Armen Babakhanian

Finalist

Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1993)

twelve-city tour of Japan; Israel Philharmonic; Argentina Symphony Orchestra; recitals in Australia, China, Thailand • complete piano music of Khachaturian (Real Sound) • founder, Cadence Quintet (piano, guitar, violin, bandoneon, bass) in 2004 • artist-in-residence at the Yerevan State Conservatory; artistic director of the Yerevan International Piano Competition • managed by N.A.B. Artists Management Ltd.

 

Philippe Bianconi

Silver Medal

Seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1985)

Orchestre National de Lille; Orchestre National de Lyon; Melbourne Symphony; Warsaw Philharmonic; Monte Carlo Philharmonic; 92nd Street Y Orchestra, conducted by James Conlon • recordings: complete works of Ravel for solo piano (Lyrinx); Schulhoff Piano Concerto with the Orchester der Bayerishen Rundfunk/Conlon (Capriccio) • managed by Herbert Barrett Management

 

Fabio Bidini

Finalist

Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1993)

Buffalo Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, China National Orchestra (Beijing), U.S. tour with the NordWestDeutsche Sinfonietta • future engagements: Honolulu Philharmonic, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Santa Barbara philharmonic, China Tour with the NWD Philharmonie, and appearance at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam • artistic director and conductor of the NordWestDeutsche Sinfonietta; co-director of the "Orazio Frugoni International Music Festival" in Assisi, Italy • artist-in-residence at the University of Texas (Arlington) • managed in the United States by Arts Management Group, Inc. and worldwide by Studio Art Concert Agency • www.fabiobidini.com

 

Christian Blackshaw

Finalist

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic at the Proms, Berlin Symphony Orchestra tour, London Philharmonic, St. Petersburg "White Nights Festival," recitals at Queen Elizabeth Hall • www.christianblackshaw.com

 

Rudolf Buchbinder

Finalist

Second Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1966)

recitals in Berlin, Salzburg, Seville, Berkeley, Kansas City, Milan, Vienna; orchestra tour with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and appearances with the Orchestra del Teatro Communale (Bologna); RAI Torino; Dallas and Vienna Symphony Orchestras; Minnesota and Philadelphia Orchestras; and the Israel, Munich, and New York Philharmonic Orchestras • managed by IMG Artists • www.buchbinder.net

 

Davide Cabassi

Finalist

Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Davide Cabassi made his orchestral debut at the age of thirteen with the RAI Symphony Orchestra in Milan. He has since performed in Austria, China, France, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Scandinavia, and Switzerland, highlighted by appearances in Salzburg's Mozarteum, the Gasteig in Munich, and Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow. Davide Cabassi's debut disc for Sony-BMG records, Dancing with the Orchestra, featuring works by Bartok, De Falla, Ravel, and Stravinsky, was released worldwide in the spring of 2006. He was featured prominently in the film documentary about the Twelfth Cliburn Competition, In the Heart of Music. • Managed by Artists International Management • www.davidecabassi.net.

 

Sa Chen

Crystal Award Winner

Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Sa Chen was awarded third prize and became the first recipient of the Crystal Award at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Born into a musical family in Chongqing, China, Sa Chen is considered, along with Lang Lang and Yundi Li, as one of today's most important Chinese pianists.

When Ms. Chen was still a teenager, she was named first-prize winner of the 1994 China International Piano Competition. Winning fourth prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition 1996, as the youngest contestant in the competition, marked the beginning of Sa Chen's international career. Also a top prizewinner of the 2000 Chopin Competition, she has quickly become known to audiences throughout Europe and Asia. 

Sa Chen's debut disc Chopin Impression was released in 2003 under the JVC label. Her prize-winning performances of Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit and Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody at the 2005 Cliburn Competition are among the works included on the harmonia mundi disc released in early fall 2005.

Managed by Van Cliburn Foundation - (817) 738-6536

 

Michel Dalberto

Finalist

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, six-city tour of Australia, Hague Philharmonic Orchestra tour • juror, 2004 Montreal International Piano Competition • worldwide management links • www.micheldalberto.com

 

Barry Douglas

Bronze Medal

Seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1985)

most prominent Irish pianist of his generation, upcoming engagements include European tour with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Temirkanov); U.S. tour with his Camerata Ireland; appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Kuala Lumpur Orchestra, as well as many recitals worldwide • artistic director, Camerata Ireland and the Manchester International Piano Festival • managed by IMG Artists and Opus3 Artists • www.barrydouglas.com

 

José Feghali

Gold Medal

Seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1985)

Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Shanghai, Beijing, Brazilian Symphony Orchestras; solo and chamber music appearances in the United States, Canada, China, and South America • Schumann solo piano disc and Brahms recordings (Anacapa Music); Villa-Lobos recording with Nashville Symphony (Naxos) • associate director, Mimir Chamber Music Festival; artistic advisor and conductor, Texas Chamber Orchestra • artist-in-residence, Texas Christian University • producer/engineer for several projects, including recordings for VAI, Koch, Naxos, and Anacapa labels • managed by Performing Artists International • www.feghali.com

 

Filippo Gamba

Finalist

Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

recital, orchestra, and festival appearances throughout Italy; concerts in Argentina, Germany, Finland (Kuhmo Festival), and Macedonia; performances with the Bremen Staatsorchester, Munich Symphony, as well as the Vanbrugh and Hugo Wolf Quartets • professor, Hochschule für Musik in Basel • managed by Leonardo Finotti • www.filippogamba.it

 

Ian Hobson

Finalist

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

concerts with the Cypress, Pacifica, and Tokyo String Quartets; music festivals in Italy, Japan, and Romania • founder and music director of Sinfonia da Camera, recently led the Sinfonia Varsovia (Poland) in a Carnegie Hall appearance and in Warsaw • soon to be released are works by American composer Don Gillis and discs devoted to Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Benjamin Lees for Albany Records • jury chair, 2005 Cleveland International Piano Competition • managed by American International Artists • www.ianhobson.net

 

Chu-Fang Huang

Finalist

Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

A top prizewinner of several regional and international competitions, Chu-Fang Huang was awarded first prize at the 2005 Cleveland International Piano Competition two months after reaching the finals of the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In January 2006, Chu-Fang was named a first prizewinner of the 2006 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Claude Frank, Ms. Huang is currently pursuing her Master's degree at the Juilliard School of Music as a pupil of Robert McDonald.

Managed by Young Concert Artists • www.chufanghuang.com

 

Stanislav Ioudenitch

Gold Medal

Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2001)

Borusan Philharmonic (Istanbul), RTE National Symphony Orchestra (Dublin), National Philharmonic of Russia conducted by Vladimir Spivakov, Iris Chamber Orchestra (Nashville); recitals in Milan, New York, Zurich • associate professor of piano, Park University (Kansas City, Missouri); visiting professor, International Piano Foundation Academy in Cadenabbia, Italy 

 

Jan Gottlieb Jiracek

Finalist

Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

recitals in Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, San Diego, and Vienna; South African tour, including performances with the Capetown and Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestras; engagements with the Trio Thetys and Nomos Quartet in Austria and Germany • professor, University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (youngest ever to be tenured) • www.jiracek.com

 

Jeffrey Kahane

Finalist

Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1981)

all Beethoven Concerti with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) at Hollywood Bowl and with the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia; La Jolla Summer Fest; tour with Emerson String Quartet; performances with the Baltimore and Toronto Symphony Orchestras • recording of Bach concerti with Hilary Hahn/LACO (Deutsche Grammophon) • music director, Los Angeles Chamber and Santa Rosa Symphony Orchestras; music director designate of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra • managed by IMG Artists • www.laco.org

 

Yakov Kasman

Silver Medal

Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

Alabama, Baleares (Spain), Nashville, and Oregon Symphony Orchestras; Buffalo and Daejeon (Korea) Philharmonic Orchestras • recent recordings for Calliope include Scriabin Complete Sonatas; Shostakovich Violin and Cello Sonatas with Petr Prause; Shostakovich Quintet with Talich Quartet • artist-in-residence at the University of Alabama at Birmingham • managed by Jonathan Wentworth Associates, Ltd. • www.yakovkasman.com

 

Olga Kern

Gold Medal

Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2001)

U.S. tour with the Warsaw Philharmonic; Colorado, Nashville, New Mexico, Phoenix, Syracuse, and Utah Symphony Orchestras; recitals at Carnegie Hall (twice in Spring 2004), Metropolitan Museum of Art, Spivey Hall (Atlanta); South African tour • harmonia mundi usa exclusive artist, including: Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Rochester Philharmonic; Rachmaninoff Corelli Variations and complete transcriptions • managed by Columbia Artists Management, Inc.

 

Alexander Kobrin

Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal Winner of the Internet Audience Prize

Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Mr. Kobrin was awarded the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2005). In 2006, Kobrin made his debut with the New York Philharmonic at both the Avery Fisher Hall and for the inaugural concert of the Bethel Woods Arts Centre.  • Recent and upcoming engagements include a debut at BBC Proms with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain with Mark Elder, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Vasily Petrenko at The Sage Gateshead in December 2008, Ulster Orchestra with Tuomas Ollila-Hannikainen, City of Birmingham Symphony with Vasily Sinaisky, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin with Ludovic Morlot, Wroclaw Philharmonic with Jacek Kaspszyk, together with recitals at the Louvre, Wigmore Hall, Esplanade Concert Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre Hong Kong and a recital tour of Italy consisting of cities such as Palermo and Varese. • In addition to the Cliburn Competition disc for harmonia mundi including works by Brahms and Rachmaninoff, Mr. Kobrin has started a recording project devoted to Chopin for the King label in Japan. He is also prominently featured in In the Heart of Music, the film documentary about the Twelfth Cliburn Competition. When Alexander Kobrin is not performing, he teaches at the Moscow State Gnessin Academy of Music. • Managed by IMG Artists

 

Valery Kuleshov

Silver Medal

Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1993)

Oklahoma City Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony • recordings available on BelAir, BIS, Philips, and VAI Audio • artist-in-residence, University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond) • managed by Linda Bosteels • www.valery.kuleshov.com

 

Maria Luisa Lopez-Vito

Finalist

Second Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1966)

recently edited piano works for the noted German philosopher and composer, Theodor W. Adorno for Richard Boorberg Publishers in Munich • performances in Germany and the Philippines • establishing a piano school for disadvantaged children in the Philippines

 

Benedetto Lupo

Bronze Medal

Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1989)

Orchestre Filarmonique de Liege; Montreal, Seattle, Utah, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras; upcoming engagements with the Montreal, Oregon, St. Louis Symphony Orchestras; tour with London Philharmonic • Nino Rota's Concerto Soirée with the Orquesta de Granada (Josep Pons) recently released by harmonia mundi • managed by Thea Dispeker Inc.

 

Radu Lupu

Gold Medal

Second Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1966)

firmly established as one of the most important artists of his generation, regularly collaborates with the world's top orchestras and performs recitals in the major capitals of Europe and North America • Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra (all five Beethoven concerti), Los Angeles Philharmonic and performances with the Staatskapelle Berlin with Daniel Barenboim in Chicago and New York • managed in the United States by Opus3 Artists.

 

Alexander Mndoyants

Finalist

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

professor, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory; performs recitals and gives master classes throughout Russia on a regular basis • a collection of his writings on teaching will be published by Muzika (Russia)

 

Károly Mocsári

Finalist

Seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1985)

recently toured the United States with the Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra; duo piano tour with Akos Hernandi, including performances in France, Germany, and Hungary www.korolymocsari.mlP.HU

 

Jon Nakamatsu

Gold Medal

Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

residency with San Francisco Symphony (Tilson Thomas); Japanese debut with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (Akiyama); engagements with Dallas, Delaware, Indianapolis, Pacific, and Rochester Symphony Orchestras, and recitals throughout the United States and in Italy (Milan) and Norway • upcoming engagements: third U.S. tour with the Berlin Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet, tour of Japan • harmonia mundi usa exclusive artist; six recordings available, including Lukas Foss Piano Concerto No. 1 (Pacific Symphony Orchestra); piano sonatas of Josef Woelfl, Brahms solo works • managed by Arts Management Group • (managed in the Manasse/Nakamatsu duo by Parker Artists) www.jonnakamatsu.com

 

Marilyn Neeley

Finalist

First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1962)

chair, piano division of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. • keynote speaker for the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy; featured artist at the Musica Alberta Conference (Edmonton, Canada) • performs frequent chamber music concerts with the Rome and Verano Trios • juror, Vianna da Motta Competition (Portugal), Vilar International Competition (New York), and American Pianists Association competition (Indianapolis)

 

Christopher O'Riley

Finalist

Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1981)

U.S. tour with Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Orchestra; Los Angeles Philharmonic (Hollywood Bowl); Atlanta, Baltimore, Minnesota, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras; recitals at festivals throughout the United States, as well as in Italy, Turkey, and the United Kingdom • True Love Waits: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead (Sony Classical) received the only four-star rating ever given to a classical recording in Rolling Stone magazine; Hold Me To This: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead released in spring 2005 (World Village/harmonia mundi) • host of From the Top, the popular nationally syndicated public radio show (250 stations nationwide) for past six seasons • managed by Vurse Artist Management • www.christopheroriley.com

 

Cristina Ortiz

Gold Medal

Third Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1969)

BBC Concert Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Radio Sinfonie Orchestra Berlin, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra; recitals at the Chopin Piano Festival (Poland) and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London • recent recordings include Villa-Lobos Choros No. 11 with the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra (BIS) • managed worldwide by Fazer Artists' Management • www.cristina.ortiz.name

 

Cécile Ousset

Finalist

First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1962)

in high demand for master classes and for international piano competition juries • EMI recently re-issued critically acclaimed discs devoted to Chopin and Liszt

 

Simone Pedroni

Gold Medal

Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1993)

Orchestra of Malaga (Spain), Orchestra Sinfonica "G. Verdi" conducted by Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra "I Pomeriggi Musicali" (Milan); recitals in Italy, Spain, and the United States • Mussorgsky/Pärt and Schubert discs for Labor of Love Records • managed in the United States by Gabriella Giodano • www.simonepedroni.com

 

Nikolai Petrov

Silver Medal

First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1962)

president of Academy of Russan Art; faculty, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory • performs and teaches regularly in Europe, Israel, and Russia • recently established the Nikolai Petrov International Charity Fund to assist careers of talented young Russian artists Managed by Berin Art Management   www.npcf.ru/en/

 

 

Maxim Philippov

Silver Medal

Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2001)

Abilene Philharmonic, Hartford Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Yakima Symphony; recitals in Birmingham, Fort Worth, New York (Zankel Hall), Palm Springs, and Scottsdale • faculty, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Biography  www.philippov.org

 

Roberto Plano

Finalist

Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

2005 Cliburn Competition finalist Roberto Plano is fast becoming known to North American audiences having won first prize at the 2001 Cleveland International Piano Competition and third prize at the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition. Also a top prizewinner of several major international competitions, Mr. Plano regularly performs in Europe including debuts at prestigious concert venues such as Sala Verdi in Milan, the Salle Cortot in Paris, and at the Herculessaal and Gasteig in Munich.

Mr. Plano has two recordings, a CD of works by Chopin, Liszt, and Scriabin on Italy's Sipario Dischi label and a disc of works by Liszt on the Azica label. Possessing a warm and outgoing personality, he has been a guest artist for a number of radio programs including NPR's Performance Today, WNYC in New York City, WGBH's Boston's Classics morning show and RadioRai 3 Grammelot in Italy.

U.S. Management: Altman Artists; Italy and Europe Management: Ilaria Miori Music Management • www.robertoplano.com

 

Antonio Pompa-Baldi

Silver Medal

Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2001)

Auckland Philharmonia; Berliner Symphoniker (Tokyo); Dominican Republic National Symphony; Houston, Jacksonville, and Kansas City Symphony Orchestras; Rochester Philharmonic; recital tour in South Korea • recent releases for Centaur Records include Rheinberger piano sonatas; in progress, complete piano works of Edvard Grieg • faculty, Cleveland Institute of Music • managed by Diane Saldick • www.pompa-baldi.com

 

Aviram Reichert

Bronze Medal

Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

tours in Korea and Japan, including performances with the Tokyo Metropolitan and NHK Orchestras; South African tour; performances with the Israel Sinfonietta and Jerusalem Symphony; annual appearances at the Gilmore Keyboard and Music in the Mountains (Durango) Festivals • recent recording of Mozart concerti for Music in the Mountains • artist-in-residence, Grand Valley State University (Grand Rapids, Michigan) • managed in the United States by Newman Artists Management • www.aviramreichert.com

 

Gerald Robbins

Finalist

Third Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1969)

artist-in-residence (Lyric Piano Quartet), Queens College, New York; chamber music faculty, Manhattan School of Music • frequent chamber music performances with soloists of the New York Philharmonic • recitals and master classes at the Oxford Philomusica International Piano Festival (United Kingdom), New York (Bargemusic), and in Oklahoma City • chamber music and orchestral recordings available on Elysium, Genesis, Cala, and Four-tay labels www.lyricpianoquartet.com

 

Santiago Rodriguez

Silver Medal

Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1981)

recitals for the University of New Orleans and the Ventura Music Festivals; Allentown Symphony, National Philharmonic (Washington, D.C.), New Mexico Symphony Orchestra • more than a dozen recordings available on the Elan label, including critically acclaimed discs devoted to Ginastera and Rachmaninoff • artist-in-residence, University of Maryland Currently Division Chair of Piano at the University of Maryland

 

Johan Schmidt

Finalist

Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1993)

Orchestre Lille de France; recitals in Brussels, Istanbul, and Tel Aviv • faculty, Mons Royal Conservatory (Belgium); master classes in Belgium and France • New Consonant Music • www.johanschmidt.com

 

André-Michel Schub

Gold Medal

Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1981)

La Jolla Music Society's SummerFest, Old Dominion University, ProMusica (Columbus), and Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestras; Brigham Young University • artist member, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center • artistic director, the Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Music Series • His Trio is managed by Alliance Artist Management

 

Alexander Shtarkman

Finalist

Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1989)

National Symphony Orchestra of Columbia, Post-Classical Ensemble (Washington, D.C.); recitals at Santa Monica College and the University of Texas in Brownsville • faculty, Peabody Conservatory of Music • managed by Walter Beloch Artists Management

 

Katia Skanavi

Finalist

Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

National Arts Center Orchestra (Ottawa); State of Mexico Symphony; Indianapolis and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras; The Residentie Orkest (Holland); Casals, Kremer, La Roque d'Anthéron, and Isola d'Elba (Italy) Festivals; recitals in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States • managed by Van Walsum Management

 

Barry Snyder

Silver Medal

Second Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1966)

recitals in New York (Alice Tully Hall), London (Wigmore Hall, Queen Victoria Hall), Dublin, Glasgow, Salt Lake City; frequent chamber music collaborator with cellist Steven Doane and violinist Asako Urushihara • Carter Pann's Piano Concerto with the Czech State Philharmonic for Naxos • master classes at the Guildhall in London, Royal Irish Academy, University of Western Ontario, and the Zurich Conservatory, among others • faculty, Eastman School of Music, founding member of Eastman Trio

 

Jeffrey Swann

Bronze Medal

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

complete Beethoven piano cycles in New York (Bargemusic) and Italy including lectures; festival appearances at Caramoor, New York's International Keyboard Festival, and the Festival at Angel Fire (New Mexico); engagements with the Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra (in Milan and on tour), New Century Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Stamford Symphony, and Orchestra of St. Luke's at Zankel Hall • guest lecturer for the Washington Wagner Society and the Music Institute of Chicago • managed by Melody Bunting International

 

Emma Tahmiziàn

Finalist

Seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1985)

founding member of MOSAIC, a contemporary music ensemble • annual performances at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, where she is on faculty; recitals and orchestra engagements in Bulgaria, France, and Switzerland; recent performances with MOSAIC at New York's Miller Theater and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art • 2004 recording featuring works of Steven Mackey (New World Records) • Her  ensemble is managed by Mosaic Performance • Manged by Vantage Artists Management • www.lawrence.edu

 

Christopher Taylor

Bronze Medal

Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1993)

recent recitals at the Kennedy Center; Miller Theater (New York); Gilmore Festival; Caramoor Festival; and with the Aspen Festival Orchestra, conducted by James Conlon • recently recorded Liszt's etudes and Messaien's "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus" • faculty, University of Wisconsin-Madison • managed by Jonathan Wentworth Associates, Ltd.

 

Alexander Toradze

Silver Medal

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

Kirov Orchestra with Valery Gergiev (Carnegie Hall and European tours); Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Berlin, Czech, and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras; Maggio Musicale (Florence); NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo) • annual tours with the Toradze Piano Studio, including workshops/performances at prestigious venues worldwide • faculty, Indiana University at South Bend • managed by Columbia Artists Management, Inc.

 

Vladimir Viardo

Gold Medal

Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)

performances and teaching activities in France, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, and the United States; recently conducted the Kiev Philharmonic in his own orchestration of Shostakovich's second sonata for piano • artist-in-residence, University of North Texas (Denton) • the first Viardo International Competition took place in Belmont, California, May 2005 • www.music.unt.edu • www.viardo.com

 

Mikhail Voskresensky

Bronze Medal

First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1962)

six mono-program recitals in Tokyo, each devoted to a different composer; orchestra engagements in Australia, China, Korea, Russia, and Ukraine, including recent premiere of a piano concerto by Yury Buzko in Moscow; master classes in New York (Juilliard), Seoul, and Tokyo • recent recordings of works by Liszt, Schumann, and Scriabin for Russia's Classical Records label • faculty, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory; jury chair, Scriabin International Competition • Moscow Conservatory

 

Ralph Votapek

Gold Medal

First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1962)

Grand Rapids (Michigan), Quad City (Iowa), and Springfield (Massachusetts) Symphony Orchestras; recitals at U.S. summer festivals and in Washington, D.C.; twenty-first tour of Argentina • complete Goyescas of Granados and Debussy's preludes for Ivory Classics • recently retired from Michigan State University, where he served as artist-in-residence for thirty-six years • Michigan State School of Music

 

Diane Walsh

Finalist

Third Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1969)

• Best Performance of Chamber Music Award (Third Competition) • Austin Symphony Orchestra; Skaneateles Festival Orchestra, conducted by David Zinman; Mainly Mozart Festival (San Diego); recitals at Mannes College and Merkin Concert Hall in New York; upcoming appearances at the Appalacian, Bard, and the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festivals • new CD just released - "33 Variations" - Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and Sonata Op. 78 on Jonathan Digital Recordings label. In 2008 Diane will release Vol. I of the Schubert Piano Sonatas on the same label. • managed by ClaraMusik Artists Management • www.dianewalsh.com

 

Joyce Yang

Silver Medal

Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

In June 2005, at nineteen years of age, Joyce Yang was awarded the silver medal at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.She was also the recipient of both the Steven De Groote Memorial Award for the Best Performance of Chamber Music, as well as the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work. Joyce Yang is featured in In the Heart of Music, the film documentary about the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Her debut disc distributed by harmonia mundi usa includes live performances of works by Bach, Liszt, Scarlatti, and the Australian composer Carl Vine. • Managed by Opus 3 Artists.

 

Tian Ying

Finalist

Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1989)

Atlanta, Louisville, Miami, Oakland East Bay, and Roanoke Symphony Orchestras; Music Mountain Summer Music Festival; Oregon Mozart Players • faculty, University of Miami • Managed by John Gingrich Management Inc. • www.tianying-pianist.net

 

Christian Zacharias

Silver Medal

Fourth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1973)

New York Philharmonic (Maazel), Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood (Perick), conducted and played with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra • recent releases include solo Scarlatti and Mozart concerti (MDG label) • artistic director, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and principal guest conductor, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; regularly leads and performs with the English and Scottish Chamber Orchestras, the Nederlandsorkest, and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra; New York Philharmonic conducting debut (December 2005) • managed by IMG Artists • www.christianzacharias.com

 

Daming Zhu

Finalist

Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1981)

China Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and Shanghai Radio Symphony Orchestra; active recitalist and orchestra soloist throughout China • faculty, Soochow University (Suzhou, China); master classes at Juilliard, Royal Academy in London, Central Conservatory in Beijing, Shanghai Conservatory