Schedule Announced for Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition

Every four years, the world’s most promising pianists convene for the prestigious Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition. This summer, the Competition returns June 16 - July 1 in Salt Lake City, marking 35 years of bringing the best musicians in the world to Utah to compete for cash, prizes, and fame.

The Competition will feature 38 pianists from 17 countries competing for more than $80,000 US in prizes. The competitors, aged 19-32, will perform in two rounds in the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center before Final Round elimination. The unique single elimination format allows each artist the opportunity to perform twice, and, as there are no requirements of repertory, they are free to display their artistry and virtuosity with music of their own choice.

The Final Round will include two nights of concerts in which the six finalists will perform concertos with the Utah Symphony under the direction of Lawrence Leighton Smith in Abravanel Hall. The complete schedule is:

RECEPTION & DRAWING OF NUMBERS June 16 6:30 p.m. Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W 300 S, Salt Lake City, Utah)

ROUND ONE June 17 - 19 11:00am - 5:00pm & 7:00 pm - 10:00pm Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center Format: 35-minute performances Tickets: $15 day pass ($10 students) - (801) 355-ARTS, www.arttix.org

ROUND TWO June 22 - 26 Format: 50-minute performances Same time, location, & ticket info as Round One

FINAL ROUND June 30 & July 1 7:00pm Abravanel Hall - 123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah Format: Finalists perform concertos with the Utah Symphony Tickets: $25 per night - (801) 355-ARTS, www.arttix.org

Patrons can also purchase a Competition Pass to ALL events for $150. Members of the press can call our office at (801) 297-4250 to have tickets put on will call.

Winners will be announced on the night of July 1, and the following prizes will be awarded:

· First Prize $30,000 US Cash Award, Gina Bachauer Gold Medal, CD Recording, Professional Photo Session, Concert and Recital Engagements

· Second Prize $15,000 US Cash Award, Gina Bachauer Silver Medal, CD Recording, Concert and Recital Engagements

· Joanne Baker Third Prize $10,000 US Cash Award, Gina Bachauer Bronze Medal, CD Recording, Concert and Recital Engagements

· Fourth Prize $8,000 US Cash Award

· Fifth Prize $7,000 US Cash Award

· Sixth Prize $6,000 US Cash Award

The competitors were chosen from over 250 applicants who auditioned in Moscow, Hamburg, Venice, London, New York City, and Salt Lake City:

· Charlie Albright, USA, 21

· Yunjie Chen, China, 29

· Stefan Ciric, Serbia, 23

· Sara Daneshpour, USA, 22

· Gregory DeTurck, USA, 27

· Sebastian Di Bin, Italy, 28

· Nazareno Ferruggio, Italy, 28

· Kotaro Fukuma, Japan, 27

· Lukas Geniušas, Russia, 19

· Pavlo Gintov, Ukraine, 23

· Dorel Golan, Israel, 28

· Yoonjung Han, Korea, 24

· Fazliddin Husanov, Uzbekistan, 31

· Daria Kameneva, Russia, 22

· Benjamin Kim, USA, 26

· Soyeon Kim, Korea, 27

· Andrea Lam, Australia, 28

· Viviana Pia Lasaracina, Italy, 21

· Alexey Lebedev, Russia, 29

· Dmitri Levkovich, Ukraine, 31

· Benjamin Moser, Germany, 28

· Sejoon Park, Korea, 19

· Mayumi Sakamoto, Japan, 26

· Serhiy Salov, Ukraine, 31

· Nima Sarkechik, France, 26

· Anastasiya Solomatina, Russia, 26

· Konstantin Soukhovetski, Russia, 28

· Ardita Statovci, Austria, 27

· Olga Stezhko, Belarus, 24

· Alexey Sychev, Russia, 21

· Anastasya Terenkova, Russia, 28

· Matei Varga, Romania, 29

· David Violi, France, 28

· Joshua Wright, USA, 22

· Pavel Yeletskiy, Belarus, 27

· Zho Zhang, China, 21

· Dizhou Zhao, China, 30

· Darrett Zusko, Canada, 25

The International Jury will be comprised of 10 distinguished artists:

· Nelita True (Chair) - USA

· Hui-Qiao Bao - China

· Bernadene Blaha - USA

· Gennady Dzubenko - Russia

· Douglas Humpherys - USA

· Dae-Jin Kim - Korea

· Yuko Ninomiya - Japan

· Einar-Steen Nøkleberg - Norway

· Walter Ponce - Bolivia/USA

· John Roos - South Africa

Pictures of the competitors and jury are available through the Flickr links on www.bachauer.com and www.facebook.com/ginabachauer.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

Since beginning in 1976, the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation has held June events every consecutive year. The Bachauer Competition is now regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions and one of only four in the U.S. recognized by the World Federation of International Music Competitions. Success in the Competition has been a springboard for the careers of many prominent pianists, including Vassily Primakov, Cédric Pescia, Nicholas Angelich, Stephen Beus, and Luiza Borac.

The Competition’s namesake, Gina Bachauer (1913-1976), was a Greek pianist often regarded as the greatest female pianist of the 20th century. A student of Cortot and Rachmaninoff, she enjoyed a long and successful performing career, and wooed even the toughest of critics with her Romantic repertoire. A frequent performer with the Utah Symphony under Maurice Abravanel, Mme. Bachauer adored performing in Utah. In 1978 the Brigham Young University Summer Piano Festival and International Competition was renamed the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in her honor. In 1992, her husband Alec Sherman bequeathed her personal documents, pictures and scores to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, which established the Gina Bachauer Archives.

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