by Daniel Hathaway
HAPPENING TODAY:
Following yesterday afternoon’s announcement of the eight pianists who survived the cut at the end of the Quarter-Final Round, the Cleveland International Piano Competition continues tonight at 7 pm in Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center.
Two competitors — Maxim Lando (21, United States) and Antonio Chen Guang (29, China) will play 25-30 minute solo recitals, followed by the performance of a trio of their choice with violinist Maria Ioudenitch and cellist Gabriel Martins. Attend in person or watch a live stream (tickets and details here).
Here is the schedule for the other three sessions of the Semi-Finals:
Friday, August 2 at 7 PM:
Jonathan Mamora, (29, United States) & Zhu Wang (27, China)
Saturday, August 3 at 2 PM:
Evren Ozel (25, United States) & Mirabelle Kajenjeri (26, France)
Sunday, August 4 at 2 PM:
Giuseppe Guarrera (32, Italy) & Zijian Wei (25, China)
IN MEMORIAM:
Sean Baran, 39
Local church musicians, pastors and friends of organist Sean Baran are mourning his death after he was struck and killed by a car Friday afternoon on Market Street at Fairlawn Avenue in Boardman. Read the Youngstown Vindicator story here.
Richard Crawford, 89
“A longtime professor of musicology at the University of Michigan who was a leading figure in legitimizing and popularizing the study of American music, Crawford died on July 23 in Ann Arbor, Mich.” Read the New York Times obituary here.
Benjamin Luxon, 87
“The Cornish baritone Benjamin Luxon, who created the title-role in Britten’s Owen Wingrave and was particularly renowned for his performances of English song, has died.” Read the Presto Music obituary here.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
There are no special Cleveland connections to celebrate for August 1 but how about a little quiz that references classical music figures who were born or died on the first day of August?
- English pianist John Ogdon died on August 1 in 1952. Which of these composers did he especially promote? a) Charles-Valentin Alkan. b) Ferruccio Busoni. c) Alexander Scriabin.
- Russian pianist Svyatoslav Richter died of a heart attack on August 1, 1997. True or false: In 1952, Richter was invited to play Franz Liszt in a film based on the life of Tchaikovsky.
- Conductor William Steinberg was born on this date in 1899 in Köln, Germany. He led the Buffalo Philharmonic from 1945 to 1952, the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1952 to 1976 and the Boston Symphony from 1969 to 1972. Health problems kept him off the podium in Boston for a long period of time, during which what young assistant conductor had the opportunity to launch what became a distinguished career? a) Esa-Pekka Salonen. b) Michael Tilson Thomas. c) Michael Stern.
Click here for the answers to the quiz.
