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After the Cooper Competition: catching up with Sophia Shuya Liu (age 14)

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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.

Not one to rest, Sophia Shuya Liu presented a recital in Philadelphia the day after the competition as part of the Philadelphia Young Pianists Academy. I reached her by phone at her home in Montréal.

Mike Telin: The recital in Philadelphia went well?

Sophia Shuya Liu: It went very well. My teacher was also there, so it was really an amazing event. It was just so fantastic to perform in front of an audience the night after my concert with The Cleveland Orchestra. [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: 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…]

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