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Cooper International Piano Competition: Concerto Round at Oberlin (July 22)

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by Daniel Hathaway

After two days of semi-final rounds in which 20 contestants each performed 40-minute recitals, the field of the Cooper International Piano Competition was narrowed to six. On Tuesday, July 22 in Oberlin Conservatory’s Warner Concert Hall those six pianists performed full concertos with piano accompaniment in afternoon and evening sessions. Here are our impressions.

Yangting Wang (13, China) led off with an ingratiating performance of Beethoven’s Concerto No. 1 in C. His well-shaped phrasing of its long lines and elegant, clean scale passages made this performance easy to listen to.

Wang’s relaxed tempo in the Largo movement allowed room for melodies to shine. His playful approach to the third movement Allegro was enhanced by his brisk tempo and well-chosen accents.

Overall, Wang took pains to keep the concerto cool and Apollonian. At the second Steinway, Dr. Annie Lin was a fine collaborator. [Read more…]

Piano Cleveland: CIPC for Young Artists Concerto Final Round (July 15)

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by Daniel Hathaway

The last hurdle to be cleared on the way to the awarding of prizes in Piano Cleveland’s Competition for Young Artists brought the finalists to the stage of Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Saturday, July 15 to play concerto movements with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, led by Steven Byess.

Six items were on the docket: the three Junior Division players chose the opening movements of concertos by Beethoven, Mozart, and Grieg, while the three Seniors each chose Chopin, with only one repetition. Piano Cleveland president Yaron Kohlberg emceed the proceedings. I watched the well-produced webcast.

Concertos, which occupy a singular position in the orchestral ecosystem, are often performed with only a read-through beforehand, which means that both the soloist and the orchestra have to show up well-prepared. But anything can happen in the heat of battle — and adjustments have to be made on the spot with intelligence and sensitivity. [Read more…]

Piano Cleveland: CIPC for Young Artists Prizes awarded after final round (July 15)

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After the final concerto round with Steven Byess and the Canton Symphony in Gartner Auditorium of the Cleveland Museum of Art on Saturday evening, July 15, Piano Cleveland president Yaron Kolhberg announced the prize winners of the 2023 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists.

Senior Division Prize Winners

First Prize ($10,000): Saehyun Kim (16, South Korea)
Second Prize ($5,000): Yanyan Bao (16, China)
Third Prize ($2,500): Ryan Wang (15, Canada) [Read more…]

Piano Cleveland: CIPC for Young Artists Chamber Music Final Round (July 13)

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by Daniel Hathaway

The six pianists who advanced to the final round of Piano Cleveland’s International Competition for Young Artists cleared the first hurdle on their way to winning first, second, and third place prizes with performances in the Chamber Music Round on Thursday evening in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Demonstrating how well they can play with others, the finalists performed single movements of piano trios with members of The Cleveland Orchestra, collaborations that couldn’t help but inspire them to new heights.

For this round, the Juniors enjoyed the expertise of violinist Yun-Ting Lee and cellist Martha Baldwin, cello, while the Seniors joined forces with violinist Jessica Lee and cellist Dane Johansen. I attended via the live webcast. [Read more…]

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