+ Tim Adrianson, Oak Ridge NJ

Tim Adrianson has been a piano enthusiast for most of his life. Originally from Racine, Wisconsin, he obtained an MS in Food Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. His employment in the food industry ultimately took him to New Jersey, where he joined Nabisco (now Kraft Foods) in 1981, and worked there as a food technologist until his retirement in 2008. Both in Wisconsin and New Jersey, he established himself as a pianist for community theatre productions and as an accompanist for many vocalists in cabarets, opera productions and recitals. In addition, he has served as church pianist/organist since 1984.

Preliminary Round Chabrier – Idylle, from Dix Pieces Pittoresques Roussel – Sonatine, Op. 16

Semifinal Round De Severac – Baigneuses au Soleil Lili Boulanger – Trois Morceaux D’un Vieux Jardin D’un Jardin Clair Cortege Poulenc – Nocturne No. 5 Poulenc – Humoresque

Final Round Faure – Nocturne, Op. 84 Faure – Impromptu, Op. 36 Ravel – Valses Nobles et Sentimentales Debussy – Estampes Pagodes Soiree dans Grenade Jardins sous la Pluie

+ Harvey Bellin, Cherry Hill NJ

Harvey Bellin is a pathologist and department chairman at the Methodist division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born in Philadelphia and has studied piano privately and intermittently since childhood. Dr. Bellin has performed with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra while serving a tour with the US Army in Korea, and with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a young competition winner. He played regularly in master classes at the Dorothy Taubman Institute, held at Amherst and Williams Colleges, and more recently has performed at the Sheila Paige Piano Wellness Seminar held at Gardner-Webb and Louisiana State Universities. His hobbies include fishing, rifle marksmanship, gardening and weight resistance training.

Preliminary Round Liszt - Gnomenreigen Rachmaninoff - Etudes Tableaux Op. 39, Nos. 6 & 9

Semifinal Round Dukas - L’apprenti Sorcier, trans. Michael Gurt

Final Round Lieberman - Gargoyles Strauss - Concert Arabesques (Blue Danube), trans. Schulz-Evler

+ Karmjeet Bindra, Sacramento CA

Karmjeet Bindra has been playing the piano since the age of 11. He has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Pacific and earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Oregon. Mr.Bindra has a multiple subject teaching credential from California State University, Sacramento, and has worked as an elementary school teacher for several grade levels. Mr. Bindra has many hobbies including dance, photography, drawing, painting, calligraphy and playing the guitar and drums. He is currently employed as a dance teacher at Florin High School, Sacramento, California.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Barcarolle, Op. 60 Ravel - Jeux d’eau

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - Corrente from Partita in E Minor Chopin - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52

Final Round Mozart - Sonata in B-flat Major, K.333, 1st m. Debussy - “Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest” from Preludes, Book 1 Liszt - Consolation No. 3 Schubert - Hungarian Melody in B Minor Chopin - Scherzo in B Minor, Op. 20

+ John Blasdale, Whippany NY

John Blasdale started studying piano at age 8. Beethoven’s famous “Last Three” Sonatas attracted him as a teenager, yet only recently could he develop them together to concert standard and memorize them. He performs as an amateur, and is also developing his compositional talents. After studying Natural Sciences at university, he qualified as a Patent Agent, working in London, Lucerne and New Jersey. After retiring, he studied towards Christian ministry, becoming ordained last year. At the Colorado Springs Amateur Competition in 2007 he reached the Final Round, where he was given the Best Classical Performance award, for Beethoven’s Sonata op. 110.

Preliminary Round Beethoven - Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111, 1st m. Brahms – Intermezzo in E-Flat Minor, Op. 118, No. 6

Semifinal Round Scriabin - Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 9, No. 1 (for the left hand alone) Beethoven - Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110, 3rd m.

Final Round Beethoven - Sonata in E Major, Op. 109, 1st & 2nd m. Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3 Beethoven - Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111, 2nd m.

+ Douglas Calegari, Ivoryton CT

Douglas Calegari is an Information Technologist, specializing in Enterprise System Integration, Rule Engines and Internet Software. He is currently Director of Strategic Development at the Travelers Insurance Company and also runs a company that develops software for startup companies. Mr. Calegari comes from a musical family dating back to the 1880’s when his great-great-grandfather led an orchestra in the Lago di Como region of Italy. After 10 years of focusing on his family and career, Mr. Calegari began studying piano again with Meehyn Ahn, a former protégé of Lazar Berman. His other interests are oenology,gardening and cooking.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Fantasie and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 944 Debussy - L'Isle joyeuse

Semifinal Round Beethoven - Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1

Final Round Ravel - Jeux d'eau Rachmaninoff - Etudes-Tableaux in D Minor, Op. 39, No. 8 Franck – Prélude, chorale, et fugue

+ Mark Cannon, New York NY

Mark Cannon is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City. He began studying piano at the age of 6 with "that little old lady around the corner," who, it turned out, had been a performer of some note in Russia. As an undergraduate at Cornell University,while majoring in chemistry he studied piano with Malcolm Bilson. His principal studies in recent years have been with Seymour Bernstein and Elizabeth Wolff. He has been a finalist in the amateur competitions in Washington and Colorado and a semifinalist in the Boston competition.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, Op. 30, No. 4 Chopin - Scherzo in E Major, Op. 54

Semifinal Round Chopin - Mazurka in B-flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 Scriabin - Sonata No. 9, Op. 68

Final Round Chopin - Ballade in F Minor, Op. 52 Beethoven - Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110

+ Andrew Celentano, Stoneham MA

Andrew Celentano studied violin in grade school through college. As a student, he played in the Lakeland School orchestra, Theater Orchestra, Westchester Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the MIT Orchestra, (at Carnegie Hall). After studying engineering at MIT, he worked at IBM for 15 years in various marketing, sales, management and financial jobs. He then went on to found SkyWorld Interactive, a web/multimedia agency. Mr. Celentano has served as board chairman of the Friends of the Middlesex Fells. He and his wife Hilary have three children.

Preliminary Round Liszt - Consolation No. 3 Debussy - Claire de Lune Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum

Semifinal Round Chopin – Berceuse, Op. 57 Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 10, No. 12 (Revolutionary) Ravel - Pavane for a Dead Princess Chopin - Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53

Final Round Debussy - Reverie Chopin - Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55, No. 1 Debussy - Arabesque No. 1 Beethoven - Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op.27, No. 2 (Moonlight)

+ Ricker Choi, Toronto Ca

Ricker Choi is currently a Principal Business Analyst at Algorithmics Inc. In 2006 he founded Music Heals, a series of fund-raising concerts for charity organizations such as Oxfam Canada. He holds an MBA, FRM, CFA, and PMP. He is currently studying piano with his long time piano teacher, Boris Zarankin. In 2008, Mr. Choi also started working with Lawrence Pitchko concurrently.

Preliminary Round Ravel - La Valse

Semifinal Round Scriabin - Sonata No. 5

Final Round Beethoven - Bagatelle Op. 126, No. 3 Chopin – Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No. 1

+ May Chung, Cupertino CA

May Chung started her first piano lesson when she was five years old. As a participant in numerous local piano competitions in the San Francisco area, she won first prize in the Bartok Competition in 1990 to 1991 and first prize in the United States Open Music Competition. Ms. Chung holds an advanced certificate diploma and the licentiate diploma for the Royal Schools of Music in London. She participated in IBLA Grand Prize competition in Ragusa, Italy, and was awarded the accomplished pianist prize. Music has been a very important part in her life in addition to her career as a pharmacist at Kaiser Hospital.

Preliminary Round John Field - Nocturne No. 6 in F Major, Andante Tranquillo Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas Danza del Viejo boyero Danza de la moza donosa Danza del gaucho matrero

Semifinal Round Haydn - Adagio in F Major, Hob XVII/9 Prokofieff - Visions Fugitives, Op. 22, Nos. 10, 11 & 14 Liszt - Sonetto 47 del Petrarcha

Final Round Chopin - Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 Scarlatti - Sonata in B Minor K377 Kabalevsky - Sonata No. 3 in F Major, Op. 46

+ Louis Dalaveris, New York NY

Louis Dalaveris was born in Greece and grew up in Pennsylvania, where he studied with several local teachers and participated in a local competiton which allowed him to perform the Beethoven Fifth Piano Concerto with a local orchestra. He attended Columbia University where he majored in Chemistry and minored in German Literature, while studying piano with Niels Ostbye. Mr. Dalaveris attended Johns Hopkins Medical School followed by a residency in Ophthalmology. He stopped playing the piano during his medical training but started once more when he discovered the Evening Division at Juilliard where he attends the class of Lisa Kovalek. He has participated in numerous recitals at Juilliard and in the summer of 2008 was invited to the Amateur Festival sponsored by Radio France in Paris.

Preliminary Round Mendelssohn - Variations Serieuses, Op. 54

Semifinal Round Bartok - Sonata

Final Round J.S. Bach - Partita No. 1 Liszt – Légendes No. 2, “St François de Paule Marchant sur les Flots” Chopin – Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 39

+ Judith Darst, Bend, OR

Judith Darst holds a degree in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado. She taught and adjudicated as a member of Music Teachers National Association, and performed regularly as a member of the Ladies Musical Club in Seattle. Now living in Bend, Oregon, she has started a piano performance group there. Ms. Darst is the mother of two boys and the grandmother of two girls. She is an accomplished equestrian and avid line dancer.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Nocturne in B Major, Op 9, No. 3 Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1 Prelude in D Minor, Op. 28, No. 24

Semifinal Round Mozart - Sonata in C Major, K. 330 Brahms - Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2 Ballade, Op. 118, No. 3

Final Round Chopin - Mazurkas, Op. 67, Nos. 3 & 4 Mazurka, Op. 68, No. 2 Polonaise in C-sharp Minor, Op 26, No. 1 Liszt - Consolation No. 2 Consolation No. 5 Liszt-Schubert - Soirees de Vienne, No. 6

+ Thang Dinh, Gainsville FL

Thang Dinh is a mechanical engineer from Gainesville, Florida. He designs energy efficient air conditioning and dehumidification systems for hotels, museums, hospitals, universities, and industrial factories in southeast Asian countries and Australia. He started studying piano with his father at age 11. In 1982, Thang Dinh came to the United States and continued his piano study under Bernice Maskin’s guidance.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Polonaise in G-sharp Minor, Op. posth. Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6

Semifinal Round Bach-Busoni - Chaconne in D minor

Final Round Chopin - Waltz in C-sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 Etude in E Major, Op. 10, No. 3 Liszt - Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor Liebestraume No. 3 Chopin - Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20

+ Chloeann Estrera, Jamaica Plain MA

Chloeann Estrera, originally from Richmond, Virginia, is currently living in Boston where she works as an internal medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center. Her hobbies and interests include classical and jazz music, poetry, reading fiction, playing with her cat, and planning her wedding (which took place in June 2009).

Preliminary Round Chopin - Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 29 J.S. Bach - Partita No. 3 in A Minor, BWV 827: Fantasia, Allemande, and Corrente

Semifinal Round Chopin - Etude in E Major, Op. 10, No. 3 Beethoven - Sonata in F-sharp Major, Op. 78, 1st m.

Final Round Chopin - Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 Billy Strayhorn – Valse Brahms - Drei Intermezzi, Op. 117 Chopin – Fantaisie-Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66

+ Milton Farbstein, Schroon Lake NY

Milton Farbsein started playing the piano at the age of four, after hearing Liberace perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. His strong desire to explore many interests led to a career in the clinical sciences, and he is currently employed at a small hospital in Vermont. At the 2001 competition in Boston, he met fellow competitor Suzanne Fremon, and they were subsequently married and now live in upstate New York. Much of his free time is now spent remodeling and “shoring up” their old house, but after two years off, he is returning to modest practicing, and hopes in fall to also be out in the woods hunting and fly fishing.

Preliminary Round Chopin – Berceuse, Op. 57 Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

Semifinal Round Stravinsky - Three Movements from Petrouchka Danse russe Chez Petrouchka La semaine grasse

Final Round Prokofieff - Sonata No. 8, Op. 84 Andante dolce Andante sognando Vivace

+ Damira Feldman, Miami FL

Damira Feldman served four years as a piano teacher at the Music School and the Kazan State Institute of Arts and Culture in Kazan, Russia. For several years she was a manager at various companies in Israel. Since 2001, she has worked as an office manager at the Aftak Corporation.

Preliminary Round Schubert - Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 9a, D. 365 Villa-Lobos – “Impressoes Seresteiras” from Ciclo Brasileiro Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5

Semifinal Round Bach-Busoni – Chaconne

Final Round Franck - Prelude, Fugue and Variations, Op. 18 Chopin - Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 34, No. 1, “Grande Brillante” Bach-Busoni - Chaconne

+ Suzanne Fremon, Schroon Lake NY

Suzanne Fremon graduated from Julliard, but was always attracted to additional areas of endeavor where it turned out to be easier to earn a living. She has worked as a free-lance writer, addiction therapist,computer programmer/analyst and for the last few years in the world of childbirth. This work includes training prospective parents in hypnosis & deep relaxation techniques, which contributes greatly to comfortable childbirth experiences. Drawing on her piano teaching experience, she has written a manual for adult beginners, called Harder Than it Looks. She is married to Milton Farbstein, a fellow pianist whom she met at the 2001 Boston competition.

Preliminary Round Schumann – from Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 In der Nacht Fabel Traumes-Wirren

Semifinal Round Ravel – from Le Tombeau de Couperin Prelude Menuet Toccata

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in A-flat Major, Op 26 Prokofieff – Toccata

+ Gala Gurinovich, Bethesda MD

Gala Gurinovich is an esteemed piano recitalist in the Washington area who frequently collaborates with instrumentalists and vocalists. She performs at the US State Department, embassies, the Strathmore Hall, and collaborates with the Russian Chamber Art Society. She received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Shabalin Musical College in Omsk, Siberia. Studying under Alexander Volkov, Gurinovich attained her Master of Music degree from the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, Israel, with “High Honor”. In 2007, Ms. Gurinovich was awarded third place in the Washington International Piano Competition, also receiving the Audience Award.

Preliminary Round Mozart - Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 570

Semifinal Round Bach - Chromatic Fantasy in D minor, BWV 903 Rubinstein - “Lezginka”, from the opera “Demon”

Final Round Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2 Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32, No. 12 Scriabin – Preludes, Op. 11, Nos. 4, 5, 10 & 14 Etudes, Op. 8, Nos. 2 & 5 Chopin-Liszt – from Polish Melodies My Joys The Ring Bacchanal

+ Susan Hammond, Toronto Ca

Susan Hammond loves to practice the piano, to talk about it, and to write about it. After producing her ten internationally acclaimed Classical Kids CDs (Beethoven Lives Upstairs) to create a new generation of young music fans, she returned to her first love, playing the piano. Having studied in Toronto and London, England, she now coaches with Lawrence Pitchko and John Covelli. She recently performed in Napa, California, and Binghamton, New York, with requests from both to return. Ms. Hammond is currently writing a book about the piano and has received the Order of Canada for her contribution to arts education.

Preliminary Round Liszt - Vallee d’Obermann

Semifinal Round Rachmaninoff- Etude Tableau in C Minor, Op. 33, No. 3 Beethoven - Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111, 1st m. Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32, No. 12

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111, 2nd m. Schumann - Intermezzo , from Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 Griffes – “The Fountain of the Acqua Paola”, from Roman Sketches, Op. 7

+ Larry Harris, Madison CT

Larry Harris, a resident of Madison, CT, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where his music studies began at age six. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brandeis University, where he majored in music. He also holds an MBA degree from New York University, and an MALS degree from Wesleyan University. Among his teachers are Harry Franklin, Leonard Shure and Luiz de Moura Castro. He has appeared as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and has been a frequent participant in chamber music programs. Larry retired nine years ago, after a 35-year long career in investment management and investment banking, and resumed the full-time study of piano. Since then, he has given four solo recitals in Connecticut. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49

Semifinal Round Ravel - Valses Nobles et Sentimentale

Final Round Liszt - Sonata in B Minor

+ Della Howell, Helotes TX

Dr. Della Howell started playing piano at the age of four. She enjoyed playing throughout her childhood and decided to major in piano performance along with her pre-med studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, under the training of Melissa Marrion. She joined the Air Force while attending medical school and is currently a staff Pediatric Hematologist / Oncologist at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Her current piano playing has been limited to special music for churches and other local events.

Preliminary Round Brahms - Rhapsody in B Minor, Op. 79, No. 1 Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K 332, 3rd m

Semifinal Round Ravel - Alborada del Gracioso, from Miroirs Beethoven - Sonata in E-flat Major, Op 81a

Final Round Bach - Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue Debussy - Estampes Pagodes La Soiree dans Grenade Jardins sous la Pluie

+ Moses Kaloustian, Tarrytown NY

Moses Kaloustian was born in Ayn Remmaneh, Lebanon, in 1944. In choosing his career, his love of chemistry and research won over his promise as a future pianist. He studied chemistry with Prof. Ernest L. Eliel at the University of Notre Dame, Prof. M. Frederick Hawthorne at UCLA, and Sir Derek Barton at the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London. He is currently Professor of Chemistry at Fordham University, New York, where for the last 34 years he has been teaching organic chemistry and forensic science and doing research in the field of organic stereochemistry. He and his wife, Semiramis, live in Tarrytown, New York.

Preliminary Round Scriabin - Etude, Op. 2, No. 1 Schubert - Ave Maria Chopin - Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47

Semifinal Round Mozart - Sonata in F major, K. 332

Final Round G.I. Gurdjieff/T. De Hartmann - Armenian Song J.S. Bach - Italian Concerto Chopin - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 54 Khachaturian - Sabre Dance

+ Caroline Kirchhoff, Muenster Germany

Caroline Kirchhoff started playing piano at the age of five. She studied with Klaus Hellwig at the Folkwang-Hochschule Essen, with Volker Banfield at the Musikhochschule Hamburg and with Leonard Shure at the New England Conservatory in Boston. After finishing her studies she started a career as a pianist and harpsichord player and became a professor for piano in Hamburg. In 1998 she stopped her career as a professional musician and joined her father’s company. Today she leads her own company, a wholesaler of medical textiles. She is still performing, mostly private and public charity concerts.

Preliminary Round J.S.Bach – Prelude & Fugue in F-sharp Minor, WTC Bk 2, BWV 883 Brahms – Intermezzo in E Major, Op. 116 No. 4 Brahms – Capriccio in D Minor, Op. 116, No. 7

Semifinal Round Mozart - 9 Variations in D major on a Minuet by Duport, K.573 Mendelssohn – Song Without Words, Op. 62, No. 5, “Venetianisches Gondellied” Fanny Hensel - Il Saltarello Romano, Op. 6, No. 4

Final Round Beethoven – Fantasie, Op. 77 Schumann – from Fantasiestücke, Op.12 Des Abends In der Nacht Debussy – from Preludes, Bk 1 Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir Les collines d'Anacapri Des pas sur la neige Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest

+ Julien Kurtz, Paris, France

Julien Kurtz has been playing the piano for most of his life, first as a recreational activity and now as a passion that helps him balance his life between work and pleasure. After being trained for ten years with Catherine Silie, he studied later at the Marseille Conservatory and the Cachan Conservatory. As a teenager, he also spent a year in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he studied piano at the Longy School of Music in Alice Wilkinson’s class. Mr. Kurtz is now studying with French pianist Bernard d’Ascoli, and gives solo recitals whenever he is given a chance.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in F Minor, WTC Bk II Scriabin – Etude, Op. 2, No. 1 Etude, Op. 8, No. 12 Villa-Lobos - Choro No. 1 Gershwin/Wild - Embraceable you

Semifinal Round Franck – Prélude, Chorale, et Fugue

Final Round Liszt - Sonata in B minor

+ Chung Lee, Seattle WA

Chung Lee is an architect, born in China, raised in Hong Kong, and studied music in England and the United States. He practices architecture professionally and taught architecture as sabbaticals, both in the US and Hong Kong. Now retired, he enjoys the piano, travel and spending time with his grandchildren. He views the pursuit of the piano as a way to find meaning and to learn to express the music he loves. Through preparing for the competition, he hopes to continue to overcome his technical difficulties, deepen his understanding of music, and to enrich his retirement and share his joy with others.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue No. 22 in B-flat Minor, WTC Bk 1 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32, No. 12

Semifinal Round Beethoven - Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 “Pathetique” Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio Adagio cantabile Rondo

Final Round Schubert - Sonata in A Major, Op. 120 Allegro moderato Andante Allegro Chopin - Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47

+ David Leehey, Oak Park IL

David Leehey is the President of the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest and the MacDowell Artists Association, both in Oak Park, Illinois, and is a founding board member of Pianoforte Foundation in Chicago. He performed the Brahms D minor Concerto in October 2001 with the Symphony and serves as the orchestral pianist and rehearsal accompanist. He has participated in many chamber music conferences and workshops as well as several amateur piano competitions, and was a semifinalist in the 2001 and 2003 Boston competitions. When not engaged in musical pursuits, Dr. Leehey makes a living as a physician at Loyola University Medical Center and Hines VA Hospital. He and his wife Roslyn live in Oak Park, Illinois, and have three children.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Preludes, Op. 28,Nos. 23 & 24 Chopin - Berceuse, Op. 57 Ravel - Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit

Semifinal Round Liszt - Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata (Dante Sonata)

Final Round Schumann - Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17

+ Alexandre Leite, Washington DC

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue No. 12, WTC Book 2 Chopin - Polonaise, Op. 26, No. 1 Scarlatti - Sonata L. 164

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - French Suite No. 2 Villa-Lobos - Valse de la Douler

Final Round Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 332 Chopin - Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1 Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12 Villa-Lobos - Alma Brasileira

+ Alex Leow, Los Angeles CA

Dr. Alex Leow was born in Taiwan and was educated in both her native country and the US. She received her medical specialist training in psychiatry at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Memorial Hospital, and is currently chief resident at the Geriatric Psychiatry division of the New Psychiatric Hospital at UCLA. In addition, Dr. Leow also has a PhD in Brain Imaging and is a well known imaging researcher throughout the world, having published over 40 scientific papers. She is part of the world-renowned Lab of Neuro Imaging (LONI) at UCLA. Dr. Leow has been playing piano since the age of six. She enjoys playing piano solo as much as playing with her other musician friends. Outside of work, playing the piano is her primary hobby and stressreliever.

Preliminary Round Ravel - Prelude Chopin - Mazurka in C Minor, Op. 50, No. 3 Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat Major

Semifinal Round Chopin - Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, Op 41, No. 1 Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, Op. 63, No. 3 Chopin - Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 48 Scriabin - Prelude in G Major, Op 13

Final Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in B-flat Minor, WTC Bk 1 Ravel - Sonatine Chopin - Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 20

+ Carol Arschin Levy, Weston MA

Carol Arschin Levy started playing piano at the age of nine and attended the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan. She is a graduate of Queens College, where she majored in education and minored in music. She worked as an elementary school teacher in New York City, where she also taught music appreciation. Ms. Levy has performed solo at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie, Sanders Theater in Cambridge, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She has devoted her time to community service and the elderly in the Boston area, where she has lived for over 25 years. She has studied piano with Stanley Yerlow and Alice Wilkinson. Ms. Levy has two grown children and a granddaughter, and resides in the Boston suburbs with her husband.

Preliminary Round Debussy - Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum Gershwin - Preludes for Piano

Semifinal Round Haydn - Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob XVI/52, 1st m. Ginastera – from Danzas Argentinas Danza de la moza donosa Danza del gaucho matrero

Final Round Debussy - Arabesque No. 2 Chopin - Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31

+ Wayne Lung, Temple City CA

Wayne Lung was born in Hong Kong and raised in Southern California. He received a BA degree from Columbia University in New York. After graduation, he returned to Los Angeles and worked as a math teacher for five years, and for the last six years he was an interpreter for auto insurance groups. In his precollege years, he received awards and scholarships in music festivals and competitions, including the Southern California Jr. Bach Competition and Cypress College Piano Competition. While at Columbia, he continued taking lessons with Prof. Niel Ostbye. This past November, Wayne Lung won a gold medal at the Chopin Competition for Amateur Pianists, sponsored by the Chopin Society of Houston.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Fantasie in F Minor, Op. 49

Semifinal Round Chopin - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Debussy - Étude No. 9, “pour les notes répétées”

Final Round Haydn - Sonata in C major, Hob XVI:50 Verdi-Liszt - Paraphrase on Rigoletto. Debussy - Étude No. 7, “pour les degrés chromatiques”

+ Mark Lutton, Brookline NH

Mark Lutton received a degree in Applied Piano from Boston University in 1973 and now programs computers for a living. He lives in Brookline, New Hampshire, with his Steinway, his dog Furry Lisa, and several other dogs, cats, goats, horses and donkeys. In 2008, Mr. Lutton and flutist Cassie White formed The Sterbrooke Ensemble and released a compact disc.

Preliminary Round Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 332

Semifinal Round Shostakovich - Prelude and Fugue in A Major, Op. 87, No. 7 Poulenc - Three Novelettes for Piano

Final Round Beethoven - Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, "Waldstein"

+ Neil McKelvie, Forest Hills NY

Neil McKelvie was born in Welwyn Garden City, England, and divided his time between England and the US working in the military and the aviation industry, eventually settling in the US to be a PhD student at Columbia. He was for many years a member of the chemistry faculty of The City College and the chemistry graduate faculty of the City University of New York. Dr. McKelvie retired from teaching in 2007. He is a “senior master” of the US Chess Federation and has been ranked as high as 19th in the US.

Preliminary Round Schubert - Adagio from Sonata in C Minor, D.958 Brahms – Rhapsody, Op. 79, No. 2

Semifinal Round Purcell-Stevenson - Toccata Chopin – Nocturne in B-flat Minor, Op. 9, No. 1 Chopin - Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1

Final Round Mendelssohn - Song Without Words, Op. 62, No. 1 Ignaz Friedman - Polnische Lyrik, Op. 53, (Herbst; Schlummerlied; Bauerntanz; Wind) Brahms - Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24 Sergei Bortkiewicz - Lyrica Nova, Op. 59, No. 3

+ Reiko Osawa, Sunnyvale CA

Reiko Osawa received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Composition from the Osaka College of Music at Osaka Japan. She has been composing contemporary music of various instrumental and vocal since graduate school, and also had a teaching career in music theory and piano for more than 10 years in Japan. Ms. Osawa moved to San Jose, California, in 2001, and has been taking piano performance classes at De Anza college, along with classes in karate, swimming, jazz, electronic music and animation. She enjoys daily life with knitting and wine. Later this summer Ms. Osawa plans to move back to Japan.

Preliminary Round Mozart - Sonata in C Major, K.330, 1st m. Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas

Semifinal Round Kabalevsky - Sonatinen, Op.13, No. 2 Kabalevsky - Sonata No.2, Op.45, 1st m.

Final Round Haydn - Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob.XVI/52 Tchaikovsky - Dumka, Op.59 Prokofieff – Suggestion Diabolique

+ Kathleen Penny, Toronto Ca

Kathleen Penny is a partner with the Canadian law firm of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, with a full-time practice in corporate income tax law, and a mother of two boys. Ms. Penny learned piano as a child, sang in choirs and played violin in her school orchestra. After a lengthy gap in her musical education to pursue university degrees in Chemical Physics and in Law, have two children and become a successful business lawyer, she resumed serious piano study in 1998. Ms. Penny earned her diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2005 and gave her first full-length solo recital in 2006. She has been a finalist and semi-finalist at several amateur competitions in Boston, Washington and Toronto.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2 Debussy - L'Isle Joyeuse

Semifinal Round Mozart - Sonata in C Minor, K457 Molto Allegro Adagio Allegro assai

Final Round Bartok - Excerpts from Suite, Op. 14 Allegretto Scherzo Sostenuto Schubert - Fantasy in C Major, Op. 15 “Wanderer”

+ Bruce Pfeffer, Rochester NY

Bruce Pfeffer was born in Los Angeles, California, where he began piano study at age seven. In college he gave solo recitals, was accompanist for glee clubs, and performed as an instrumentalist in student recitals, which included new works by student composers. Mr. Pfeffer received his PhD in Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was also a choral and vocal accompanist and performed chamber music. He has performed as a duo-pianist in Hartford, Connecticut, and New York City, and in recent solo recitals has given world premiere performances of works by Douglas Leedy and Charles Shere. Mr. Pfeffer lives with wife Karen in upstate New York, where he works at Bausch & Lomb in research and testing of new drugs to treat eye diseases. His other interests include nature and the outdoors.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in C-sharp Minor, WTC Bk 1, BWV 849 Rachmaninoff - Etude-Tableau in E-flat Minor, Op. 33, No. 5 Debussy - L’Isle Joyeuse

Semifinal Round Beethoven - Bagatelles, Op.126 Scriabin - Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 42, No. 5

Final Round Liszt - Sonata in B minor

+ Marlies Prenger, Utrecht Netherlands

Marlies Prenger was born and raised near The Hague in the Netherlands. She took piano lessons from ages 7 until 18, when she moved to Utrecht to attend university. After medical school, Ms. Prenger specialized in Occupational Medicine and currently works with an occupational health service provider. Eight years ago she started playing the piano again on a regular basis and took up lessons. She has studied music theory and didactics at the Schumann Akademie, a private parttime conservatory, since 2004. Ms. Prenger’s other interests include bird watching and travel.

Preliminary Round Shostakovich - Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, Op. 70, No. 22 Scriabin - Etude in F-sharp Minor, Op. 8, No. 2 Rachmaninoff - Etude-Tableau in E-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4

Semifinal Round Czerny - Etude in A Minor, Op. 740, No. 31 Chopin - Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 25, No. 7 Debussy – “La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune”, from Preludes, Book II Gershwin - Prelude No. 1 in B-flat Major

Final Round J.S. Bach - English Suite No. 3 in G minor Beethoven - Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 26

1. Andante con variazioni
2. Allegro

+ Ingrid Purwins, Muenster Germany

Ingrid Purwins was born in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany. After studying pedagogy in Göttingen, she married and worked as a teacher in Munich. She then followed her husband to Geneva, Switzerland, and worked at the German School in Geneva as a teacher. Because of all the changing of residences to different countries she concentrated on the education of her three children and on the logistics of moving. During the last 15 years, Ms. Purwins’ main activities were in real estate management, including hiring, organizing and controlling construction work, as well as in teaching German for foreign scientists at the University of Muenster.

Preliminary Round Mozart - Rondo No. 2 in F Major, K. 494 John Field - Nocturne in A Major A. Casella - from 11 Kinderstücke Valse Diatonique Bolero Galop final

Semifinal Round Shih - Ein Takt für Klavier Janãcek - Ein verwehtes Blatt Prokofieff - Visions Fugitives, Op. 22, Nos. 6, 5, 12, 3, 11, & 10

Final Round D. Scarlatti – Sonata in A Major, K. 114 Sonata in A Minor, K. 175 C Major (Supplement) Brahms - Intermezzo in E-flat Minor, Op. 118, No. 6 Debussy – The Children’s Corner

+ Esfir Ross, Oakland CA

Esifr Ross was born and grew up in Moldova. She began playing piano at age six, and graduated from Kishinev (Chisenau) Conservatory with an MA degree in piano performance. In 1977 she emigrated to Israel, then to Greece and finally to the US in 1980. She studied at the local college and works as a Registered Dental Assistant. In the US she studied with Karl U. Schnabel. She has performed as a soloist and accompanist in the Bay Area, Ohio and Israel. In 2007 she was a semifinalist in Fort Worth and Washington DC, and a finalist in the Colorado Springs Amateur Competition. She received diplomas for most creative programming, and interpretation of Baroque and Romantic music.

Preliminary Round Giovanni Batista Martini - Aria in C Glinka/Balakirev - “The Lark” Gottschalk - Etude de Concert “Manchego”

Semifinal Round Thalberg/Bellini - “Casta Diva”, Op. 70 Beethoven - 32 variations in C Minor, Wo0 80

Final Round Mozart - Sonata in C minor, K 457 Korngold - 3 pieces from “Much Ado About Nothing” Wim Statius Muller - 3 Antillean Dances

+ Anne-Marie Rouchon, Nogents, Fr

Anne-Marie Rouchon has been National Tennis Coach for the French Tennis Federation since 1980, where she is currently in charge of young talent identification, recruiting and training program. Born in Paris, she inherited her dual passion for tennis and piano from her parents. She received a degree in Spanish and was awarded the silver medal in the World University Tennis Games in Porto-Alegre, Brazil. After her marriage and the birth of her daughter, she decided to pursue her professional career in tennis, first being a private coach and teacher, and then by joining the French Tennis Federation. Recently retired, in the last several years she has participated in amateur piano competitions in Paris, Fort Worth and Colorado Springs.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonata in E major Sonata in C major Poulenc - Caprice Italien (Napoli)

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - French Suite No. 5 Gershwin - Three Preludes

Final Round Chopin - Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38 Mozart - 9 Variations in D major on a Minuet by Duport, K.573 Chopin – Etude in G-flat Major, Op. 10, No. 5

+ Abel Sanchez-Aguilera, Boston MA

Abel Sánchez-Aguilera was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1977. He obtained a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2006 and is currently performing research on blood cell formation and leukemia at Children’s Hospital Boston. Mr. Sanchez-Aguilera studied music at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid, where he graduated in 1999 under the direction of Fernando Puchol. He has given recitals in different cities in Spain and the United States, including performances of Chopin’s Etudes, Pierre Boulez’s Second Sonata, and the premiere of the work “Brevedades” by C. J. Martinez-Portela.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonata in D Major, K.96 (L.465) Chopin - Ballade No.1 in G Minor, Op. 23 Schoenberg - Klavierstück, Op.11, No.3 (Bewegt)

Semifinal Round Scarlatti - Sonata in B Minor, K.27 (L.449) Scriabin - Sonata No.7, Op. 64

Final Round Ravel - Gaspard de la nuit Boulez - Second Sonata, 1st m. (Extrêmement rapide)

+ Alexandre Santos, Stoneham MA

Alexandre Luiz de Rezende Santos was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began taking piano lessons at the age of twelve. He graduated with honors at the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, studying with Heitor Alimonda. He continued his studies with Gloria Maria da Fonseca and Tamara Ujakova while he continued his studies in audio and speech therapy at the Estacio de Sa University. He has given several piano recitals in concert halls, government houses, churches and as a guest in recordings. Mr. Santos also has a bachelor’s degree in voice from Berklee College of Music.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in C Minor, WTC Bk 2 Brahms - Rhapsody, Op 79, No. 2 Debussy - La Cathedrale Engloutie, from Preludes, Bk 1

Semifinal Round Chopin - Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 39 Prokofieff - Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28

Final Round Liszt - Sonata in B Minor

+ Vincent Schmithorst, Terrace Park OH

Vincent Schmithorst began his piano studies at the age of four. At ten years of age, he was a soloist with the Cincinnati POPS Orchestra and has also performed with the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Columbus Symphony Orchestras. Subsequently he pursued doctoral studies in physics. He is currently using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to study how the brain processes sound in children with unilateral hearing loss. Dr. Schmithorst continues to perform in solo recitals and his awards include first prize in the 2008 Washington International Piano Artists Competition and sixth prize in the American Music Scholarship Association World Piano Competition.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Etudes Op 10, Nos. 1 & 12 Mozart - Fantasy in D Minor, K. 397 Debussy - Feux d’artifice, from Preludes, Bk 2

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue, WTC Bk 1 Chopin - Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49

Final Round Debussy - La Puerto del Vino, from Preludes, Bk 2 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32, No. 12 Mendelssohn - Variations Serieuses, Op. 54 Schumann – Toccata, Op. 7

+ Michael Serio, Ayer, MA

Michael Serio began performing solo concerts at the age of 14 and was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Rochester, where he pursued a double major in computer science and piano performance at the Eastman School of Music. After a successful career in software engineering, he left his job as Technology Director for BerkleeMusic.com in 2006 to study the Alexander Technique and explore spirituality. He will receive his Alexander Technique teaching certification in June 2009 through Tommy Thompson’s training program in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He owns a web consulting practice for self-employed business owners.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonata in C Major, K. 132, cantabile Chopin - Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op 25, No. 7 Granados - Quejas o la maja el ruisenor, from “Goyescas”

Semifinal Round Beethoven – 3 Bagatelles Shostakovich - Preludes, Op. 34, Nos. 5 & 10 Chopin – Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2

Final Round Bridge - Hour Glass, 2nd m, “The Dew Fairy” Gershwin - Prelude No. 2 in C-sharp Minor Prokofieff - Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op 83

+ Alice Sheu, Chicago IL

Alice Sheu, a native of Taiwan, began piano studies at age five and won the Kawai Piano Competition at age 11. She continued her studies on and off throughout her teenage years, eventually giving way to chamber music. She began to study the piano seriously again after coming to the U.S. for graduate studies and has been an active participant of various summer festivals and schools since. Ms. Sheu completed her Ph. D. in Chemistry at the University of Chicago and is currently volunteering with the PianoForte Foundation in Chicago, working as a project manager.

Preliminary Round J. S. Bach - Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914 Messiaen - Prelude, “Un reflet dans le vent”

Semifinal Round Schubert - Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 Menuetto-Trio (Allegro) Allegro

Final Round Messiaen - Prelude, “La colombe” Schubert - Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 Allegro Adagio Chopin – Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60

+ Noriko Sugiyama, Cliffside Park NJ

Noriko Sugiyama graduated in humanities at International Christian University in Japan. She was employed as a system engineer at Fujitsu, and after marriage began to work at Yamaha and gave music computer classes there. Afterward she taught several courses in composition, improvisation, and solfege.Ms. Sugiyama also has performed solo pieces, piano concertos, pieces for duo, and chamber music at several concerts in Japan. After coming to the US, she performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as a first prize winner of Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in 2007 and 2008. She was an accompanist for the Piano Concerto class at the Evening Division of the Juilliard School in 2007 and 2008.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonatas, L. 23 & L. 84 Liszt - Légendes No. 2, “St François de Paule Marchant sur les Flots”

Semifinal Round Chopin – Rondo in C Minor, Op. 1 Khachaturian - Toccata

Final Round Liszt - Légendes No. 1, “St. Francois d'Assise: la predication aux oiseaux" Sugiyama - Sonata Chopin - Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23

+ Yoko Taruki, Yokohama Japan

Yoko Taruki is a kindergarten teacher in Japan. She started taking piano lessons at age four, but stopped in high school to focus on her future profession. She has worked in the social science fields of social welfare and education for the past twenty years. Ms. Taruki startedtaking lessons and practicing again four years ago. She attended the 2005 and 2008 International Keyboard Institute & Festival at Mannes College in New York City, and also attended the 2006 & 2007 Paris Piano Amateur Program at Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris.

Preliminary Round Schumann - Sonata in G Minor, Op. 22, 1st m. Debussy – Pour le Piano Prelude Toccata

Semifinal Round Mendelssohn - Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 Schubert - Sonata in A Major, D. 664, 1st m.

Final Round Schumann – Sonata in G Minor, Op. 22 Debussy - Pour le Piano

+ Shi-Chin Yvonne Tsai, La Palma, CA

Shi-Chin Yvonne Tsai is a full time pediatrician practicing in Southern California. She received her BA in Music from UC Berkeley before she entered the University of Pittsburgh, where she received her MD degree. She currently resides in California with her husband and four year old son. After her son entered preschool, she finally had some time on her own to practice and hopes to keep her fingers moving by preparing for this competition.

Preliminary Round Mozart - Sonata in C Major, K. 545 Chopin – Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 48, No. 1

Semifinal Round Beethoven - Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, 1st m. Brahms - Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2

Final Round Debussy - Children’s Corner J.S. Bach - Italian Concerto

+ Janet Underhill, Chicago IL

Janet Underhill began piano lessons on a paper keyboard in her third grade classroom and has played ever since. During her career as a music teacher, she has written in music education journals and on the web about how to structure a music curriculum, giving children the foundation they need in expressive singing and rhythmic gesture which prepares them for all the music ahead of them, both at school and in their lives. Ms. Underhill has just retired after a thirty-one year career in the music classroom. She has returned to piano studies, left behind as she worked and raised a family, and has found great pleasure in retirement in becoming reacquainted with the piano repertoire.

Preliminary Round Beethoven - Sonata in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3, 1st m. Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas

Semifinal Round Brahms - Intermezzo, Op. 116, No. 4 Beethoven – Sonata in E Major, Op. 109

Final Round J.S. Bach - Italian Concerto Haydn - Sonata in F Major, Hob XVI/22 Chopin - Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38

+ John Vineyard, Ithaca NY

John Vineyard lives in Ithaca, New York, where he is the founder and President of Sunlake Investment Management. He has played piano as an avocation since an early age. He studied piano at Mannes College in New York and at Oberlin College. An early interest in the building and playing of harpsichords eventually gave way to his interest in the piano, due to its greater range and stability. Other musical interests include early American music and making piano transcriptions of piano and orchestral works. Mr. Vineyard has previously participated in amateur competitions in New York, Washington, Boston and Berlin.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonatas, L 474, 481 & 232 Chopin – Etude in G-flat Major, Op 10, No. 5 Etudes Op. 25, Nos. 6 & 12

Semifinal Round Jan Hugo Vorisek - Sonata, Op. 20 Allegro con brio Scherzo and Trio Allegro con brio

Final Round Scharwenka - Ballade, Op. 85, No. 1

+ Joseph Wearing, Toronto, Ca

Joseph Wearing was born in London, Ontario. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Toronto and Oxford. He is Professor Emeritus of Political Studies at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario. As an amateur pianist, Mr. Wearing has performed in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom and has competed in piano competitions in Washington and Berlin. Together with five other pianists he formed the Master Class Players, who perform at fund-raising and charity events in the Toronto area. He is also an active choral singer.

Preliminary Round Albéniz - Navarra Oscar Peterson – from Canadiana Suite March Past Land of the Misty Giants

Semifinal Round Chopin - Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1 Brahms - Intermezzo in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4 Capriccio in C Major, Op. 76, No. 8

Final Round Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 332 Poulenc - Mouvements perpétuels Szymanowski - Etude, Op. 4, No. 3 Shostakovich - Prelude and Fugue in D Major, Op. 87, No. 5

+ Robert Weeks, Sheldon VT

Robert Weeks graduated with a Masters in MusicTheory from Indiana University in 1981, but chose a profession in computer science instead. He is currently the lead performance and architecture database administrator for a 15 terabyte data warehouse for IBM in Burlington, Vermont. His passions in life are first and foremost his wife and three children. His other passions in life include the piano, skiing, gardening, his church youth worship team, and his beloved 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Scherzo in B-flat Minor, Op. 31 Chopin - Mazurka in A-flat Major, Op. 59, No. 2

Semifinal Round Schumann – Papillons, Op. 2

Final Round Mozart - Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 281 Franck - Prelude, Chorale, et Fugue

+ Dominique Xardel, Paris Fr

Dominique Xardel first started to learn the piano in Aix-en-Provence, France, and then at the Dijon Conservatory. He graduated later from Columbia University Business School in New York and had management responsibilities in various companies such as Unilever in different countries. During this time he rarely had opportunities to practice piano for extended periods, but happily resumed playing in 2000. Since then Mr. Xardel has written two books on pianists, which have been translated into several different languages including Chinese. During the Boston competition in 2007, he met Julien Kurtz and they decided to create the International Piano Amateurs Festival, which held its first edition in Paris in the summer of 2008.

Preliminary Round Ravel - Alborada del gracioso, from Miroirs Messiaen - Vingt Regards No. 3

Semifinal Round Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas J.S. Bach - Sicilienne Marcello-J.S. Bach - Adagio

Final Round Verdi-Liszt – Paraphrase on Rigoletto J.S. Bach- Variations Nos. 13 & 25, from The Goldberg Variations

+ Gloria Yee, Wellesley, MA

Gloria Yee, seen in the previous Boston competition as Gloria Ho, was born, raised and educated in Vancouver, Canada. She began piano studies at age four and first appeared in recital at five, and with the Seattle Philharmonic at 13. She studied with Lorraine Ambrose at the Vancouver Academy of Music, where she was the winner of the Kay Meek Scholarship andconcert prize. She also holds an associateship from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto and Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music. For the last five years she has worked in the marketing field for Smiths Medical.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Etude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1 Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

Semifinal Round Beethoven - Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 Debussy - L’isle Joyeuse

Final Round Beethoven - Sonata in F-sharp Major, Op. 78 Liszt - Ballade

+ Joan Zarry, Toronto CA

Joan Zarry began her piano studies at an early age in Toronto and was the recipient of many awards and scholarships in drama as well as music. At age 16 she completed her ARCT (Associate of Royal Conservatory of Music) and shortly thereafter entered University of Toronto on scholarship to pursue a degree in Music Performance. After graduating she performed and taught at the RCM in Toronto and on the music faculty of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Marriage, children and circumstances led to a successful career change of 35 years duration, in property development and design. Five years ago another life change occurred, convincing her to give up the business (mostly) and return to her first love.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonata in F Major, K. 466 J.S. Bach-Siloti - Organ Prelude in G Major Mendelssohn - Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14

Semifinal Round Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (solo piano version)

Final Round Schumann – Papillons, Op. 2 Chopin - Waltz in E Major, Op. Posth. Chopin - Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31