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After the Cooper Competition: thoughts from Pyotr Akulov (age 16)

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by Mike Telin

History was made on August 4, when for the first time in the history of the Cooper Competition for Piano, the top prize was awarded to two participants. Pyotr Akulov and Sophia Shuya Liu were named co-champions following their concerto performances with David Robertson and The Cleveland Orchestra that Friday evening.

I reached Pyotr Akulov by Zoom outside of Düsseldorf, Germany.

Mike Telin: Good afternoon and thank you for taking the time to talk.

Pyotr Akulov: Thank you for your invitation.

MT: You’re in Germany right now — are you performing?

PA: No, I am just recovering from the competition, resting, and preparing to fly home to Moscow.MT: I’m glad you’re resting. You deserve it, which brings me to say congratulations, you played wonderfully.

PA: Thank you very much for your kind words.

[Read more…]

Cooper Piano Competition: Final Round with The Cleveland Orchestra (Aug. 4)

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by Daniel Hathaway

The winners with the Coopers and Oberlin Conservatory Dean William Quillen

Thanks to our not-so-friendly coronavirus, the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition has been on hiatus for five years. It returned, fresh and energized, last week in Oberlin and Cleveland, fielding what many considered the most impressive group of young pianists in the history of the contest — which was inaugurated in 2010.

The week began with nineteen competitors who had made it to the semifinals in Oberlin. Three remained after the piano-with-piano concerto round on Wednesday and would go on to play concertos with David Robertson and The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center on Friday evening.

Although the Friday event was a competition round, it could have stood alone as a memorable concert experience. [Read more…]

Two share top prize at the 2023 Cooper International Piano Competition

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from an Oberlin Conservatory news report
by Shelly Rasmussen

History was made this evening as Pyotr Akulov and Sophia Shuya Liu were both named champions for the Cooper International Competition for Piano. (Photo by Yevhen Gulenko.)

For the first time in the history of the Cooper Competition for Piano, the top prize was awarded to two participants. Pyotr Akulov and Sophia Shuya Liu were named co-champions following the Concerto Concert with The Cleveland Orchestra Friday evening.

Akulov opened the concert performing Liszt’s Concerto No. 1 in E-flat. Liu followed next, performing Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 2 in g. Second place winner Taige Wang ended the concert with a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

All three finalists performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, under the direction of David Robertson. [Read more…]

Cooper International Piano Competition: Seven Perform in Concerto Round (Aug. 2)

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by Daniel Hathaway

Andrew Sijie Li, 15, from Boston, Canada & Hong Kong, led off the Wednesday afternoon piano-with-piano session with an assured performance of Beethoven’s Concerto No. 3 in c. The opening movement was grand, the slow movement had a lovely vocal quality, and he kept in close contact with his collaborator Annie Lin. [Read more…]

Cooper International Piano Competition: Three to Play with The Cleveland Orchestra

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from an Oberlin Conservatory news report
by Shelly Rasmussen

The three days of semi-final performances that have taken place in Warner Concert Hall culminated Wednesday evening in the selection of three pianists chosen to move on to the Concerto Finals at Severance Hall on Friday evening. (Photo with the jury by Adan Caldera Quintero.)

Pyotr Akulov, (16), of Moscow, Russia, Sophia Shuya Liu, (14), of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Taige Wang, (13), of New York, New York, United States have advanced to the Concerto Finals.

On Friday, each finalist will perform with the Cleveland Orchestra, under the direction of David Robertson. The Concerto Finals will also be available via livestream. The concert will feature Liu performing Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 2 in g, Op. 22, Wang performing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, and Akulov performing Liszt’s Concerto No. 1 in E-flat, S. 124. [Read more…]

Cooper International Piano Competition: Seven (Not Six) Advance to Concerto Round

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from an Oberlin Conservatory news report
by Shelly Rasmussen

After two days of nineteen semifinal performances, each consisting of 40-minute programs, the jury has selected seven pianists to move on to the Concerto Round. The Concerto Round on Wednesday features the pianists in performances of a full concerto, with piano accompaniment. Our finalists range in age from 13 to 18 years old and represent seven countries.

The following musicians have been selected to advance:

Andrew Sijie Li, 15, Boston, Massachusetts | Canada & Hong Kong
L. V. BEETHOVEN Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37

Sophia Shuya Liu, 14, Montreal, Quebec | Canada
C. SAINT-SAENS Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22

Yanyan Bao, 16, Zhuhai, Guangdong | China
F. CHOPIN Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21 [Read more…]

Cooper International Competition Invites 19 Pianists to Oberlin

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by Mike Telin

Next week the Cooper International Competition turns its attention to the piano for the first time since 2018. “It’s been five years, so it’s good to be back,” Oberlin Conservatory professor and Competition director Robert Shannon said during a recent telephone conversation.

This year, 19 pianists between the ages of 13 and 18 who have advanced through the preliminaries of submitted videos will participate in live rounds in Oberlin’s Warner Concert Hall from July 31 to August 2. Click here to view their biographies and repertoire lists.

The 19, who represent 7 countries and 4 U.S. states, are vying for the opportunity to play full concertos in a final round with The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of David Robertson at Severance Music Center on Friday, August 4 at 7:30 pm — and the $20,000 first prize. Tickets are available online.

[Read more…]

Winners named in Cooper Piano Competition

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Following the final round of the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall on Friday evening, the judges announced the first, second, and third-place winners.  Prizes were awarded by Thomas and Evon Cooper.

First prize of $20,000 went to Tony Yun, (left, 17) of Toronto, Canada, who played Tchaikovsky’s first concerto. Kai-Min Chang (17) of Changhua County, Taiwan, took home the second prize of $10,000, and Yunchan Lim (14) of Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea was awarded the third prize of $5,000. Chang and Lim had played Chopin’s first and second concertos with the Orchestra.

Earlier, Yun and Lim had tied for the Audience Award following the Recital Round at Oberlin, which gave each of them an additional prize of $500. All three winners also received full-tuition scholarships to the Oberlin Conservatory.

Three finalists named in Cooper Piano Competition

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Following the recital round in Oberlin’s Warner Concert Hall on Wednesday, the jury for the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition announced the three finalists who will play concertos with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall on Friday evening at 7:30 pm, and named the 4th, 5th, and 6th-place winners and the recipients of the Audience Prize.

The final three are Tony Yun, (left, 17) of Toronto, Canada, Yunchan Lim (center, 14) of Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and Kai-Min Chang (right, age 17) of Changhua County, Taiwan.Yun will play Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto. Lim will be featured in Chopin’s Second Concerto. Chang will solo in Chopin’s First Concerto. [Read more…]

Concerto Round at the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition, Tuesday, July 17

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by Mike Telin

The 2018 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition got underway on Saturday morning, July 14, when thirty-one young pianists played the first of two Semifinal Rounds in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory. On Sunday evening the field was narrowed to fifteen. On Tuesday, July 17, the remaining ten competitors played full concertos, and without a doubt, this was the strongest field of young pianists the Competition has put forward to date. Each of the gentlemen brought solid technique and musical flair to their performances.     [Read more…]

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