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CIPC Round 2, Session 5,
Saturday, July 24, 2021

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by Cait Winston

Suah Ye (20, South Korea) chose a single work — Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 8 in B-flat — for her Round Two, Session Five performance in the Cleveland International Piano Competition on July 24. Throughout the first and second movements, Ye’s phrasing was highly expressive — she facilitated feelings of tension and release throughout the phrases that effectively highlighted climactic moments. Her dynamics were deliberate and skillfully executed, and she was able to maintain an intensity even in soft moments.

The third movement consists of highly complicated textures with many quickly moving parts, all mastered by Ye, who brought out nuances with consistently effortless technique and poignant drama. [Read more…]

CIPC Round 2, Session 3,
Thursday, July 22

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by Cait Winston

The July 22 installment of the Second Round of the Cleveland International Piano Competition began with Ziyu Liu’s (22, China) performance of Chopin’s Nocturne in c, Op. 48, No. 1. Liu’s pace was measured and unhurried, bringing out the piano’s rich tones and highlighting rhythmic intricacies. This stately tempo lent itself to carefully curated phrases in which each note was considered before it was played, giving the piece intention and polish.

Liu’s playing never lost its composure through the highly dramatic material of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 32 in c — he maintained a consistent tempo through the swift passages, playing them with excitement and grace. Liu demonstrated impressive virtuosity during the extended trills, creating a light, delicate sound — a tremendous technical feat. [Read more…]

CIPC Round 2, Session 2, Sunday, July 18

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by Mike Telin

It was a nice change of pace when Zhi Chao Juli Jia (29, China) opened her second round program with Rameau’s  Les Tendres Plaintes. Her lovely performance of the short work was light and full of sensitive ornamentation. The pianist brought clean scales and articulations along with dynamic contrasts and well-shaped phrases to Beethoven’s Sonata No. 18 in E-flat, Op. 31, No. 3. The recurring theme in the scherzo was playful and the Menuetto graceful — the concluding Presto full of fire.

She concluded her program with a dramatic performance of Saint-Saëns Etude en forme de valse, Op. 52, No. 6. [Read more…]

CIPC Round 1, Session 6,
Friday, July 16

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by Jarrett Hoffman

Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner (24, United States) began with Meredith Monk’s 2015 Ellis Island, capturing the smooth continuity of her unique brand of minimalism, but with enjoyable accents protruding from the texture just the right amount. His relaxation of tempo and dynamics near the end was compelling. [Read more…]

Cleveland International Piano Competition: Round 1, Session 5, Thursday, July 15

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by Mike Telin

It was a battle of the early twenty-somethings last evening and judging from this impressive group the future of the piano is in good hands.

Suah Ye (20, South Korea) started things off with Haydn’s Sonata in B Minor, Hob. XVI. Setting a jolly tempo, Ye’s Allegro moderato was full of nicely phrased lines, crisp articulations and tight trills. The Tempo di Menuetto had a sense of engaging intimacy, while the Finale-Presto was defined by dynamic contrasts and brisk tempos.

During Liszt’s Étude de concert, S. 144, No. 2 (“La leggierezza”) Ye played with an expansive sound, The cascading, Lisztian scale passages were tasteful and full of charm, like a music box. The concluding major chords — perfectly balanced. Ye concluded her set with a thoughtful performance of Chopin’s Etude in a, Op. 25, No. 11 (“Winter Wind”). Here the thorny technical passages and balances between the left and right hands were well controlled. [Read more…]

The Cleveland International Piano Competition:
Week Two and beyond

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by Mike Telin

After a three-day break, Competition first-round performances will continue on Thursday, July 15 at 7:00 pm. Audiences can also experience that evening’s session by attending the Watch Party at the Beachwood Community Center. Pack a picnic and bring your chairs to watch performances under the stars and on the big screen. Click here to register for the free event.

New at this year’s competition is the Trivia Night/Watch Party on Thursday, July 22 at 7:00 pm at the The Music Box Supper Club. Hosts Yaron Kohlberg and Zsolt Bognár (pictured) have created questions that are designed to engage every level of piano and classical music enthusiast. Teams can be up to six people, so bring your friends (or make new ones) and enjoy great music and a chance to win a Cleveland musical prize package.

The ticketed event will include the buffet-style menu on the Music Box’s website. The first drink is on CIPC, but after that, for the rest of the evening you can purchase your favorite beverage at the cash bar. Click here to purchase tickets online or call 216.242.1250. [Read more…]

CIPC Round 1, Session 4, Sunday, July 11

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by Cait Winston

Bowen Li (24, China) opened this round of the CIPC with Bach’s French Suite No. 5 in G. He maintained an engaging pace throughout the piece, skipping through melodic passages with grace and levity, while making sure to give appropriate emphasis to emotional moments. 

Li showed thrilling virtuosity in Chopin’s Etude in F, Op. 10 No. 8, flying up and down the keys with both agility and clarity, and using his flawless technique to fluidly shift the mood of the piece from excited to intense.  [Read more…]

CIPC Round 1, Session 3,
Saturday, July 10

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by Jarrett Hoffman

Precision, clarity, and character stood out in the opening selection from Vitaly Starikov (25, Russia) — Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in a, BWV 904. He brought the different voices of the opening into a discussion of their own, and pointed up certain phrases in the Fugue with an attractive, manic energy.

Two works by Chopin followed. The tempestuous opening of the Etude in b, Op. 25, No. 10 (“Octave”) was engagingly phrased, and the conclusion was emphatic. The Op. 23 Ballade No. 1 in g was a bit consistently intense in tone, but Starikov’s technique shone in several delightful scampers around the keyboard. [Read more…]

The Cleveland International Piano Competition Returns This Week With Virtual 1st & 2nd Rounds

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by Mike Telin

The moment has arrived. After a year-long postponement, Piano Cleveland’s signature event — the Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) — will take place from July 7 through August 11. The 2021 competition will be hybrid, including pre-recorded First and Second Rounds with Semi-Final and Final Rounds taking place in Cleveland.

This year twenty-six contestants between the ages of 20-32 and representing twelve countries, will compete for an opportunity to perform with The Cleveland Orchestra and to win the Mixon First Prize of $75,000, a New York performance debut, management services, and a recording on the Steinway & Sons label.

On July 7 at 7:00 pm, The Virtual Opening Ceremony will introduce the 26 contestants. The evening, hosted by CIPC artist director Yaron Kohlberg and Living the Classical Life‘s Zsolt Bognar, will also feature a special performance by 2016 Mixon First Prize winner Nikita Mndoyants (pictured below).

This time around, the Opening Ceremony, as well as the first and second rounds, will be made available free-of-charge and broadcast from Piano Cleveland’s website and YouTube channel. Semi-Final and Final Rounds are ticketed and feature virtual and in-person options. Click here for details. [Read more…]

Piano Cleveland announces plans for 2021 International Piano Competition

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by Mike Telin

Piano Cleveland has announced that after a year-long postponement due to the challenges presented by the pandemic, the organization’s signature event — the Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) — will take place from July 8 through August 11, 2021. (Above: Nikita Mndoyants, 2016 first place winner, with Bramwell Tovey.)

The competition has been reimagined as a hybrid event with pre-recorded First and Second Rounds — Semi-Final and Final Rounds will take place in Cleveland. Twenty-eight contestants who were chosen for the 2020 competition will compete for an opportunity to perform with The Cleveland Orchestra and to win the Mixon First Prize of $75,000, a New York performance debut, management services, and a recording on the Steinway & Sons label. Click here for a full competition schedule and here for ticket information.

Creating the plan — a logistical jigsaw puzzle 

Piano Cleveland president Yaron Kohlberg said in a Zoom conversation that all the decisions during the planning process were made with the best interests of the contestants in mind. [Read more…]

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