Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska, chairperson of the Jury for the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, announced the six semifinalists who will continue in the next round. The competition began on June 8, and the semifinals will take place in two phases from June 14 – 15 at Caruth Auditorium at SMU and Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.
The Competition
The Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for pianists age 13 to 17 was established in 2015, and includes a final round performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. For the preliminary rounds, a total of 23 pianists performed an etude and one Bach Prelude and Fugue, then 12 quarterfinalists moved on to perform a movement from a classical sonata, and a lyrical work. After the semifinals, in the final round, the remaining three pianists will perform a concerto in its entirety with the DSO under the baton of Valentina Peleggi.
On the jury, chairperson Janina Fialkowska is joined by fellow Canadian Jane Coop, along with:
- Adam Golka (United States/Poland)
- Carol Leone (United States)
- Anton Nel (South Africa/United States)
- Roberto Plano (Italy)
- Katia Skanavi (Greece/Russia)
- Jeffrey Swann (United States)
- Orion Weiss (United States)
The Semifinals
The semifinals come after a bit of competition drama. A fire alarm was pulled in the venue before the last quarterfinalist, Modan Oyama, could perform. After a pause, Modan played for the jurors only, who then went on to select the semifinalists.
- Phase I (Wednesday, June 14): a 40-minute recital each that includes a piece written by a living composer and a substantial work of at least 16-minutes.
- Phase II (Thursday, June 15): one concerto movement with piano accompaniment by Mikhail Berestnev and Anastasia Markina.
The Semifinalists
Here’s a list of the semifinalists along with the concerto they’ve chosen to perform in the second part of the competition phase.
- Seokyoung Hong 홍석영, 15, South Korea – RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43 (vars. 18-24)
- Zihan Jin 金子涵, 14, China – LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, S. 124 (II, III, IV)
- Modan Oyama 大山桃暖, 17, Japan – SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22 (II)
- Jan Schulmeister, 16, Czechia – SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22 (II)
- Zhonghua Wei 魏中华, 14, China – LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, S. 124 (II, III, IV)
- Yifan Wu 吴一凡, 14, China – CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, op. 11 (III)
The final round takes place on June 17. A cash award of $15,000 goes to the first prize winner, with $10,000 for the second prize winner, and $5,000 for third. All three top prizes include a $2,500 scholarship.
Good luck to all the competitors.
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