

MM: I’ve been playing that sonata for almost four years.

MT: Do you have any pre-performance rituals? Lucky charms, or clothing that you always wear?

MM: Not really but I have this thing about expecting things. I’m not superstitious, but it seems that when you expect something it never happens, so I try my best not to think about results, but rather try to focus on playing beautiful music.

MT: How did the concert with the Montevideo Philharmonic come about?

MM: My teacher is from Montevideo, so I had that connection.

MT: You have done quite a bit of traveling around the world. Is there a particular country that is a favorite?

MM: I love Italy — that was probably one of my favorites. I liked the architecture, the history and culture. And the pizza is good too.

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Published on ClevelandClassical.com July 17, 2012

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