What's Happening Now

2008 EVENTS

Even though it is the "off year" for the Competition, there are many exciting events taking place!  Highlights include our Spring Music Series, PIANO/OHIO, Ghindin's return to Cleveland, and Viva Piano!, our popular fall "mini-festival".  Click here for the complete listing and details of these events!


PEPPER PIKE STUDENT WINS TOP HONORS
IN PIANO/OHIO FINALS


From left: Alexandre Moutouzkine, Vassily Primakov, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Chu-Fang Huang,
Kei Niedra, Jianni Wu, Margret Erlendsdottir, David Mamedov, Yue Qi, John Rady, and Dr. John Flower

Margret Erlendsdottir, a freshman at Hawken School and a resident of Pepper Pike, was judged the winner of PIANO/OHIO, a piano competition for high school students sponsored by the Cleveland International Piano Competition.  The competition was held Saturday, April 26 at Cleveland State University’s Drinko Hall and broadcast on WCLV 104.9 FM.

Miss Erlendsdottir studies with Olga Radosavljevich at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  She was a featured artist at the opening concert at CIM’s Mixon Hall this past year, and the second place winner of the Ohio Music Teacher’s Association Competition in 2002.  In addition to her studies on the piano, she also plays the violin. 

As the winner of the PIANO/OHIO competition, Miss Erlendsdottir received a cash award of $1000.  She, along with the second and third prize winners, also received an invitation to serve on the Junior Jury at the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition.

In addition to Miss Erlendsdottir, the winners were:

SECOND PRIZE
Cash award of $750

Kei Niedra (18), North Ridgeville.  Mr. Niedra is a senior at Lake Ridge Academy and auditioned in Columbus.  He studies with Haewon Song at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. 

THIRD PRIZE
Cash award of $500

David Mamedov (14), Mason.  Mr. Mamedov is a freshman at Mason High School and auditioned in Cincinnati.  He studies with Luba Fedorov and Maxim Mogilevsky.

FINALISTS
Cash awards of $250

Yue Qi (17), Shaker Heights.  Miss Qi is a senior at Shaker Heights High School and auditioned in Akron.  She studies with Lucia Markovich. 

John Rady (16), Strongsville.  Mr. Rady is a sophomore at Strongsville High School and auditioned in Columbus.  He studies with Gerardo Teissonnière at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Jianni  Wu (15), Hudson.  Ms. Wu is a sophomore at Hudson High School and auditioned in Akron.  She studies with Gerardo Teissonnière at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

A field of 25 students participated in qualifying rounds held at Steinway piano dealer locations in Akron/Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati.  Six were selected to advance to Saturday’s final round.

All students were required to prepare 20 minutes of music to be played from memory.  They were permitted to select works from a broad range of composers that included Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Bartok.

The final round of PIANO/OHIO was judged by an esteemed panel of laureates from the Cleveland International Piano Competition, including:

• Ms. Chu-Fang Huang, China, first prize winner, 2005
• Mr. Alexandre Moutouzkine, Russia, third prize winner, 2007
• Mr. Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Italy, first prize winner, 1999
• Mr. Vassily Primakov, Russia, second prize winner, 1999
• Dr. John Flower, Chairman of the Education Committee at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, served as the non-voting chairman of the jury.

The performances of all six finalists are available for download free of charge at www.instantencore.com/clevelandpiano