Hi, y’all Van Cliburn fans,

The 5 days in Fort Worth following the finals of the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition are now behind me, and I started writing this on the flight home on Tuesday.

I know I should have written this on Monday while in Fort Worth, but I spent most of the day resting in the bed in my room, recovering from the general lack of sleep and all the excitement I experienced.

I read and heard from many how their opinions disagreed with the outcome of the competition.  The list of three medalists was different from MY list of three favourites, but after some contemplation, I am very much at peace with the jury’s decision.

First of all, Korea’s Son is an energetic pianist who had much to provoke reactions from the audience. Was her exuberant performance of Prokofiev Concerto No.2 way over the top?  Oh, yes, it was indeed. However, I felt it was contextually correct in today’s world of Death Metal and Rap. The interpretation, the energy, and the colours were outrageous, as the piece must have been outrageous in 1913 when it was first premiered. She indeed showed her tremendous Kimchi (Korean spiced pickled cabbage) Power that might seem alien at first. However, like a bowlful of pungent Kimchi Jigae stew, you instantly become enamoured by its richness, the spiciness, and the depth, and you can’t have enough of it. Her stardom can go far.

Then, we have the Michelangeli-like coolness of Zhang.  Meticulous but stern, Zhang’s music may not be as visceral as Son’s, but the stern discipline could bring him much success in digital medium.  His tremendous technical facility would allow him to record forbidding repertoire like Alkan, Godowsky, and Sorabji in addition to the standard repertoire, and to bring them to jaded ears that are all used to Chopin, Liszt and Brahms.

Read the rest of this entry »

What a privilege to have been immersed in music for the past week, to have met so many new friends, and to have been re-energized by the enthusiasm of so many people around the world. What a gift it is to be able to spend time this way, beyond the worries of the world. Everyone plays with different feelings, and listens with different ears. But the emotional connections make us all feel fresh and young again.

Congratulations to all who played — and who listened so attentively: I hope our paths cross again through music.

I’m leaving with what I’d dreamed of finding: fabulous memories that will stay bright and vivid for a lifetime, a feeling of real pride at being part of a family that puts such positive energy into the world, plus a really cool new pair of cowboy boots.

Sincere Thanks to all.

– Mike Hawley

Gold: Haochen Zhang, Nobuyuki Tsujii
Silver: Yeol Eum Son
Crystal: not awarded

Steven De Groote Memorial Award for the Best Performance(s) of Chamber Music: Evgeni Bozhanov, Yeol Eum Son
Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work: Nobuyuki Tsujii
Jury Discretionary Awards: Alessandro Deljavan, Lukas Vondracek, Eduard Kunz
Audience vote: Mariangela Vacatello

This is killing me, and I’m just sitting at my desk on a pleasant, if gray, afternoon in Portland, Oregon. I remember what it was like in Bass Hall eight years ago, and I envy the assembled throng. We’ll have an announcement post as soon as the decision is made.

By Mike Winter

How fitting that this competition named for Van Cliburn would feature the Rachmaninoff Third as the defining piece in a performer’s career.  It’s happened more than once here, and Di Wu just concluded a gold medal performance of the work. 

Speaking of that coveted item, it’s clear to me the top three pianists in this particular circumstance, the finals of the 13th Van Cliburn Piano Competition are as follows, perhaps in this order: Di Wu, Yeol Eum Son and Haochen Zhang.  I have no idea if anyone agrees with me…we shall see.  No matter, everyone is fortunate that the top three pianists receive equal prize money of $20,000.  There will be gold, silver, and crystal to reflect subjective preferences…perhaps a tie or two as well.

I was impressed with Di Wu in 2005–at least enough to purchase her DVD, which I reviewed, along with a few others, just before coming here.  Her growth and determination has been tremendous.  Thinking back over the past three weeks, her performances have been the most consistently high.  Haochen’s performances have been equally consistent, but at this point in their careers, Di Wu has more poetry and just as much perfection. 

What about Nobu?  Nobu is a very fine pianist, but so is everyone here.  If we judge him on musical terms alone, he is a truly fine pianist, regardless of handicaps.

Best chamber music may be tied with Andrea Lam’s Dvorak and Bozhanov’s Franck.  Beyond that, I have no idea.  Stay tuned.

People of blog: in the interest of keeping the conversation on one thread, I hereby direct you to the “The moment” post below. Heartfelt thanks for your participation.