NOBU-LITY / NOBUYUKI TSUJII Piano Recital / Review

NOBU-LITY

NOBUYUKI TSUJII Piano Recital

Esplanade Concert Hall

Tuesday (25 June 2013)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 27 June 2013 with the title "Believe your ears". 

When the young blind Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii was awarded joint First Prize at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, public opinion was divided and polarised. Legions of new fans were touched by his courage and musicality, but there were nay-sayers who felt he was a student-level player who got lucky with the sympathy vote.

Whatever one’s view, only a live recital - as opposed to Internet webcast - would be a true arbiter of his abilities. In that respect, Tsujii did not disappoint. There were however factors that militated against his success. He needed help to get to the piano stool. There was fidgeting before he began, and then that constant bobbing and nodding of his head as he performed, uncoordinated with the rhythm of the music.

By choosing a piano voicing that favoured a dry timbre and brightness over mellowness, there were to be little room for error, especially when he used the sustaining pedal minimally. This was unusual for the music for Debussy which thrives on generous but judicious pedalling and much subtlety. Thus the Two Arabesques sounded cut and dried, but the crispness had a better effect for the dances in the Suite Bergamasque.

Only in the familiar Clair de lune did he apply a sheen of resonance that just about worked. As the pieces got more complicated, as in the three pieces of Estampes (Imprints), the playing got better. There was nary a smudged texture in the Orient-influenced Pagodas, while the Spanish rhythms of Evenings in Granada were superbly judged, with its guitar-like interludes a pleasant diversion.

In the fluid brilliance of Gardens in the Rain and L’Isle Joyeuse (The Joyous Isle), he brought out a startling clarity that seemed at odds with the impressionist intent usually practised. The inexorably build-up to the latter’s climax was one of the evening’s highlights.

The audience’s familiarity of Chopin proved no hindrance, as he made each piece sound freshly turned, beginning with the scintillating Grand Waltz in B flat major (Op.18).  The Second Scherzo in B flat minor (Op.31), with accident-prone leaps on both hands that terrify even the sighted, was accomplished with a conjuror’s sleight of hand. The large screen behind the piano with projections of his hands does not lie.

He closed the recital proper with two Polonaises in A flat major, the elusive Polonaise-Fantasy (Op.61) coming through with much nobility, and seldom as the “Heroic” Polonaise (Op.53) been launched with such fearsome disregard for safety. The repeated left hand octave passage in the latter was stunning in its steadiness and as one might have guessed, did not put a finger wrong.

The sold-out house was rewarded with five encores, including a short greeting of thanks in English and a heartfelt performance of his own elegy in memory to the victims of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake-tsunami tragedy. As a goodwill ambassador for music or any other cause, Tsujii has few equals.   

Nobu meets with the Japanese ambassador to Singapore Mr Yoichi Suzuki and Mrs Suzuki.

Young fans of Nobu have no better role model to emulate.  

Members of the Johore Bahru Nobu Fan Club (Malaysia) came in full force to attend the concert, everyone wearing a Nobuyuki Tsujii Asian Tour tee-shirt.

ZHANG HAOCHEN Piano Recital / Review

ZHANG HAOCHEN Piano Recital
SCO Singapore Conference Hall
Sunday (24 July 2011)

This review was publishe in The Straits Times on 26 July 2011 with the title "Modest Zhang oozes music".

It was not difficult to understand how Zhang Haochen, who at the age of 19, became the first Chinese pianist to win the gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. His debut solo recital in Singapore reveals a confident young man oozing music from every pore, backed by a maturity beyond his tender years.

The perfect antithesis and antidote to the excesses of Lang Lang, Zhang is modest, almost humble and without airs or affectation. His body language also shows that music comes first, and he is merely a servant of the great composers, not the other way around.

Immediately felt was the gorgeous and pearly piano tone he drew from Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood). Each of the thirteen “easy” pieces was given a life of its own, yet coalescing as a whole with an innocence and simplicity that was disarming.

When it came to capturing thunder, there was ample opportunity in Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata (Op.57) where bare knuckles and fists drew blood. Yet he was the epitome of refinement in the central theme and variations. This encompassing of extremes was what made Zhang’s view of Beethoven so vital and relevant.

The same approach also defined Liszt’s Second Ballade in B minor, where “tragedies of public import” were laid bare with a laser-like precision and clarity, and requisite technique to match. He performed the alternative version with hammered chords in place of right hand scales in the climax, which further added to the drama.

Virtuosity without sensitivity is empty bluster, and Zhang’s variegated touch was put to the test in three Debussy Préludes. Rarely have mystical half-lights and tints come through better in Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir (Sounds and Scents Mingle in the Evening Air) or La cathedrale engloutie (The Engulfed Cathedral). A mastery of pedalling and feather-light caresses were the secret.

The sparing use of pedal and percussive approach made Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata sound the bitter and violent essay that it is. Like the Appassionata before it, his probing and prodding brought out the work’s true character. And when one thought his entry into the toccata-like finale was just too fast, he went for broke and delivered the coup de grace.

Two encores, a Chopin nocturne (C# minor, Op.posth.) and Wang Jianzhong’s Hundred Birds Paying Respect to the Phoenix (Bai Niao Chao Feng), brought down the house. Zhang’s return here will be keenly anticipated.

Some Words with ZHANG HAOCHEN, 1st Prizewinner Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009

SOME WORDS WITH ZHANG HAOCHEN
Joint 1st Prize Winner, 

Van Cliburn 

International Piano Competition 2009

Past first prize winners of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition have performed in Singapore, including Vladimir Viardo (1973), André Michel Schub (1981), Jose Feghali (1985), Jon Nakamatsu (1997) and more recently, Alexander Kobrin (2005). Now meet the latest winner, the 21-year-old ZHANG HAOCHEN, who also happens to the youngest ever and first Chinese to clinch this much coveted accolade.

He will perform the Yellow River Concerto with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra on 22 and 23 July (8pm), and a solo recital on 24 July (5pm). In addition, he will also conduct a piano workshop on 20 July (2.30pm) with students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. All events take place at the SCO Singapore Conference Hall.

His recital programme is as follows:

SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, Op.15
BEETHOVEN Sonata in F minor, Op.57 “Appassionata”
LISZT Ballade No.2 in B minor
DEBUSSY Three Préludes from Book 1
  No.4 Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air   du soir
  No.5 Les collines d’Anacapri
  No.10 La cathedrale engloutie
PROKOFIEV Sonata No.7 in B flat major, Op.83

The busy pianist takes time to speak with PianoMania.

You were introduced to the piano at a very young age. Presumably you were a child prodigy on the keyboard. Were your parents musicians themselves? And what led you into a life of music?

My parents aren't musicians, I am the only one in the family. What led me into a life of music is, simply, music itself. Since the day I was introduced to piano, music has brought me closer and closer to the depth of its beauty, until I realized that my life was already inseparable from it.

You had won 1st prize in the China International Piano Competition at Xiamen. But did you expect winning the joint 1st prize at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009?

I tried my best to not think of it. Winning and losing is not something you can decide, so there is no point to think about it. I just tried my best to focus on music, so I didn't have to be distracted by any outside complicated thoughts which could be very bad for one trying to express music naturally.

How does one prepare for such competitions?

Just like how you would prepare for each concert, how you would learn for every day.

You celebrated your 19th birthday during the course of the Cliburn. Some critics decry the pitfalls of winning a major piano competition at such a young age. Do you think 19 is too young for the responsibilities of a winner?

I entered the competition mainly for the sake of getting myself experienced and matured, and I think that the Van Cliburn Competition did help me achieve that through its course. At what age you becomes a competition winner is not the decisive factor, the decisive factor is how you choose to face yourself afterwards.

How were you able to cope with the many engagements that come with winning the big prize while juggling with studies at Curtis?

Studying and playing at the same time could be really tough. However, if you love to do both, then it will not be such a big deal anymore. Besides music, I have always been interested in various things in humanities, including arts, literature, history, etc, and having the opportunities to learn about them, even in the midst of concerts, still makes me feel very fortunate, and is extremely worthwhile.

You studied with Gary Graffman (left), who also taught Lang Lang and Yuja Wang. What was he like as a teacher and mentor? What advice did he impart to you with regards to a lifelong career in music and performing?

He was really an important figure in my life of music. He helped me in exploring my own identity and taught me to think about music for myself, rather than being a student who only knows to follow the teacher.

The life of a concert pianist revolves around giving solo recitals, playing concertos with orchestras and performing chamber music with fellow musicians. Which of these gives you the greatest pleasure?

As a performer, each experience of making music naturally involves a connection between your soul and other souls. It doesn't matter if it is with the composer, with other musicians, with the audience, or a mix of all mentioned above; it always involves this kind of "spiritual connection". Recitals, concertos, and chamber music all have this quality, just in different ways. Part of the beauty of music is that it not only can be expressed, but also can be experienced, in so many different ways. That's why they are all precious experiences for me.

Zhang Haochen was interviewed by PianoManiac.

DVD Review (The Straits Times, July 2011)

A SURPRISE IN TEXAS
13th Van Cliburn 

International Piano Competition
EuroArts 2058168 / ****

The “surprise” in the title of this documentary on America’s most prestigious piano competition should not have been about a blind Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii winning 1st prize, but how the 2009 edition was dominated by Asian pianists. Four of the six finalists were from Japan, China and Korea, with the top three spots also won by Haochen Zhang (Joint 1st) and Yeol-Eum Son (2nd prize). 

Peter Rosen’s absorbing film starts from the preliminaries, identifying personalities out of a field of 30 talents, but the narrative thread left little doubt as to who was going to triumph. Blind from birth, Tsujii’s overcoming of adversity and ultimate artistry was nothing short of miraculous.

That the big prize was shared by the soft-spoken and unassuming Zhang was a surprise, that is until one witnessed his performance of Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka (included among the bonuses of this disc). Simply jaw-dropping stuff. 

Elsewhere, the drama, tension and comedy of competition – of big egos, frayed nerves and shattered dreams - is hinted at but not further developed. Van Cliburn makes a cameo of a few seconds, but the stars are the young pianists themselves, whom veteran juror Menahem Pressler rightly refers to as the “priests of music”, whose gods of Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninov they humbly serve.

BOOK IT:
HAOCHEN’S YELLOW RIVER
with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra 

conducted by Tsung Yeh
22 & 23 July, 

SCO Singapore Conference Hall, 7.30pm
Tickets available at SISTIC

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Asia Dominates

This edition of the Van Cliburn saw four Asians (Nobuyuki Tsujii, Haochen Zhang, Yeol Eum Son & Di Wu) in the grand finals, one more than the number (Joyce Yang, Sa Chen & Chu-Fang Huang) that figured in the 2005 competition. This trend was also noticed at the 2006 Leeds International Piano Competition which saw four and a half pianists of Asian descent (Sunwook Kim, Sunghoon Kim, Siheng Song, Grace Fong and Andrew Brownell, from Korea, China and USA). This has to be a record.

Never in the history of the competition has three Asians been awarded Gold (Tsujii and Zhang) and Silver (Son) Medals. The closest was in 2005 when two Asians finished in the top three (Joyce Yang with silver, and Sa Chen with Bronze).

No Chinese pianist has ever won the Gold until Haochen Zhang. Nobuyuki Tsujii is not the first Japanese to strike Gold. Jon Nakamatsu (Japanese American) won the VC Gold in 1997.

No blind pianist has ever won Gold in a major piano competition until Nobuyuki Tsujii. This win will be the launch of an amazing concert career. The previous closest effort was by Bernard d'Ascoli who placed 3rd in Leeds in 1981.

Both Chinese finalists Haochen Zhang and Di Wu shared a common teacher in Gary Graffman at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute. Graffman also taught Lang Lang and Yuja Wang. See a common pattern emerging? With 20-30 million young pianists emerging from China, there comes a new dimension to the former Cold War dictum "We will bury you".

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Final Results

The final results of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009 have been announced:

Gold: Haochen Zhang (China)

Gold: Nobuyuki Tsujii (Japan)

Silver: Yeol Eum Son (Korea)

Crystal: Not awarded

Finalists: Di Wu (China), Evgeni Bozhanov (Bulgaria) & Mariangela Vacatello (Italy)

Best newly written work: Tsujii

Best Chamber: Bozhanov & Son

Jury Discretionary Awards: Alessandro Deljavan (Italy), Lukas Vondracek (Czech Republic) & Eduard Kunz (Russian)

Audience Award: Vacatello

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Finalists named

The top six of VC 2009 have been named, they are:

BOZHANOV, Evgeni

SON, Yeol Eum

TSUJII, Nobuyuki

VACATELLO, Mariangela

WU, Di

ZHANG, Haochen

Here is the list of concertos to be performed:

BEETHOVEN #2 - once (Wu)

BEETHOVEN #4 - once (Vacatello)

CHOPIN #1 - twice (Bozhanov & Tsujii)

CHOPIN #2 - once (Son)

MOZART #20 - once (Zhang)

PROKOFIEV #2 - twice (Son & Zhang)

PROKOFIEV #3 - once (Vacatello)

RACHMANINOV #2 - twice (Bozhanov & Tsujii)

RACHMANINOV #3 - once (Wu)

Why is everyone so scared of Mozart?

Most unusual picks for final recitals:

BACH-PETRI Sheep May Safely Graze (Son)

SCHOENBERG Drei Klavierstucke Op.11 (Wu)

TAKEMITSU Rain Tree Sketch (Bozhanov)

Look for Vacatello to kick butt in Shostakovich's Prelude & Fugue Op.87 No.15!

Also watch out for the Battle of the Gaspards: Vacatello vs Wu vs Zhang

May the best man, woman and blind person win.

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Semifinals

The semi-finals of VC 2009 brought no less pleasure, even if it meant keeping awake between 3 and 4 in the morning, catching the afternoon session at Fort Worth with hour-long recitals alternated with piano quintets. Has the classical canon become so impoverished that all we have are four regularly played piano quintets – by Brahms, Schumann, Dvorak (Op.81) and Franck? Logistics may be an issue – VC has only one quartet in residence – the excellent Takacs Quartet. Thrown in a double-bassist, and Schubert’s Trout Quintet becomes an option. Throw the net a little wider, and one gets wonderful quintets by Fauré, Dohnanyi and Elgar. Give one violinist a rest, and the three marvellous Brahms piano quartets become become options. These deserve to be heard too!

Nevertheless, I seem to be able to catch the Schumann Op.44, which is fine. After learning the piano part for the finale (which I had intended to play with Seah Huan Yuh’s quartet for a medical event – but later aborted), this is a work I feel a connection to. Mariangela Vacatello, Haochen Zhang (left) and the blind Nobuyuki Tsujii give wonderfully warm performances – and there is little or nothing to separate them. Tsujii’s communication with the Takacs seems almost telepathic, or were they taking his lead as he head-shook his way to more glory? Evgeni Bozhanov plays the only Franck, which is gripping and dramatic, but I thought it could have been even darker.

Of the recitals, some pianists repaid the faith bestowed upon them. The most shining example was Tsujii (left) in Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata. I cannot imagine a more touching and heart-rending performance. Its sheer sincerity and lack of ostentation stood out; this was music from the heart of a stone-deaf German, interpreted from the heart by a blind-as-a-bat Japanese. There cannot be more poignancy than this. There were a few missed notes, but who really cares in the face of this level of artistry? His reading of John Musto’s Improvisation and Fugue (the only performance of the work) came across sui generis, as if Tsujii had written it himself; another absolutely compelling performance. The other pianists might just fold their stools and go home.

Wait! Tsujii did not have the share of serious programmes. Evgeni Bozhanov’s (left) Schubert D.960, coupled with Beethoven Op.31 No.3 had valid claims for greatness of interpretation. Di Wu’s coupling of Clara and Robert Schumann (both Op.6) was totally inspired. Both works opened with the same G major notes and merged seamlessly, with a kaleidoscopic array of emotions pouring forth. Add the two Skazki Op.20 by Medtner (a refreshing change from Rachmaninov and Scriabin) – the second of which is the fearsome Campanella tolling for doom and disaster – and Moszkowski’s Caprice Espagnol, hers was the most joyous recital programme.

Andrea Lam attempted a similar coup, however her selection of Brahms (Op.118), Stravinsky and Ginastera – with no piece longer that 5 minutes - sounded too itsy bitsy to be taken seriously, despite the inherent virtuosity. The sum seemed less than its parts. Mariangela Vacatello (left) followed a solid Liszt Sonata with Scriabin’s volcanic and rather substantial Sonata No.3 and that lovely left hand Nocturne, in a very strong showing. Haochen Zhang’s reading of Chopin’s 24 Préludes (Op.28) was not perfect, but had an arching sense of sweep and inexorability and the showhorse Liszt Rapsodie Espagnole was at the same hallowed level as his Petrushka from the prelims. I missed Yeol Eum Son’s variegated recital of Debussy, Godowsky and Barber and will have to catch it in the archives.

Some pianists had off days; Eduard Kunz (left) had a series of lapses in Rachmaninov’s Moment Musicaux No.1 (Op.16), rendering it almost interminable. Michail Lifits had careless moments in the Liszt Sonata, which may have put paid to his chances. Kyu Yeon Kim’s hard driven Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition fell apart in the Marketplace of Limoges while Alessandro Deljavan’s tandem of Schubert and Scriabin Sonatas just sounded too cavalier for this competition.

My picks for the finals (of those whom I heard, alphabetically):

BOZHANOV
TSUJII
VACATELLO
WU
ZHANG
Dark Horse: LAM or DANK

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Semifinals beckon

The semifinals recitals of the Cliburn promise a wealth of piano repertoire, thankfully with minimal duplication of works. There will be two performances of Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, by Michail Lifits and Mariangela Vacatello, and that’s about it. The performance that screams out for attention will be blind guy Nobuyuki Tsujii’s performance (left) of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata (Op.106) – it will either be a revelation that nets him a place in the finals or total mayhem. I can’t imagine anything in between, given the hoops he has to jump through, not to mention that fugue.

Here are the major works to be heard:

BACH Partita No.4
BARBER Sonata
BEETHOVEN Sonatas Op.31 No.3, Op.53 Waldstein, Op.101, Op.106
CHOPIN Preludes Op.28 (no Sonatas this time!)
LISZT Sonata (x2), Spanish Rhapsody
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition
PROKOFIEV Sonatas No.7 & 8
RACHMANINOV Moments Musicaux Op.16 (no Sonatas)
SCHUMANN Davidsbundlertänze
SCHUBERT Sonatas D.850 & 960
SCRIABIN Sonatas No.3 & 5

The most intriguing recital programmes come from the women, especially Andrea Lam and Di Wu, and Yeol Eum Son to a lesser estent. With their unusual repertoire, it looks like they are not playing to the jury, but rather for themselves and music. Brava! Or should I say Bravi!

Lam’s recital includes:
HAYDN Sonata No.50 in C major
BRAHMS Klavierstücke Op.118 (I can imagine her playing No.3 with a cheeky smile)
STRAVINSKY Études Op.4
GINASTERA Suite de Danzas Criollas

Di Wu’s recital:
CLARA SCHUMANN Mazurka, from Soirée Musicales Op.6
ROBERT SCHUMANN Davidsbundlertänze Op.6 (with Op.6 from both husband and wife, what symmetry!)
MEDTNER Skazki Op.20
MOSZKOWSKI Caprice Espagnol

Son’s recital:
DEBUSSY 6 Préludes from Book 1
GODOWSKY Symphonic Metamorphosis on Die Fledermaus
BARBER Sonata

Let’s hope at least one of them passes to the final, if not all three!

The scorecard of semifinals quintets reads:
BRAHMS 4 - SCHUMANN 4 – DVORAK 3 – FRANCK 1
The maverick playing the Franck is Evgeni Bozhanov.

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Semi-finalists selected

The judges have spoken, and the 12 semi-finalists are as follows (by alphabetical order):

BOZHANOV, Evgeni *
DANK, Ran *
DELJAVAN, Alessandro *
KIM, Kyu Yeon *

KUNZ, Eduard
LAM, Andrea *
LIFITS, Michail

SON, Yeol Eum

TSUJII, Nobuyuki *
VACATELLO, Mariangela *

WU, Di
ZHANG, Haochen*

*My picks

No Americans have been selected (Stars and Stripes Forever Denied). I also cannot understand the omission of Lukas Vondracek and Zhang Zuo, major major talents, but these decisions are always bound to be contentious when the competition is so stiff. Minor differences between judges' marks can easily sway the favour to one pianist over another. Cest la vie. Now to the semis...

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009: Preliminary Round Impressions

VAN CLIBURN 

INTERNATIONAL 

PIANO COMPETITION 

2009:

Preliminary Round Impressions

The VC has come and truly kicked off, and my season of lost sleep and drowsy mornings has begun. By the time this note gets published, 12 semi-finalists will have been named. 29 pianists from around the globe have given their all, and what an enthralling feast of music this has become.

Firstly, here are 5 reasons why the VC is the top piano concours on our planet:

1. Every pianist selected has been excellent. Other competitions have left me wondering how this or that pianist ever got selected in the first place, with performance riddled with errors, memory lapses or plain incompetence. No such problems with VC.

2. This is without doubt every pianist’s dream showcase of their talents. Anyone who has made it thus far will be known by the world’s pianophile community instantly.

3. Every minute of each performance may be viewed “live” via the Internet (http://www.cliburn.tv/), with audio and visual choices. These have also been archived for repeated viewing. All free of charge, and no pre-registration needed!

4. The publicity machinery of the VC has been all encompassing. As early as January, regular updates via e-mail have kept me close to the happenings at Fort Worth, from the worldwide auditions to the final selection and now the competition itself.

5. The blog on the VC website (www.cliburn.org/blog) is updated every few minutes by a dedicated community of music lovers and pianists, and one immediately gets the buzz of what’s happening despite not being in Bass Hall.

Enough of pimping (while I think of 5 more), here are my impressions of the first five days:

Tuning in

It is a labour of love to set the alarm clock for 1.50 am every morning to catch the live broadcast which begins at 1 pm (Central US time) at Forth Worth, TX. It is another to try and keep awake for the next three and a half hours, knowing full well that a full working day fighting H1N1 awaits. Microsoft’s Silverlight has fairly good resolution but doesn’t always work perfectly – full of stops and starts – and I also rely on an audio-only broadcast on KTCU FM. The computer at work is equally erratic but I get to hear and see some (but not all) of the pianists. The archived performances are wonderful, and I can catch them again at my own leisure.

Amazing Asians

Almost half of the pianists are of East Asian ethnicity and origin, many of whom are studying in USA and Europe. The youngest is 19-year-old Haozhen Zhang (China, left), a student of Gary Graffman at Curtis, who gave the most stupendous performance of Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka this side of Pollini. He has a modest stage demeanor, and with self-assured and immaculate accounts of Beethoven Op.110 and Chopin Op.61, a semi-final place is assured.

I also liked Feng Zhang (China, left) whose programme was a delicious smorgasbord of styles – a Haydn sonata, Mendelssohn’s most famous Prelude and Fugue (Op.35 No.1), Liszt’s St Francis of Assisi Sermon to the Birds and the earlier (and longer) 1913 version of Rachmaninov’s Sonata No.2 (Op.36). He is a self-effacing artist who is much underrated.

The most amazing show of courage came from the blind-from-birth Nobuyuki Tsujii (Japan) who made Chopin’s Twelve Études Op.10 and Liszt’s La Campanella sound like child’s play. Because vision was no longer an issue, he could play with his head swaying to and fro like a shaken rag doll’s. No fear of being politically incorrect here, his blindness puts the rest of us to shame. He would still have qualified had he two or four functioning eyes.

Fantastic Females

The women were more than a match for the men. Ironically, only two were non-Asian, Natacha Kudritskaya (Ukraine) who opened in poll position (unlike Formula One, No.1 is the dreaded number!) and Mariangela Vacatello (Italy, left) who reprised her superb Sydney showings of Busoni’s Chopin Variations and Liszt’s Trancendental Etude No.10 (The latter better this time). Of the two, I favour Vacatello to proceed.

Among the Asian women, 20-year-old Zhang Zuo (China) whose repertoire was uncannily similar to Sa Chen’s in 2005, was a standout with her Liszt Sonata in B minor – solid and unusually mature – a flurry of Études (Liszt, Chopin & Stravinsky) and Haydn’s Sonata No.40 in G major. Joyce Yang’s girlish smile and almost carefree demeanour was relived by Andrea Lam (Australia, left) who gave a perfectly conceived account of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke Op.12, two colourful selections from Granados’ Goyescas and a most unusual encore – Aaron Jay Kernis’ Superstar Etude No.2, based on Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight. Fighting to keep awake, I catch enough of Kyu Yeon Kim (Korea) in her Schumann Kreisleriana and Bartok Études to decide that she is worth catching again.

Ang Li (Canada) and Di Wu (China) are returnees from VC 2005, and despite improved showings this time, I fear they may not make the cut. If I were to pick one of these two, it would be Wu.

Slavs to rule again?

There are fewer Russians this time around, and I’m afraid there will be no Kobrin to fly their flag this year. Eduard Kunz (Russia, left), also known as Kunts in other competitions, divided the pundits, but was unanimously praised for his sensitive string of five Scarlatti Sonatas. Ilya Rashkovskiy (Russia) did his chances no harm in Beethoven Op.110, Chopin Op.23 and Rachmaninov’s Op.36 (the shorter 1931 version), but is mere accuracy and sheer competence enough to see him through?

Gimmicks like facial grimacing, head-shakes, near swoons and an ultra-low custom-made stool might help Evgeni Bozhanov (Bulgaria), whom despite the above handicaps, gave totally convincing accounts of Mozart’s K.311 and Chopin’s Op.58.

The Slav that got everyone talking / blogging was Lukas Vondracek (Czech Republic, left), whose playing seemed on an exulted plane altogether. Who would dare programme Chopin’s Nocturnes Op.9 No.2 and Op.48 No.1 in a competition without having anything special to say? His vision of these over-familiar works was gorgeous to say the least, and brought new insights into Bach’s Italian Concerto and Liszt’s Harmonies du soir. His encores of Smetana’s Czech Dances were mere icing on the cake.

Old World Values

Not to be under-estimated, the Old World brought new wine. Alessandro Deljavan (Italy, left) led the pack with arguably the best performance of Liszt Sonata in B minor, coupled with an equally convincing Haydn Sonata No.52. The gift borne by Vassilis Varvaresos (Greece) was surely Elliot Carter’s Catenaires, one of the more amazing rarities heard. There were two Israelis - Ran Dank who offered Boulez’s Douze Notations (his signature piece again) and Victor Stanislavsky who bravely programmed Schumann’s Humoreske Op.20 and some Ligeti. I see Dank getting through. There were no Brits or French pianists this time, but no great loss.

Stars and Stripes

USA was well represented, with most recent Gina Bachauer winner Stephen Beus being the most fancied. His Barber Sonata Op.26 should be enough to see him through. I also heard Chetan Tierra, who produced a lovely sound but his loss of concentration in Brahms Paganini Variations Book 1 may prove deleterious.

Carl Vine has arrived

Almost every piano competition sees one performance of the Australian Carl Vine’s Sonata No.1 (pictured left), a highly accessible and tonal work with a penchant for digital brilliance. This one had two – played by Spencer Myer (USA) and Naomi Kudo (USA) – which suggests that CV has now become as mainstream as Messiaen, Dutilleux and Ginastera.

I did not get to hear Michail Lifits, Mayumi Sakamoto, Yeo Eum Son or Amy Yang, so will have to be satisfied with their archived performances later.

Of those I heard, my 12 picks for the semi-finals (in alphabetical order):

BEUS
BOZHANOV
DANK
DELJAVAN
KIM
LAM
TSUJII
VACATELLO
VONDRACEK
ZHANG, Feng
ZHANG, Haochen
ZUO

Will the jury concur?

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009

In just over an hour's time, the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition kicks off in Forth Worth, Texas. 29 pianists vie for arguably the biggest prize in the world of piano concours. Is this the Olympics of the Piano? Or the piano version of American Idol? AI 8 just ended yesterday with probably the biggest upset in Idol history - underdog Kris Allen toppled the overwhelming favourite Adam Lambert for the biggest prize in the pop music industry. Perhaps AI is the Van Cliburn competition of the pop world!

Are there any favourites in VC13? The answer is thankfully, no. Anyone of the 29 (one pianist Yue Chu pulled out in the 11th hour because of a hand injury) can win this competition, and it could easily be an Asian this time.

The piano has indeed made the world a smaller place. Of the 6 finalists in the 2005 competition, I had the opportunity of hearing or meeting 4 of them in person - Kobrin, Sa Chen, Plano and Huang. And that without leaving the "boondocks" of Singapore and Australia. The same applies for the 2009 competition; nobody is ever a stranger now. So who among the 29 have I heard or met in person?

ILYA RASHKOVSKIY - 1st prize winner @ Hong Kong International Piano Competition 2005, has already performed in Singapore twice.

DI WU - Soloist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra on two occasions, the first time when she was a teenager.

RAN DANK - 3rd prize winner @ Sydney International Piano Comeptition 2008. As I had earlier predicted, he would perform Boulez's Douze Notations at VC.

MARIANGELA VACATELLO - Semi-finalist @ Sydney International Piano Competition 2008. Watch out for her Busoni Chopin Variations.

FENG ZHANG - Quartet-finalist @ Sydney International Piano Competition 2008. No Alkan or Godowsky at VC, so he's playing safe this time.

SPENCER MYER - Semi-finalist @ Leeds International Piano Competition 2006.

All my best wishes to them. The real joy of competitions is to discover new talent, so let the battle of the ivories begin!

Who's In and Who's Out at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Who’s In and Who’s Out
at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2009

Strange as it may seem, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition has announced the names of the 30 finalists (who play it out at Fort Worth, Texas in the summer) almost on the same day that American Idol revealed its final 13 singers. The parallels between the two talent contests have not gone unnoticed; both are multi-million buck extravangazas with worldwide coverage, showcasing art (piano playing and singing) as a reality show of sorts. If only the young people in America paid more attention to classical music…

For some reason, there are only 30 names compared with the 35 that competed in 2005. That’s an improvement in a way that qualifying for the semi-finals becomes less of a lottery, and there will be fewer “duds”. At the 1st and 2nd rounds of the Sydney Competition of 2007, I was left wondering how some of the pianists actually made the final cut.

Here are the pianists:

Stephen BEUS, United States, 27

Evgeni BOZHANOV, Bulgaria, 25

Yue CHU, China, 25

Ran DANK, Israel, 27

Alessandro DELJAVAN, Italy, 22

Yoonjung HAN, Korea, 24

Kyu Yeon KIM, Korea, 23

Naomi KUDO, United States, 22

Natacha KUDRITSKAYA, Ukraine, 25

Eduard KUNZ, Russia, 28

Andrea LAM, Australia, 27

Soyeon LEE, Korea, 29

Ang LI, Canada, 24

Michail LIFITS, Germany, 26

Spencer MYER, United States, 30

Ilya RASHKOVSKIY, Russia, 24

Mayumi SAKAMOTO, Japan, 26

Yeol Eum SON, Korea, 23

Victor STANISLAVSKY, Israel, 26

Chetan TIERRA, United States, 25

Nobuyuki TSUJII, Japan, 20

Mariangela VACATELLO, Italy, 27

Vassilis VARVARESOS, Greece, 26

Lukas VONDRACEK, Czech Republic, 22

Di WU, China, 24

Amy J. YANG, China, 25

Feng ZHANG, China, 23

Haochen ZHANG, China, 19

Ning ZHOU, China, 21

Zhang ZUO, China, 20

Lots of familiar names, and some new ones too. Returning to the scene of battle are 5 pianists from 2005, including Ilya Rashkovskiy (left, Russia) – who has won 1st Prize at the Hong Kong IPC (2005) and 4th Prize at the Queen Elisabeth IPC (2006) in the interim - Di Wu (China), Soyeon Lee (Korea), Ang Li (Canada) and Stephen Beus (USA). All five did not make the semifinals the last time round, so experience would be a factor here. Unfortunately, there will be no happy returns for two 2001 finalists Vassily Primakov (Russia) and Yunjie Chen (China).

Again, Asian names comprise 16 finalists, 11 of whom are women. Watch out for the prodigious Zhang Zuo (left, China) of the Eastman School, who was a student of Dan Zhaoyi (Yundi Li’s teacher in Shenzhen) and duo partner of Singaporean violinist Jonathan Ong. I am also thrilled that two of my namesakes have made it: Feng Zhang (China) and Haozhen Zhang (China). I heard the former at the 2007 Sydney Competition; he had given splendid performances of Liszt’s Feux follets, Alkan’s Le festin d’Esope and two Schubert-Godowsky song transcriptions, but was desperately unlucky not to make the quarter finals. The former, a student of Gary Graffman, was the winner of the China International Piano Competition in Xiamen in 2007.

Two other pianists who shined in Sydney are in: Ran Dank (Israel) and semifinalist Mariangela Vacatello (Italy) which means we will probably get to hear more Schoenberg and Shostakovich in Fort Worth. Two notable Australians missed the cut – the stylish Hoang Pham and David Fung – but Ozzie Andrea Lam (left) is in. Whoever said that there were no Australian women pianists?

There are fewer Russians than expected at this year’s VC. Besides Ilya Rashkovskiy, there’s only Eduard Kunz. At the Piano-e-Competition in Minnesota, he’s known as Eduard Kunts. Will he make up his mind what his name actually is, or which passport he is going to use? Natacha Kudritskaya hails from the Ukraine, while Michail Lifits (Germany) came from Uzbekistan. Probably the Slavs to beat are Evgeni Bozhanov (Bulgaria), recent winner of the 2008 Casagrande Competition and the 2008 Sviatoslav Richter Competition (Moscow), which has no upper age limit, and the prodigious Lukas Vondracek (left, Czech Republic). Steinway-Meister Walter Haass heard Vondracek in a performance of Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting in Western Australia and reckons he’s the real thing.

There are 4 Americans in the running: former Mormon missionary Stephen Beus (left, Winner of the 2006 Gina Bachauer IPC, whom some reckon to resemble Van Cliburn in stature, but whose photo looks a bit more like David Buechner), Spencer Myer (whom I heard and liked at Leeds 2006), Californian Chetan Tierra and DC-born Naomi Kudo. Kudoes all for flying the Stars and Stripes high. Can we hope for at least one American semi-finalist this year?

American Idol 8 has Scott McIntyre, its first ever blind singer. So Van Cliburn should not be denied as well, with the qualification of blind pianist Noboyuki Tsujii (left) of Japan. He is a certain shoo-in for the Jury Discretionary Award, Audience Favourite Award, Most DVDs Sold Award, and most Standing Ovations Award. No doubt about it.

What about the high-flying Korean Lim brothers: Dong Hyek and Dong Min? Apparently, both were no shows at the New York auditions. After clinching finals placings at the Queen Elisabeth, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin Competitions, and having an exclusive EMI Classics contract, anything less than finishing joint Crystal Award winners at Van Cliburn would be a total and utter come down. So, a smart move, lads!

Don't forget to check out the official Van Cliburn website for more updates: http://www.cliburn.org/

The Cliburn is upon us now!

VAN CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 2009
Screening Auditions 15 January – 24 February

Is it a coincidence that the screening auditions for this year’s Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (the lucky 13th edition of the world’s most hyped up concours) begin as the world witnesses on television the screening auditions of American Idol 8? Both are talent contests which promise heaven and earth for whoever wins (and the runners-up), but are they the recipe for a successful lifelong career of performing?

Nay-sayers will claim that the last winner of VC to have a stellar career was Radu Lupu, and that was way back in 1966. The others have come and gone, and in the cases of Steven de Groote (1977) and Alexei Sultanov (1989) lost to this world forever. The truth is that whoever wins will bask in the limelight for 4 years, make some recordings, and hopefully get on a worldwide (rather than merely American) circuit of concerts, before joining academia and becoming forgotten as everyone clamours for the next winner.

155 hopefuls will join the fray, auditioning in 6 cities in Asia, Europe and the States, in the quest of becoming one of the 35 or 36 who gets to play in Fort Worth, Texas in May and June. Who are they and what are their chances?

A quick scan of the 155 reveals the usual suspects who fill the pages of the Alink-Argerich Foundation’s list of competition winners. Some have won 1st prizes worldwide:

Evgeni Bozhanov (Sviatoslav Richter Competition, Moscow)
Dong Hyek Lim (Marguerite Long, Paris)
Spencer Myer (UNISA, Pretoria)
Vassily Primakov (Gina Bachauer, Salt Lake City)
Stephen Beus (Gina Bachauer, Salt Lake City)
Hoang Pham (Lev Vlassenko, Brisbane)
Chun Wang (Villa-Lobos, Sao Paulo)
Ilya Rashkovskiy (Hong Kong)
Wenyu Shen (Rachmaninoff, Pasadena)

At least five were former 1st prizewinners of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (South Carolina): Konstantin Soukevetski, Di Wu, Dmitri Levkovich, Ran Dank and Eric Zuber, surely a stepping stone to bigger things. Three were among the finalists in the 2008 Sydney International Piano Competition: Tatiana Kolesova (2nd prize), Ran Dank (3rd prize) and Eric Zuber (6th). There are several runners-up in major competitions: Wenyu Shen (Queen Elisabeth 2003, Hong Kong 2005), Ching Yun Hu (Arthur Rubinstein 2007), Zhang Zuo (Shenzhen 2007), just to name a few. Even one, Dong Hyek Lim, has an ongoing contract with EMI Classics. Fort Worth seems to be the true Holy Grail of all these competitors.

Fingers will fly and gazillions of notes will be heard as virtuoso fodder takes centrestage. (That's Sergei, left, beating a quick retreat from the keyboard. Whoever thought his Op.36 be used as a jury torture implement?) These warhorses are among the most popular:

RACHMANINOV Sonata No.2 (14 performances, 5 to be heard in Shanghai alone.)
STRAVINSKY Three Movements from Petrushka (12)
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit (9)
RAVEL La Valse (7)
BRAHMS Paganini Variations (6)
LISZT Reminiscences de Don Juan (6)
LISZT Sonata in B minor (6)
LISZT Dante Sonata (5)
PROKOFIEV Sonata No.7 (5)

Big surprise: There will be only ONE performance of Balakirev’s Islamey, by the aptly named Timur Scherbakov.

Korean brothers and rivals Dong Min Lim (seated, left) and Dong Hyek Lim (standing) will both perform in New York, playing exactly the same pieces: Schubert’s Impromptus D.899 and Ravel’s La Valse. Both were awarded ex-aequo 3rd prizes at the 2005 Chopin International Piano Competition. Talk about being unimaginative.

The blind Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, semi-finalist at the 2005 Chopin, performs a Scarlatti sonata and Chopin’s 12 Etudes Op.10 in Fort Worth. Certainly newsworthy stuff but will he be getting sympathy votes?

Returning after a hiatus of 8 years: Vassily Primakov (semi-finalist in 2001) and Yunjie Chen (quarter-finalist 2001). So it pays to start competing early.

Second bite of the cherry. 6 pianists will be vying for a return to Fort Worth having qualified in 2005: Esther Park, Ilya Rashkovskiy, Soyeon Lee, Stephen Beus, Di Wu and Ang Li.

The sink or swim programme is offered by Tanya Gabrielian in New York, featuring just one work: Rachmaninov’s rarely-played 45-minute long First Sonata.

There are four Korean pianists with similar names: Sooyeon Ham, Soyeon Kim (both playing in Hannover), Kyu Yeon Kim and Soyeon Lee (both New York). From China: Chi Wu and Di Wu. Hope the judges do not mix these Oriental lasses up.

Whatever happened to the Brits? Only one pianist from the United Kingdom is taking part: Ron Abramski. So much for the land that gave us John Ogdon, John Lill, Ian Hobson and Peter Donohoe.

Best Names: Vladimir Farkov (left) and Eduard Kunz, both playing in St Petersburg. Wonder what their piano duo will be called?

For more information, and to read the official Van Cliburn Competition blog, check out: www.cliburn.org