+ Sibylle Barrasso, Wellesley, MA

Sibylle Barrasso is an author of mystery novels, a pianist, and a business consultant. She started playing the piano at age 9, but quit after only a year due to a philosophical difference with her piano teacher (Schubert vs. Czerny). Then she fell in love with the piano all over again while writing a novel about a concert pianist and Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto. A California native, she left L.A. with an MBA from UCLA to live in Europe and Brazil for a number of years, where she worked for IBM, and eventually moved to Boston to consult for Bain and Company and Prime Computers. Sibylle lives in Boston with her husband and son. In her spare time, she plays league tennis.

Preliminary Round Schumann - Arabesque, Op. 18 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2

Semifinal Round Chopin - Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 Chopin - Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 28, No. 20 Haydn - Andante with Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII/6

Final Round Gershwin - Embraceable You Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 332, 1st m. Chopin - Waltz in A Minor, Op. 34, No. 2 Chopin - Waltz in C-sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 Beethoven – Sonata Op. 27, No. 2 in C-sharp Minor, “Moonlight”, 1st & 2nd m. Schumann – selections from Kreisleriana, Op. 16

+ John Berkstresser, Bethlehem, PA

John Berkstresser holds degrees in applied piano and piano performance from Mansfield State University in Pennsylvania where he studied with Dr. William M. Goode, and Texas A & M University in Kingsville where he studied with Dr. Jan B. Drath. Further, he has studied with Dr. Seymour Bernstein in New York, at the Juilliard School of Music with Eva L. Kovalik, and is a member of the New York Piano Society. Most recently, John was first-prize winner at the 2010 Chopin Society of Texas’ amateur piano competition and was awarded a Carnegie Hall recital. When not studying piano, John flies international routes on the Boeing 777 aircraft for Continental Airlines.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Mazurka in A Minor, Op.17, No.4 Nocturne in F Minor, Op.55, No.1 Debussy - Les Collines d'Anacapri, from Preludes, Bk I

Semifinal Round Scriabin - Three Preludes Op.9, No.1 Op.11, No.9 Op.11, No.10 Chopin - Ballade in A-flat Major, Op.42

Final Round Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3 Debussy - La Cathédrale engloutie, from Preludes, Bk 1 Chopin - Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2 Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 42

+ Karmjeet Bindra, Sacramento, CA

Karmjeet Bindra is from Sacramento, California. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Pacific and his Master of Music degree from the University of Oregon. He has also attended California Institute of the Arts. Karmjeet's many hobbies keep him very occupied. In addition to playing the piano, he is also an accomplished guitar player and drummer. He is involved as a dance choreographer for high school students. He also enjoys drawing, painting, and photography. He is currently employed as a fifth grade teacher in Elk Grove, California.

Preliminary Round Ravel - Oiseaux tristes, from Miroirs Chopin - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52

Semifinal Round Liszt - La leggierezza Chopin - Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60

Final Round Bach/Busoni - Chorale Prelude: Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland Debussy - Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest, from Preludes, Bk 1 Liszt - Gnomenreigen Chopin – Berceuse, Op. 57 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 in 2008. At the Colorado Springs Amateur Competition in 2007, he reached the Final Round, where he was awarded Best Classical Performance Prize for Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 110.

Preliminary Round Beethoven - Sonata A-Flat Major, Op. 110, 2nd & 3rd m.

Semifinal Round Scriabin - Prelude op. 9 no. 1 in C Sharp Minor (for the left hand alone) Beethoven - Sonata in E Major, Op. 109, 1st & 2nd m. Brahms - Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 6 in E-Flat Minor

Final Round Beethoven - Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111

+ David Caldine, Fairfax, VA

David Caldine started piano and engineering studies at age 18. From 1982 to 1992 he studied with Elvin Schmitt, who was a student of Alfred Cortot and on the faculty of George Mason University. Recently he has been studying with Eric Himy. David has a background in electronics, land surveying, and bird song recording. His bachelor of electrical engineering was completed at GMU while working as an electronics design engineer at a large private company on contracts with the Pentagon. Now he specializes in software design and engineering graphics for Computer Sciences Corporation. David has participated in eleven competitions for amateurs in Fort Worth, Boston, Washington, and Paris.

Preliminary Round Sergei Taneyev - Prelude and Fugue Op. 29 Felix Blumenfeld - Left Hand Etude, Op. 36 Gershwin - Prelude No. 3

Semifinal Round Griffes - The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Kahn Lizst - Transcendental Etude No. 8, "Wilde Jagd"

Final Round Joseph Haydn - Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI/50 Claude Debussy - Reflets dans l'eau, from Images Frederick Chopin - Scherzo No 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31

+ Andrew Celentano, Stoneham, MA

Andrew Celentano worked at IBM for 15 years in various sales, marketing and management positions, achieving Golden Circle Status (top 1%) in his last year there. He founded and ran the interactive agency SkyWorld.com for 12 years, grew it to 27 people and sold it to his employees in 2007. He has since consulted under the name The Melrose Asset Group and in October joined Earley & Associates as a Director of Business Development. Earley is a recognized thought leader in the knowledge management, taxonomy and metadata space. Andrew and his wife Hilary have three grown children. He is also a board member of The Thoreau Society.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Nocturne in B-flat Minor Op. 9, No. 1 Ravel - Pavane for a Dead Princess Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Semifinal Round Chopin - Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op 53 Glass/Celentano – Theme from Satyagraha Act III Debussy - Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum, from Children’s Corner

Final Round Chopin – Berceuse, Op. 57 Debussy - Arabesque No. 1 Chopin - Nocturne in F Minor, Op 55, No. 1 Debussy – Golliwogg’s Cakewalk, from Children’s Corner Liszt - Consolation No. 3 Debussy - La fille aux cheveux de lin, from Preludes Bk 1

+ Daniel Chow, Vancouver, British Columbia

Daniel Chow is currently a Senior Accountant at Manning Elliott LLP, a mid-size accounting firm in Vancouver, British Columbia. Daniel successfully challenged the Uniform Final Examination in 2010 and will be a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (BC) in 2011. Daniel began playing the piano at the age of 5 and went on to receive a Bachelor and Master of Music before commencing his business degrees. Daniel performs in solo recitals, and his awards include a Gold Medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). Other hobbies include extreme outdoor sports such as snowboarding, white water rafting and skydiving.

Preliminary Round Bach/Busoni - Chaconne in D Minor

Semifinal Round Rachmaninoff/Earl Wild - Vocalise Liszt – Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12

Final Round Scarlatti - Sonata in D Major, K. 119 Gluck/Sgambati - Orfeo ed Euridice Liszt - Après une lecture du Dante

+ Casey Churko, Regina, Saskatchewan

Casey Churko is from a family of professional popular musicians. He received formal training in Canada through the Royal Conservatory of Music and at the University of Toronto. His pianistic influences include Evgeny Kissin and Murray Perahia. Away from the piano and his career as a class action litigator, he is an avid golfer and competitive triathlete. Recreationally, he enjoys mountain biking and fitness trips to national parks.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Polonaise in A Major, Op. 40, No. 1 Brahms - Rhapsody in G Minor, Op. 79, No. 2 Chopin - Etude Op. 10, No. 3 in E-Major

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971, 1st m. Liszt - Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, from Années de Pèlerinage, Bk II Chopin - Etude Op. 10, No. 12 in C Minor, “Revolutionary” Etude Op.10, No. 5 in G-flat Major, “Black Key”

Final Round J.S. Bach – from “Goldberg” Variations, BMV 988, Var. 16-30 and Aria da Capo

+ Michael Collier, Canaan, NY

Michael Collier held positions in the software industry as a client support manager, salesman and sales manager before retiring in 2010. Prior to his business career, Michael was active as a performer and teacher, including appearances at Alice Tully and Weill Recital Halls in New York City, teaching at The Mannes College of Music and Queens College, and serving as a juror at the Stravinsky International Piano Competition at the University of Illinois. In addition to performance degrees, he holds a Master of Arts in Musicology. Michael lives in rural upstate New York with his wife, Lynne, and their two dogs. He looks forward in retirement to spending more time at the keyboard.

Preliminary Round Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G Major, Op. 32, No. 5 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32, No. 12 Beethoven - Sonata in E Major, Op. 14, No. 1

Semifinal Round Chopin - Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2 Chopin - Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60

Final Round Liszt - Sonata in B Minor

+ 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 Bartok – Piano Sonata

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach – French Suite No. 5 in G Major Ravel - Une Barque sur l'Ocean, from "Miroirs"

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in F-sharp Major, Op. 78 Schumann – Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Liszt – Legend No. 2, St François de Paule marchant sur les flots

+ Judy Darst, Bend, OR

Judy Darst holds a degree in Piano Perforrnance frorn the University of Colorado where she affiliated with Sigma Alpha Iota, music honorarary. She taught and adjudicated as a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She performs in recital several times each year and has performed with the Minneapolis Youth Symphony, the Greeley Philharmonic and the Bainbridge Island Orchestra. Judy is the mother of two boys and the grandmother of two girls. She is an accomplished equestrian and an avid line dancer.

Preliminary Round Granados – Mazurka, from Escenas Rmanticas Rachmaninoff – Prelude in G Major, Op. 32, No. 5 Schubert – Hungarian Melody in B Minor, D. 817 Rodrigo – from Three Spanish Dances Rustica Serrano

Semifinal Round Liszt – Consolation No. 5 Brahms – Waltzes, Op. 39, Nos. 2, 8, 14, 15 Brahms – Ballade, Op. 118, No. 3

Final Round Chopin – Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9, No. 3 Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 45 Mazurka in A-flat Major, Op. 59, No. 2 Beethoven – Bagatelle, Op. 126, No. 5 Bagatelle, Op. 33, No. 4 Respighi – Gagliarda, from Ancient Airs and Dances

+ Seth Darst, New York, NY

Dr. Seth Darst obtained a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Stanford University. After postdoctoral work at Stanford, he went to The Rockefeller University (New York) to run a research laboratory in structural biology. He is currently a Professor of Molecular Biophysics, and lives in New York with his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Campbell (also a scientist), and two daughters (Maya, age 13; Amba, age 6). Seth has taken private piano lessons off and on since the age of 7 (depending on professional commitments, see above). His first teacher was his mother, Judith Darst.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C Minor from WTC Bk 1 J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp Major from WTC Bk 1 Bartok - Roumanian Folk Dances, Sz.56

Semifinal Round Schumann – Papillons, Op. 2

Final Round Chopin - Waltz in B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2 Ravel - Valses nobles et sentimentales Ginastera - Suite de Danzas Criollas

+ Carl DiCasoli, Waukegan, IL

Carl DiCasoli has won numerous state and local competitions in his home state of Florida. He competed in the junior division of the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in 1995. In 1999-2001, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music where he was a student of Russell Sherman, and won first prize in their Concerto Competition. He holds degrees in statistics from University of Central Florida and North Carolina State University. In 2008, he was the second prize winner of the Concours International des Grands Amateurs in Paris, France.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Schumann-Liszt - Widmung

Semifinal Round Debussy - L'isle Joyeuse Balakirev - Islamey

Final Round Beethoven - Sonata in F Major, Op. 54 Liszt - Transcendental Etude No. 12, "Chasse neige" Prokofiev - Sonata No. 7, Op. 83

+ Thang Dinh, Gainesville, FL

Thang Dinh is an energy consulting engineer for Cosmos International Hong Kong and Thermo-Tech Korea, engaged in the design and manufacture of dehumidification and energy recovery systems. Thang started learning piano at the age of 11. In 1989, he won first prize in division A of the Florida West Coast Chopin Piano Competition in Sarasota. In 2006, he was a gold medalist of the Chopin Competition for Adult Amateur Pianists in Houston Texas.

Preliminary Round Tchaikovsky – “June”, from The Seasons Chopin - Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38

Semifinal Round Liszt - Transcendental Etude No 10 in F Minor Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3 Chopin - Etude in C Minor, Op, 10, No. 12, “Revolutionary”

Final Round Mendelssohn - Song without Words, Op. 19, No. 1 Chopin – Preludes, Op. 28, Nos. 21, 22, 23, 24 Liszt - Liebestraum No. 3 Chopin – Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2 Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6

+ David Doran, St. Louis, MO

David Doran holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano and a Master of Music degree in organ from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and is an Associate of the Royal College of Music, London. Currently he studies piano with Alla Voskoboynikova and chamber music with the Arianna String Quartet, both at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has competed in amateur competitions in Paris, Washington, DC, and Berlin. David was a finalist in the 2008 Berlin competition and was awarded a special prize for best interpretation of a Classic period work. He serves as organist and choirmaster of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in St. Louis.

Preliminary Round Liszt - La Vallée d’Obermann, from Années de Pèlerinage

Semifinal Round Brahms - Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 188, No. 2 J. S. Bach - French Suite in E Major, BWV 817

Final Round Prokofiev - Sonata in D minor, Op. 14 Beethoven - Sonata in F minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”

+ David Duebendorfer, Westport, CT

David Duebendorfer is President and Chief Operating Officer of Artemis Wealth Advisors, a New York-based wealth advisory firm with over $500 million in assets under management. He holds a BA degree with high honors in International Management from UCLA and an MBA in International Finance from the Harvard Business School. A semi-finalist in the 2002 IPCOA, he currently studies with Natalie Ryshna, a former Steinway Artist ,and Michael Fennelly, a student of Byron Janis.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonata in D Minor, K. 517 Tchaikowsky/Pletnev – “Pas de Deux” from the Nutcracker Suite Rachmaninoff - Etude-Tableau in D Major, Op. 39, No. 9

Semifinal Round Brahms – Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2 Balakirev - Islamey

Final Round Schubert - Impromptu in B-flat Major, Op. 142, No. 3, D. 935 Albeniz - Iberia Suite, Book I Evocación El Puerto Fête-dieu à Seville

+ Philip Feng, Nashua, NH

Philip Feng, a native of Taiwan, began his piano training at the age of four, and won his first competition at age of 11 in the Taiwan National Piano Competition. He received a bachelor degree in physics at Fu-Jen Catholic University, and masters degrees in piano performance and in computer science at Binghamton University. He pursued a doctoral degree in piano performance at Indiana University, Bloomington, and later received a Performer Diploma. He has worked as a software engineer since 2000, and also maintains a private studio for ten students to pursue his love of teaching.

Preliminary Round Beethoven - Sonata in F Major, Op.54, 2nd m. Liszt – Tarantella, from Venezia e Napoli

Semifinal Round Menotti - Ricercare and Toccata on a theme from "The Old Maid and the Thief" Debussy – from Estampes II. La Soirée dans Grenade III. Jardins sous la pluie

Final Round Chopin - Sonata in B Minor, Op. 58

+ Lara Fesdekjian, Montreal, Quebec

Lara Fesdekjian has been a pharmacist for seven years, working in pharmacies all over Ontario, Canada, as well as acting as Director of Orton Park Pharmacy in Toronto. After graduating as the top student in the pharmacy class of 2003 at the University of Toronto, she decided to follow her love for music by pursuing graduate studies in piano performance at McGill University in Montreal. She currently divides her free time between writing, playing the piano and backpacking through nearly every continent.

Preliminary Round Schumann - Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17, 1st m.

Semifinal Round Chopin – Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 Scriabin - Etude in D-sharp Minor, Op. 8, No. 12

Final Round Ravel - Une barque sur l'océan, from Miroirs Franck - Prélude, Choral et Fugue

+ Matthias Fischer, Wuerzburg, Germany

Matthias Fischer was born in 1973 in Bad Kissingen, Germany. He studied piano in Munich with Prof. Karl-Hermann Mrongovius for one year. Between 1995 and 2002 he studied medicine in Würzburg. Matthias won prizes in the International Students Piano Competition in Utrecht. In 2000, he won the first prize in the Les Grands Amateurs de Piano competition in Paris, and in 2008 he won the first prize in the Internationaler Klavierwettbewerb für Amateure in Berlin. Matthias currently works as a psychiatrist and researcher at the university-clinics in Würzburg.

Preliminary Round Schumann – Novelette in D Major, Op. 21, No. 2 Mendelssohn - Variations sérieuses, Op. 54

Semifinal Round Rachmaninoff - Etude-tableau in E-flat Minor, Op. 39, No. 5 Chopin – Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23

Final Round Schumann - Carnaval, Op 9 Schumann – Träumerei, from Kinderszenen, Op. 15

+ Daniel Gaspard, Montreal, Quebec

Daniel Gaspard was born in a small village in France, and has lived in Canada since 1990. He began to study the piano at age 14. After many years as a sales manager, since last year he resumed regular practicing after a twenty year hiatus. In his spare time, he is building a sailboat

Preliminary Round Liszt - Légende No. 2, Saint François de Paule marchant sur les flots

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, from WTC Bk 2, BWV 871 Schumann – Arabesque, Op. 18

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110 Schoenberg - Six Pieces, op 19

Judith Gore Southport, England

Judith Gore was born in Southport, England. She studied piano with Phyllis Eley and won the Liverpool Piano Student of the Year. She studied music at Liverpool and London Universities and has a Masters degree in Literature. She was awarded a Piano Recital Diploma from Trinity College London and did further piano studies at the Guildhall School of Music. Judith has performed for BBC Radio 3 at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, BBC Television Centre and the University of Leeds. She performed at the home of Prince Loewenstein in London for the Chopin Society and at the Chelsea Festival

Preliminary Round Liszt – Funerailles from Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses Piazzolla – Toccata, from Suite para Piano, Op. 2

Semifinal Round Bach/Busoni – Chaconne in D Minor

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110, 1st & 3rd m. Liszt – La Vallée d’Obermann, from Années de Pèlerinage

+ Robin Green, Dallas, TX

Robin Green graduated from Stanford Law School in Palo Alto, CA, and subsequently practiced corporate and securities law for 15 years. She went on sabbatical when her children were young, and now practices the piano instead of law. She works as an artist, primarily in oil. Robin is a member of numerous boards of directors of nonprofits in the Dallas community and New York City, where she resides part time, most of a musical nature, such as the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Chamber Music Society, and the New York Piano Society.

Preliminary Round To be submitted at a later date (but before the deadline!).

Semifinal Round To be submitted at a later date.

Final Round To be submitted at a later date.

+ Jonathan Guttmacher, Boston, MA

Jonathan Guttmacher has been a physician in the Boston area for fifty years. His recent piano studies have been with Judith Gordon and Roberto Poli. He is a member of Boston Piano Amateurs and competed in the first Boston piano competition in 2001.

Preliminary Round Mozart – Rondo in D Major, K. 485 Brahms – Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5, 3rd m.

Semifinal Round Haydn – Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 7

+ David Hibbard, Fort Worth, TX

David Hibbard, the son of an Irish nurse and an American soldier, began piano lessons at age 7. After two semesters as a music major at the University of Illinois he took a “summer job” on the railroad and stayed there for over 41 years, the latter half of which were in management. In 1999, some thirty-four years after his most recent formal musical study, David entered the first International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Fort Worth, organized by the Van Cliburn Foundation under Richard Rodzinski, and advanced to the semifinal round. Since then he has participated in several other amateur competitions including New York, where in 2003 he was awarded the Gold Medal and Press Jury award.

Preliminary Round Rachmaninoff - Lilacs, Op.21, No. 5 Tchaikovsky/Rachmaninoff - Lullaby Rachmaninoff – Polka de W. R.

Semifinal Round Beethoven – Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 26, 1st m. Brahms - Intermezzo in A Minor, Op. 118, No. 1 Brahms - Intermezzo in A Major Op. 118, No. 2

Final Round Chopin – Waltz in A Minor, Op. Posth. Chopin – Four Mazurkas, Op. 33 Chopin - Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op.61

+ Wen-Yee Ho, Concord, MA

Wen-Yee Ho, born and raised in Hong Kong, has been teaching French at Tufts for 27 years. She holds a B.A. in music from UCLA, and three dgrees in French, including a doctorate from the l’Universite de Haute Bretagne, France. Her piano teachers include Harry Ore (Hong Kong), Leo Smit (UCLA), F. Aguessy (Fontainebleau, France) and Max Levinson (Boston). Recently, she refocused her love of piano and returned to performing, giving concerts in the Boston area, a recital at the St. James American Church in Florence, Italy, and participating in student recitals at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau.

Preliminary Round Mozart – Sonata in C Major, K. 330, 1st m. Debussy – Arabesque No. 1 Liszt – Sonetto del Petrarca No. 104

Semifinal Round Haydn – Sonata in A Major, Hob. XVI:12 Schumann – Intermezzo, from Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 Chopin – Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 55, No. 2 Chopin – Mazurka in B-flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4

Final Round Chopin - Fantasie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66 Beethoven – Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathetique”

+ Grace Huang, Georgetown, TX

Grace Huang was born in Taiwan and moved to the US when she was 19. She received a bachelor's degree in molecular biology from University of Texas at Austin and is currently working there as a microbiology research assistant. Grace started playing the piano at age 7, and is currently taking piano lessons from Melanie Richards.

Preliminary Round Ravel – Ondine, from Gaspard de la Nuit Chopin - Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op.posth Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C Minor, Op.23, No. 7

Semifinal Round Tchaikovsky – Dumka, Op. 59 Chopin - Fantasy-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66

Final Round Liszt - Transcendental Etude No. 9, “Ricordanza” Beethoven - Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No.2, “Moonlight”

+ Pei-Li Huang, West Newton, MA

Pei-Li Huang, MD has been a student of piano since age 5 and a student of human nature and reproduction since graduating from Boston University Medical School. She is a founding partner of Fertility Solutions, a practice specializing in fertility treatment and assisted reproduction. She won the grand prize in the 2010 Massachusetts Medical Society Creative Writing Exposition with an essay entitled "The Piano Competition", and is a frequent performer in the Massachusetts Medical Society Creative and Performing Arts Festival held each year.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Polonaise in D Minor, Op. 71, No. 1 Scarlatti - Sonata in D Major, K. 492 Barber – Nocturne, Op. 33

Semifinal Round Schubert - Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3, D. 899 Chopin - Waltz in E Minor, Op. Posth. Schubert - Impromptu in C Minor, Op. 90, No. 1, D. 899

Final Round Tchaikovsky – Dumka, Op. 59 Prokofiev - Sonata No. 4

+ Hiromi Inomata, Allston, MA

Hiromi Inomata was born in Tokyo, Japan. She studied piano between the ages of 6 and 12, then took up the violin and later in high school the oboe. She played for 17 years with an orchestra, which traveled to Korea and Croatia, and also played with members of The Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin Deutsche Opera Orchestra and Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2008, Hiromi moved to Boston with her husband, an oboist, and resumed her study of piano. She received the Martha Sosman Award this past spring at Longy School of Music.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Nocturne No.15 in F Minor, Op. 55, No. 1 Chopin – Etude No.1 in F Minor, from Trois nouvelles etudes Scarlatti - Sonata in E Minor, K. 198 Scarlatti - Sonata in E Major, K. 20

Semifinal Round Chopin - Mazurka in A-flat Major, Op. 24, No. 3 Granados - Danza española in E Minor Op. 37, No. 5, “Andaluza” Fauré - Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat Major, Op. 63

Final Round Debussy - "La serenade interrompue", from Preludes, Bk 1 Debussy - "La danse de Puck", from Preludes, Bk 1 J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 850 Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 533/494

+ Adrienne Johnson, Minneapolis, MN

Adrienne Johnson, born in Wichita, Kansas, has been playing piano her entire life. As a teenager in Minnesota, she was named one of the top ten talents in the state and won state and local competitions. As a finalist in the Young People’s Symphony Competition, she was granted a performance with the Minnesota Orchestra. She graduated from the University of Minnesota when she was 19 with summa cum laude honors and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. Adrienne went on to receive a Master of Arts degree at the Julliard School. She has been an elementary school music teacher at the Archdiocese of St. Paul for thirty years.

Preliminary Round Ravel – Ondine, from Gaspard de la Nuit Rachmaninoff – Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32, No. 12

Semifinal Round Chopin – Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Debussy – Clair de lune, from Suite Bergamasque

Final Round Beethoven – Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein”, 1st m. Liszt – Tristan and Isolde Rachmaninoff – Prelude in B Major, Op. 32 , No. 11

+ Daniel Kandelman, Montreal, Quebec

Daniel Kandelman began his career as a doctor of dentistry in Marseille, France, moving on to the University of Geneva and then a Master of Public Health at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He is now a full professor and Director of the international center for prevention of oral diseases, and on the Faculty of dental medicine at the University of Montreal, Canada. Daniel is the author of two books in preventive dentistry and 90 scientific publications.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach - Italian concerto, BWV 971, 1st and 2nd m. Joplin - Fig Leaf Rag

Semifinal Round Bach/Gratia - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor Schubert - Impromptu

Final Round Bach/Busoni - Chaconne in D Minor Beethoven – Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathetique”, 1st m., Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag

+ Christopher Kokkinos, Acton, MA

Chris Kokkinos was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, and began taking piano lessons at the Academy of Music and Ballet at the age of ten. In 1979 he earned piano certificates from the Orpheon Conservatory (Athens, Greece) and The Royal Schools of Music (London, England) both with distinction. Chris studied Electrical Engineering and Music at Cornell University from where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree (EE) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Music) in 1984 and a Master of Engineering Degree (EE) in 1985. Chris lives in Acton, MA with his wife and three sons. He is employed by PTC in Needham, MA, where he is a Vice President in Software Research and Development.

Preliminary Round Schubert - Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 4 Chopin – Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12, “Revolutionary” Chopin - Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op.53

Semifinal Round Liszt - Reminiscences de Norma

Final Round Bach/Liszt - Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543 Schubert - Wanderer Fantasy in C Major, Op. 15

+ Kenny Kurtzman, Houston, TX

Kenny Kurtzman lives in Houston, Texas and is a Senior Partner at Booz & Company, a global management consulting firm. He has completed over thirty years of classical piano lessons. Kenny also performed as Amahl in the Houston Grand Opera production of Amahl and the Night Visitors at the age of 12 and sang in musicals while in high school and during his post-graduate studies at Stanford University. Kenny served as a Board Member of the Houston Grand Opera from 2002-2004 and has been a member of the Young President’s Organization since 2000. His other interests are soccer, basketball and U.S. Paddle Team.

Preliminary Round Chopin – Nocturne in B flat Minor, Op. 9, No. 1 Schumann – Toccata in C Major

Semifinal Round Mozart – Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333, 1st m Beethoven – Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein”, 1st m.

Final Round Mozart - Twelve variations on A vous dirai-je Maman Debussy – Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum from Children’s Corner Beethoven – Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein”, 2nd & 3rd m.

+ Eun-Suk Lee, Cambridge, MA

Eun-Suk Lee recently graduated from MIT with a Ph.D. in Management, and this September he will start his career as a Professor of Management at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) Business School. He holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Business Administration from Seoul National University, where he participated in several recitals in the College of Music as a guest pianist. At MIT, as a recipient of an Emerson Music Scholarship, he studied piano performance with Marilyn Roth, a faculty member at New England Conservatory.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Mazurka in C Major, Op. 24, No. 2 Chopin - Scherzo in E Major, Op.54

Semifinal Round Stravinsky/Agosti – Suite from “The Firebird”

Final Round Liszt - Sonata in B Minor

+ David Leehey, Oak Park, IL

David Leehey is President of the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest and MacDowell Artists Association, both in Oak Park, Illinois, and is a founding board member of Pianoforte Foundation in Chicago. He has participated in many chamber music conferences and workshops as well as several amateur piano competitions. He served as chair of the competition committee for the first Chicago Amateur Piano Competition held in June 2010. When not engaged in musical pursuits, David 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, Rebecca, Edward, and Anna.

Preliminary Round Liszt - Au bord d'une source, from Années de pèlerinage, Bk I Chopin - Berceuse, Op. 57 Schumann - Noveletten, Op. 21, No. 2

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

Final Round Schubert - Sonata in A Major, D. 959

+ Manuel Llorens, Bay Village, OH

Manuel Llorens was born in Caracas, Venezuela. While he always loved piano music he didn’t start taking lessons until age 16,. While at the Simon Bolivar Conservatory he often worked as accompanist and pianist both for the orchestra and other musicians during rehearsals, exams and recitals. He recorded a radio program at the Classical FM Radio station called "The Venezuelan Musical Youth". Currently Manuel works as a International Sales Manager for a software company in Cleveland, Ohio.

Preliminary Round Faure - Barcarolle No. 1 in A Minor Chopin – Polonaise in C Minor, Op. 40, No. 2

Semifinal Round Liszt – Funerailles, from Harmonies poetiques et religieuses Chopin - Prelude in A Major, Op. 28, No. 17

Final Round J S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue No 3 in C-sharp Major, WTC Bk 1 Schubert - Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op. 142, No. 2, D.935 Chopin - Mazurka in B Minor, Op. 33, No. 4 Chopin - Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23

+ Art Manwelyan, Waltham, MA

Art Manwelyan was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and emigrated to the US in 1989 with his wife Julia and three children. A professional mathematician and computer programmer, he graduated from Math and Mechanics School of St. Petersburg University in 1977. His music education includes private lessons starting at the age of 6 in Leningrad. Later on he took classes at the New England Conservatory as well as private lessons. He has been a member of the Boston Piano Amateurs Association since 2001. Art has performed several solo piano recitals in Boston and Newton, Mass. His other interests and avocations are theatre, drama, poetry, literature, science history and publishing.

Preliminary Round Handel - Capriccio & Passacaglia in G Minor Beethoven - Rondo a capriccio "Rage Over The Lost Penny" in G Major, Op.129 Rachmaninoff – Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach – Echo, from Overture in French Style, BWV 831 Beethoven - Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, "Waldstein", 1st m.

Final Round Chopin - Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12 "Revolutionary" Etude in C Minor, Op. 25, No. 12 Alkan - Barcarolle. Op. 65, No. 6 Beethoven/Busoni Six Ecossaises in E flat Major, WoO 83 Schubert/Liszt - Ständchen Sinding - Rustle of Spring, Op. 32, No. 3 Prokofiev - The Montagues and Capulets, from "Romeo and Juliet", Op. 75, No. 6 Khachaturian - Toccata in E-flat Minor, Op. 24

+ Neil McKelvie, Forest Hills, NY

Neil McKelvie was born in Welwyn Garden City, England. After graduating from Cambridge University he emigrated to the US, where he was a PhD student at Columbia. He worked for the American Cyanamid Company for two years, giving them, in his words, “around 150 useless new compounds in return for much-needed salary”. Then it was on to Yale for a year as a post-doctoral research assistant. Neil joined the faculty of the City College of New York (CCNY) and of the Graduate School of the City University of New York (CUNY) in Sept 1962, where he remained for 35 years until his retirement.

Preliminary Round Ignaz Friedman – Mazurka in C Major, Op. 15, No. 1 Chopin – Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Sergei Bortkiewicz - Lyrica Nova, Op. 59, No. 3

Semifinal Round Ignaz Friedman – Mazurka, Op. 27 No. 3 Liszt – Oh Quand je Dors Sergei Bortkiewicz - Lyrica Nova, Op. 59, No. 1 Francis George Scott, arr. Stevenson - "There's News, Lassies, News"

Final Round Friedman - Mazurka in E-flat Minor, Op. 49, No. 1 Schubert/Tausig - Andantino and Variations; from Divertissement á la Francaise, 2nd m. Purcell, arr. Stevenson - Toccata Friedman - Viennese Dance No. 1 (after Gärtner)

+ Anne Miller, Boston, MA

Anne Miller spent her childhood in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she began taking piano lessons at age 5. She graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in music. Anne attended medical school instead of pursuing a career in music, and is an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist. While in college and in the early years of med school at University of Virginia, she performed in both solo and chamber music/voice recitals. After an extensive break, she has performed a number of house recitals in the Boston area with professional cellist Zarina Irkaeva over the last three years and last year worked on piano with David Kim. She studies piano with Ya-Fei Chuang.

Preliminary Round Mozart - Rondo in A Minor, K. 511 Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 7 in D Minor

Semifinal Round Scarlatti - Sonata D Minor, K.1 Brahms – Intermezzo, Op. 119, No. 1 Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas op. 2

1. Danza del viejo boyero
2. Danza de la moza donosa
3. Danza del gaucho matrero

Final Round Scarlatti - Sonata D Major, K. 96 Schubert – Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 4 Chopin - Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, 3rd and 4th m.

+ Melinda Morse, San Ramon, CA

Melinda Morse, a transplant to California from Yell County, Arkansas, has been a school teacher for 34 years. While her current teaching subject is sixth grade science, she has a BA in Music from Hendrix College and an MM from the University of Memphis. In addition, she received national recognition as an age group runner and national board certification as a teacher. Melinda credits the Cliburn Youtube Competition and her piano teacher, Ray Bogas, for inspiring her to study piano seriously. She has given recitals in four states, with an upcoming performance for an Armed Forces fundraiser sponsored by Blue Star Moms.

Preliminary Round Mozart – Sonata in C Major, K. 330, 1st m. Hindemith – from Ludus Tonalis Interludium No. 4 Fuga and Interludium No. 5 in E Major

Semifinal Round Chopin – Berceuse, Op. 57 Schubert – Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3, D. 899 Ravel – Alborada del Gracioso, from “Miroirs”

Final Round Hindemith – from Ludus Tonalis Interludium No. 1 in C Major Fuga No. 2 in G Major Scriabin – Prelude in E Major, Op. 11, No. 9 Prelude in G Major, Op. 11, No. 3 Beethoven – Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, “Moonlight”

+ Ali Mushtaq, Arlington, VA

Ali Mushtaq started to play piano at age 12, after listening to a recording of Horowitz play Beethoven’s Pathetique sonata. He studied seriously in High School, eventually to be accepted into the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. After a year at Oberlin, however, he left to pursue a career outside music. Many years later, he is now an Independent Statistical Contractor in the DC area, studying piano on his free time.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach – Sinfonia from Partita No. 2 in C Minor Beethoven - Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111, 1st m.

Semifinal Round Beethoven/Liszt - Symphony No. 7 in A, 2nd m. Liszt - Gnomenreigen Nikolai Kapustin - Toccatina, Etude No. 3 from Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40

Final Round Gabriella Montero - Tango Schubert - Sonata in A Major, D. 959, 4th m. Prokofiev - Sonata No 3 in A Minor, Op 28 Nikolai Kapustin - Reverie, Etude No. 2 from Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40

Kazuyuki Ohmura Kawasaki, Japan

Kazuyuki Ohmura began her piano studies at the age of three, and studied with Hiroe Nakazawa and Noriko Abe until the age of eighteen. In college she joined an amateur orchestra and began to study viola. She still plays viola in amateur orchestra concerts three or four times a year, and her instrumental activities have given her many opportunities to play chamber music also, both as violist and pianist. She has participated as pianist in a summer school for amateur cellists for the last ten years, and played sonatas and pieces with lecturer (Tomoki Iwanaga). Since 2006, she has studied piano with Utami Kaneko.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, Op..44

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach - Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826

Final Round Chopin - Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 Fauré - Nocturne No. 11, Op. 104, No. 1 Fauré - Nocturne No. 13, Op. 119 Prokofiev - Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28

+ Jose Peixoto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

José Mauro Peixoto has worked in the financial industry for his entire career, and currently manages some of the top Investment Funds in Brazil. He started piano lessons with his mother, and by age eleven he had appeared twice on television. At the age of twelve he abandoned the piano for twenty eight years, and only played again when asked by a friend to play, as a birthday gift, the Chopin’s Polonaise (Op. 53). The success encouraged José to return to the piano. In January, 1999, he started to participate in amateur piano competitions, and in 2007 was a semifinalist in the Cliburn Amateur Competition. In his spare time, Jose loves to play bridge and dance.

Preliminary Round Schumann – Romance, Op. 28, No. 2 Beethoven - 32 Variations in C Minor, Woo 80

Semifinal Round J.S. Bach – Prelude, from English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 Chopin - Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53

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

+ Kathleen Penny, Toronto, Ontario

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. Kathleen 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 build her law practice, she resumed serious piano study in 1998. Kathleen earned her diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2005. She was a semi-finalist at the 2005, 2007 and 2009 Boston amateur piano competitions, and a finalist at the 2006, 2008 and 2009 Washington (WIPAC) piano competitions.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 48, No. 1 Denis Gougeon - Piano-Soleil, from Six Thèmes Solaires

Semifinal Round Scarlatti - Sonata in C Major, K. 513, L. S3 Liszt – Legend No. 2, St François de Paule marchant sur les flots

Final Round Schumann - from Fantaisiestücke, Op. 12 Des Abends Aufschwung Warum? In der Nacht Beethoven - Sonata in E-flat Major, op. 81a “Les Adieux” Das Lebewohl (Adagio-Allegro) Abwesenheit (Andante espressivo) Das Wiedersehen (Vivacissimamente)

+ Misae Pergolizzi, Danbury, CT

Misae Pergolizzi began to study the piano at the age of 5 with a private piano teacher in Japan. Although she studied literature in college, she continued playing on her own. In 2004, she began to study the piano seriously again at the Juilliard School’s Evening Division. She took a job as a Japanese teacher at some public schools in Connecticut and at a private university in New York. She says that teaching Japanese to Americans is a lot of fun, but at the same time she continuously want to pursue her music seriously at this stage of her life.

Preliminary Round Beethoven - Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 22, 3rd & 4th m.

Semifinal Round Chopin - Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60

Final Round Chopin - Etude in E Minor, Op. 25, No. 5 Beethoven - Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, “Les Adieux

+ Alexandre Rezende, Stoneham, MA

Alexandre Rezende was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began taking piano lessons at the age of twelve. He graduated with honors from the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, studying with Heitor Alimonda. He continued his studies with Gloria Maria da Fonseca and Tamara Ujakova while taking classes 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 recording productions. Alexandre also has a bachelors degree in voice, and is a recipient of a scholarship at Berklee College of Music.

Preliminary Round Chopin - Etude in F Minor, Op. 25, No. 2 Chopin - Etude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1 Chopin - Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 10, No. 4 Prokofiev - Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28

Semifinal Round Chopin - Prelude in A-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 17 Chopin - Prelude in G Minor, Op. 28, No. 22 Chopin - Prelude in B-flat Minor, Op. 28, No. 16 Amaral Vieira - Trilogia - Elegia, Noturno and Toccata Prokofiev - Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28

Semifinal Round Chopin - Prelude in A-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 17 Chopin - Prelude in G Minor, Op. 28, No. 22 Chopin - Prelude in B-flat Minor, Op. 28, No. 16 Amaral Vieira - Trilogia - Elegia, Noturno and Toccata

Final Round Mozart - Rondo in A Minor, K. 511 Lorenzo Fernandez - Second Brazilian Suite Ponteio (Prelude), Moda (Song), Caterete (Dance) Chopin – Scherzo in C-sharp Minor, Op. 39 Nikolai Kapustin - Concert Etude No. 7, “Intermezzo”

+ Esfir Ross, Oakland, CA

Esfir Ross was born and grew up in Moldova. She began playing piano at age six, and graduated from Kishinev 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 Scarlatti – 2 Sonatas, K. 1 & K. 141 Alkan – Barcarolle, Op. 65, No. 6 Debussy – La Puerta del Vino, from Preludes, Bk 2

Semifinal Round Chopin – Waltz in A Minor, Op. Posth. Hummel – Variations on a Theme from “Armide” by Gluck, Op. 57 Wim Statius Muller – Two Antillean Dances

Final Round J.S. Bach/Frederic Chiu – “Erbarme Dich” from the St. Matthew Passion Schubert/Liszt - Gretchen am Spinnrade Liszt – Oh Quand je Dors Valeri Gavrilin – Liszt Remembered Tchaikovsky – Dumka, Op. 59

+ Ian Roy, Dunfermline, Scotland

Ian Roy was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and attended Wick High School. He began playing the piano at age eight and studied initially with Emma Bruce in Wick. After leaving Wick High School he studied for two degrees in math and physics at the University of Aberdeen. He then worked on two research contracts at the universities of Plymouth and Newcastle upon Tyne. Thereafter he worked for the ship safety department of QinetiQ at Rosyth. Until May 2011 Ian was employed by the Edinburgh-based firm of Petroleum Experts.

Preliminary Round Liszt – Sposalizio, from Années de Pèlerinage John Ireland - April Rachmaninoff - Prelude in B-flat Major, Op. 23, No. 2

Semifinal Round Debussy - La Soirée dans Grenade, from Estampes Chopin – Etude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1 Ravel – Ondine, from Gaspard de la Nuit

Final Round Chopin - 12 Etudes, Op. 10

+ Abel Sánchez-Aguilera, Boston, MA

Abel Sánchez-Aguilera was born in Madrid, Spain. He studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid. He has given recitals in several countries in Europe and America, including a performance of Pierre Boulez’s Second Sonata at the Mozarteum (Salzburg, 2010), performances of Chopin’s complete Etudes, and the premiere of the work “Brevedades” by C. M. González-Portela. He has won prizes at the international amateur piano competitions of Boston (2009) and Chicago (2010). Abel obtained a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2006 and performed research on blood cell formation and leukemia at Children’s Hospital Boston, where he completed his postdoctoral training in May 2011.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti - Sonata in B Minor, K.27 Chopin – Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op.10 no.4 Schoenberg - Klavierstücke, Op.33a Albéniz – Eritaña, from Iberia, Book IV

Semifinal Round Scarlatti - Sonata in A Major, K. 24 Scriabin - Sonata No. 7, Op. 64

Final Round Brahms - Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35, Bks I and II

+ Michael Serio, Boston, MA

Michael Serio performed solo concerts as a teenager throughout Western New York and was awarded a scholarship to the Eastman School, where he pursued a double major in piano performance and computer science at the University of Rochester and later at SUNY-Buffalo. After a career in software development, Mike trained as an Alexander Technique teacher, receiving his certification in 2009. Mike then co-founded The Well Tempered Pianist to help pianists perform with less effort and more ease by applying principles of the Alexander Technique. Also in 2009, Mike won third prize and the audience choice award in the Washington International Piano Artists Competition He has recently returned to Berklee College as a software development manager .

Preliminary Round Shostakovich - Prelude Op. 34, No. 10 Granados – The Maiden and the Nightingale, from Goyescas Frank Bridge - The Dew Fairy, from “The Hour Glass”

Semifinal Round Scarlatti - Sonata in C Major, L. 457 Beethoven - Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein”, 1st m.

Final Round Granados – Mazurka alla Polacca, Op. 2 Albeniz – Evocación, from Iberia, Bk 1 Schumann – Arabeske, Op. 18 Debussy - Estampes Pagodas Soirée dans Grenade Jardins sans la pluie

+ Toshiko Shimogaki, Tokyo, Japan

Toshiko Shimogaki began piano lessons when she was 7 years old. Her parents liked to sing along while she played, leading to a life-long association with singers and interest in vocal music. She studied piano at Musashino Academia Musicae, one of the most prestigious music conservatories in Japan. Toshiko competed in the Berlin Amateur competition Gold Class in 2010.

Preliminary Round J.S. Bach – Prelude and Fugue, WTC Bk 2 ,BWV 874 Schumann – Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17, 1st m.

Semifinal Round Chopin – Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Ravel – Jeux d’eau

Final Round Granados – Los Requiebros, from Goyescas Brahms – Intemezzo, Op. 118, No. 1 Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2 Ballade, Op. 118, No.3

+ Max Sung, New York, NY

Max Sung is currently a full-time practicing physician specializing in cancer. Prior to becoming a doctor, Max studied with Helmut Roloff at the National College of Music in Berlin, Germany for one year on a German Academic Exchange Service fellowship. He then proceeded to Harvard University where he majored in chemistry but participated in the Chamber Music performance course taught by Leon Kirchner and Earl Kim.

Preliminary Round Schumann - In Der Nacht, from Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 Schoenberg - Klavierstücke, Op. 33a Ravel - Ondine, from Gaspard de la Nuit

Semifinal Round Schubert/Liszt - Gretchen am Spinnrade Schubert/Liszt - Der Müller und der Bach Albeniz - Rondeña, from Iberia, Book II

Final Round Chopin - 12 Etudes, Op. 10

+ Viscount Thurston, Columbia, MD

Viscount Thurston began piano studies at age 7. At age 17 he played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in Denver, Colorado, with an orchestra led by his teacher, Antonia Brico. As a graduate student competition winner at Ohio State University, Viscount performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance in 1984. In 2003, he reprised his performance of the Rachmaninoff 3rd with the Littleton Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He won 1st place in the 2010 Washington International Piano Artists competition. Viscount is also a performing member of the DC-based Friday Morning Music Club and Piano Society of Greater Washington.

Preliminary Round Schumann - Romance in F-sharp Major, Op. 28, No. 2 Beethoven - Theme & 32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80

Semifinal Round Chopin - Fantasie in F Minor, Op. 49 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G Major, Op. 32, No. 5

Final Round Mozart - Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333 Chopin - Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 Debussy - L’isle joyeuse

+ Darin Tysdal, Bloomington, MN

Darin Tysdal has been a vital force on the Twin Cities musical scene for 18 years. He has been active as a pianist, composer and conductor. He has performed concertos with many orchestras and bands in the Twin Cities Area. Darin also is a busy accompanist with the Trinity Choir of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, as well as the South Metro Chorale in Prior Lake, Minnesota. His compositions have been played by chamber groups throughout the Twin Cities, the Dakota Valley Symphony, and the world premiere of "5 Haiku" by the Century College Orchestra. Darin lives in Bloomington, Minnesota with his wife Lynda and their two kittens, Sunny and Sherry.

Preliminary Round Copland - Piano Variations Scriabin - Etude in D-sharp Minor, Op. 8, No. 12

Semifinal Round Schubert - Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op. 142, No. 2 Rachmaninoff/Wild - Floods of Spring, Op. 14, No. 1 Ginastera - Sonata No. 1, Op. 22, 4th m. Nikolai Kapustin - Prelude in Jazz Style, Op. 53, No. 17

Final Round Prokofiev - Sonata No. 8 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83

+ 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. John has previously participated in amateur competitions in New York, Washington, Boston and Berlin.

Preliminary Round Chopin – Preludes, Op. 28, Nos. 1, 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 22 Liszt – Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3

Semifinal Round Scarlatti – Sonatas, L. 239, 474, 232 Leopold Godowsky – Boro Budur in Moonlight, from Java Suite Brahms – Capriccio, Op. 116, No. 7

Final Round Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 Allegro Adagio Menutto – Allegro Allegro

+ Graeme Wilkinson, Montreal, Quebec

Graeme Wilkinson first studied music seriously while completing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French Literature at the University of British Columbia. Further studies in Switzerland included piano instruction at the Conservatories of Neuchâtel and Lausanne. In 1979, he was employed by Air Canada, and has remained with the company until the present time. Graeme furthered his musical education at the Vancouver Academy of Music, and obtained an Associateship Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. He has resided in Montreal since 1989, where he obtained a Bachelor of Music degree at l'Université du Québec à Montréal.

Preliminary Round Ravel - Menuet Antique Granados – from Danzas Españolas, Op. 37 1.Minuetto (Galante) 2.Oriental 5.Andaluza

Semifinal Round Handel - Chaconne in G Major, HWV 435 Schumann - Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6, Nos. 1, 2 ,4, 5, & 9

Final Round Liszt – Sposalizio, from Années de pèlerinage Beethoven - Sonata in E Major, Op. 109

+ Joan Zarry, Toronto, Ontario

Joan Zarry comes from a musical background, and her father was a jazz musician. She graduated from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, and also holds a degree in Psychoanalytic Thought. Joan worked in property design and Management for 35 years until her retirement. During those years she remained involved with youth orchestras and string coaching, and organized the first tour of mainland China of a North American youth orchestra. Since retiring she has returned to the piano and enjoys playing in festivals, recitals and fund raising galas, and in amateur events throughout the world. She also keeps busy teaching and accompanying her six musical grandchildren.

Preliminary Round Scarlatti – Sonata in F Major, K. 466 Rachmaninoff – Polichinelle, Op. 3, No. 4 Larysa Kuzmenko – In Memoriam to the Victims of Chernobyl

Semifinal Round Schumann – Papillons, Op. 2

Final Round Granados – The Maiden and the Nightingale, from Goyescas Granados – Asturias, Op. 47, No. 5, from Suite española Beethoven – Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, “Moonlight”