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Top of the WorldINTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

JUNE 14-19, 2015 TROMSØ, NORWAY

THE 4TH

2 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 3

This year, we have struck a deal with Tromsø’s great, new hotel, The Edge, to do similar things there. This is done, to give the inhabitants of Tromsø a little taste of all the beautiful music that is going on at Top of the World.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to our contributors, particularly Trond Mohn, Troms Fylkeskommune, Tromsø kommune, Kulturnæringsstiftelsen, Utenriksdepartementet, University of Tromsø and SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge, who support the project with consider-able funding.

I would also like to thank the volunteers, without whom the project would never have been realized.

It is with great pleasure and pride that I wish you all welcome!

TORI STØDLEArtistic Director

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THE 4TH TOP OF THE WORLD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITIONTo work with the first Top of the World International Piano Competition in 2009, was a realization of the ten year old dream of a major, international music event of this kind in Tromsø..

In 2011 and 2013 the competition cemented its position among the World’s best, and this year we have hopes of reaching even more milestones. The contestants are some of the best performers of their generation, and all of them have prestigious prizes and awards to prove it. It is no doubt that we have a week of glorious music experiences to look forward to.

Top of the World International Piano Competition has already achieved great recognition abroad, and in 2011, we were invited to join Steinway Prize Winner Concerts Network. This year, we also became a member of the highly prestigious World Federation of International Music Competitions.

Top of the World wished to fulfill its responsibility towards the younger talents. In 2012, the first Top of the World Masterclass Youth was organized, for pianists between 12 and 17 years of age in the Barents region. This event was repeated in 2014, where we invited one of the prize winners 2013 to give masterclass and play concerts for the participants.

At Top of the World 2013, we arranged several, free mini-concerts with the contestants around town.

TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 5

GREETINGS FROM THE MAYOR It is my utmost pleasure to greet the organizers and the audience of the 4th Top of the World International Piano Competition in Tromsø, June 13-19 2015.

Not many centuries ago, Northern Norway was considered to be Ultima

Thule – beyond the borders of the world. Today, the whole world looks in

our direction – towards the top of the world. The natural resources play

an important role, but there are other important players too.

Top of the World International Piano Competition was born in 2009. Tori

Stødle was – and still is – the proud and able mother. And the child

certainly lives up to its name - Top of the World!

Geographically, of course, but also measured in quality. I am immensely

proud that Top of the World brings the most talented young pianists on

the planet to Paris du Nord.

Very recently, Top of the World International Piano Competition was

accepted as members of the World Federation of International Music

Competitions. My congratulations! This is a recognition that Top of the

World is in the Premier League of music competitions, regardless of

instrument.

We are in for a treat! I am looking forward to the opening of Top of the

World International Piano Competition 2015 June 13!

JENS JOHAN HJORTMayor of Tromsø

MAYOR OF TROMSØ JENS JOHAN HJORTJens Johan Hjort is originally a solicitor, and has worked with the lawyer firm Rekve, Pleym & Co. He previ-ously worked for the Finance Department and the Department of Environment, has been the leader of Tromsø Lawyer Association and is the Swedish Consul of Tromsø. Hjort has been the Mayor since 2011.

6 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015

THE PRIZES1ST PRIZE • € 30 000 Prize sponsor: SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge

2ND PRIZE • € 20 000 Prize sponsor: UiT - The Arctic University of Norway

3RD PRIZE • € 10 000 Prize sponsor: Odd Berg Gruppen & Tromsø Skotøimagasin A/S

The Board of Stiftelsen Top of the World International Piano Competition

Kåre-Bjørn Kongsnes, Leader Marianne Telle, Vice Leader Svein Ludvigsen Kenneth Ruud Thoralf Willumsen

Live strealing by Håkon Elias Pettersen

Administrator of the jury: Håkon Stødle

THE PROGRAMMESATURDAY 13 JUNESparebankens Festsal

7.30 PM - Opening concert given by Prize Winner 2013, Lukas Von-dracek. Official opening by the Mayor of Tromsø, Jens Johan Hjort, followed by a reception, where the contestants draw their playing order in the competition.

SUNDAY 14 JUNE Faculty of Art, UIT, Krognessveien 3310 am–5.30 pm • First round

MONDAY 15 JUNE Faculty of Art, UIT, Krognessveien 3310 am–4.30 pm • First round continues

5.30 • Announcement of contestants going to the 2nd round

TUESDAY 16 JUNE Tromsø Domkirke10 am-7.30 pm • Second round (Semifinal)

WEDNESDAY 17 JUNE Tromsø Domkirke10 am-4pm The Second round continues5 pm Announcement of the finalists

FRIDAY 19 JUNE FREDAG 21. JUNI Kulturhuset7.00 pm • The Grand Finale with the three finalists and Arctic Philharmonic, conducted by Olaf Henzhold.

KETIL VEA’S DEDICATES HIS WORK, “OCEAN”, TO TOP OF THE WORLD’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Northern Norway’s most celebrated composer, Ketil Vea, will again grace the Grand Finale with an orchestral piece, which originally had its premier at Top og the World 2013.

“Ocean” is dedicated to the Artistic Director and

founder of Top of the World, Tori Stødle, with whom

Ketil Vea has collaborated a lot with over

the years. The composition deals with the harsh

realities of the lifegiving, but at the same time

terrifying and grim, seas in the Northern region.

It is partly based on a theme from Vea’s 1st Piano

Concerto, which Tori premiered more than 40 years

ago, and later recorded in 2009.

Ketil Vea’s career spans more than 5 decades,

over which he has composed hundreds of works

for everything from philharmonic orchestras, choirs,

string orchestras, brass orchestras, chamber orches-

tras and concertos for piano, flute, tuba, clarinet,

saxophone and trumpet. Vea has 19 releases to his

name, and has been awarded the Lindeman Prize,

Nordland County’s Cultural Prize and the Petter

Dass Prize, among others. In 2007, he was also

awarded His Majesty the King’s medal in gold for his

phenomenal contribution to classical music.

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the juryTHE JURY TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 9 8 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 THE JURY

MINSOOSOHNA pianist who continues to garner praise from critics and audiences alike for his virtuosity. Pianist Minsoo Sohn has been described by the Boston Globe as an art-ist, a man who will create a life in music, find listeners, and reward them. Known as a performer with poetic vision and musical intelligence, Sohn continues to garner praise from critics and audiences alike for his master-ful virtuosity and for his wide range of repertoire. The latest accolade, published in The New York Times, called his Honens-label recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations a “beautifully articulated, radiant interpreta-tion” and named it one of the top classical recordings of 2011.

Sohn has toured extensively throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Israel at important venues including Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Argentina’s Teatro Colon, Toronto’s Glenn Gould Studio and St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall and Gardner Museum, Calgary’s Jack Singer Concert Hall, Arrata Opera Centre and Rozsa Centre, Vancouver’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Banff Centre’s Rolston Recital Hall, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre,, and Munich’s Gasteig. He has also appeared at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, New Hamp-shire’s Monadnock Festival, Spain’s Santander Festival, Israel’s Eilat Festival and Canada’s Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival.

He has collaborated with leading conductors such as Gilbert Varga, Keith Lockhart, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jane Glover, Andrew Grams and Daejin Kim and has performed with orchestras like Boston Pops, Calgary Phil-harmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Holland Symfonia, National Orchestra of Belgium, Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, New Hampshire Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestras among others.

An avid chamber musician, Sohn has performed with Aviv Quartet, Cecilia Quartet and Ysaÿe Quartet. In January 2010, he collaborated with Mark Morris Dance Group alongside Russell Sherman and the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music in the Boston premiere of Mozart Dances.

Sohn studied at Korean University of Arts with Daejin Kim and Kyung-Sook Lee, then moved to Boston to study with Russell Sherman and Wha Kyung Byun at New England Conservatory where he recieved his artist diploma in 2004. After teaching at Michigan State University for five years, Sohn returned to his home country, Korea, to join the faculty of Korean National University of Arts in 2015.

JURY MEMBER MINSOO SOHNAccording to the Bos-ton Globe: “An artist who will create a life in music, find listeners and reward them”.

JURY MEMBER IAN JONESPiano coach, music advisor, composer and performer on the Oscar-nominated film “Hilary and Jackie”.

IANJONESPeofessor at Royal College of Music in London, whose recordings have received enthusiastic attention across the World. Ian Jones FRCM is Professor of Piano and Deputy Head of Keyboard at the Royal College of Music in London. In May 2014 Fellowship of the Royal College of Music was conferred on him by HRH Prince Charles. His career as a Steinway Artist has taken him to all five continents. Appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Barbican Hall include critically acclaimed performances of Rachmaninov’s Second and Third Piano Concertos and Paganini Rhapsody, as well as concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Schumann. He has appeared in Paris and throughout France as concerto soloist with the Ensemble Interna-tional and has performed many of Mozart’s piano concertos in Europe and USA.

A prizewinner at the Leeds International Piano Competition, he also won many prizes, including the prestigious Chappell Medal, whilst a student at RCM. Other awards include the Vlado Perlemuter Piano Prize and a special scholarship from the French government, inviting him to spend a year in Paris. His teachers included Maria Curcio, Gyorgy Sebok, Phyllis Sellick, Jerome Lowenthal and Alain Planès.

He has broadcast for radio and television networks in many different countries and his World Première performances and recordings of music by British composer Rebecca Clarke (on Dutton Digital) have received much enthusiastic attention on radio and in the music press.

On the recent release of his CD, Chopin: Summer in Nohant (London In-dependent Records), Classic FM magazine drew comparison with Rubin-stein and Arrau and claimed that “Jones possesses the ‘pearl’ touch that marks out the finest Chopin exponents…his timing remains immaculate whatever the technical pressure”,.

”Ian Jones was piano coach, music advisor and composer/performer on the Oscar-nominated film “Hilary and Jackie”, and has also written and performed music for France’s two national theatres in Paris and Strasbourg.

JURY MEMBER LUKAS VONDRACEKHe gave his first concert at the age of 4, first international tour at the age of 10 and made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Issac Stern Auditorium at the age of 16.


LUKASVONDRACEKPrize winner of Top of the World 2015 and World-wide piano superstar. Czech pianist who has been acclaimed as one of the “greatest pianistic talents of our times” (Stuttgarter Zeitung), and “remarkably mature artist whose performances tempt the word perfect” (Cincinnati Post) .

Since his debut at the age of 14 with the Czech Philharmonic, Lukas has performed with many of the world’s renowned orchestras, including BBC Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Helsinki Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and the National Symphony orchestras in the United States.

Performing regularly in concerto and recital appearances, Vondracek has performed at Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Carnegie Hall in New York, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., La Cite in Paris, Opera House in Sydney, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Philharmonie in Berlin, Royal Festival Hall in London, Rudolfinum in Prague, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Symphony Center in Chicago, Tonhalle in Zurich, and in major cites throughout Europe, America, Asia,Australia and Africa. Festival highlights include Prague Spring, La Roque d’ Antheron, Gilmore, BBC Belfast and Boston Celebrity Series.

Born in Opava, Czech Republic, in 1986, Lukas Vondracek’s musical ability was spotted at the age of two by his parents, both professional pianists. He gave his first concert at the age of 4, first international tour at the age of 10, and made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Issac Stern Auditorium at the age of 16. He moved to the U.S. in 2009 and received an Artist Diploma from Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Hung-Kuan Chen. His other teachers include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Peter Barcaba, Rudolf Bernatik and Andrzej Jasinsky. Now, 27, he has visited 35 different countries giving in excess of 1000 concerts.

First prize winner at the Hilton Head, San Marino and UNISA inter-national piano competitions, Lukas is also recipient of the Raymond E.Buck Jury Discretionary Award at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Award for the most exceptional young artist in Europe.

JURY MEMBER MICHAIL MARKOWMusical mentor for a long row of award win-ning pianists.

MICHAILMARKOWRussian grand pianist who has taken Holland to new heightsBorn in Moscow in 1951, Michail Markov began studying piano at the age of 7. Tree years later, he performed his first solo concert in his hometown with an orchestra in the Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. The pianist continued his musical education with Professor Victor Merzhanov at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conserva-tory. At the same time, he studied with Alexej Liubimov in his chamber ensembles class.

In 1975, Markov graduated with honors at the Conservatory. These honors included mentions for concert and chamber piano, accompani-ment, as well as for professorship. In the following years, Michail Markov successfully performed in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Along with his career as a soloist, he taught music in various institutions and music schools. In the years just before leaving Russia, he was a piano teacher and deputy-director at the famous Gnessin special music school for gifted children in Moscow.

Since 1991, Markow has been living in The Netherlands, where he has continued his successful mix of pedagogy and musical performances. His students have often been awarded prizes in national and international pi-ano competitions. The artist himself has given many recitals and chamber music concerts in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Russia.

M. Markov has made CD-records in France and Germany, with works of D.Schostakovitch, J. Galperine and R. Shchedrin. In 2008, he completed CD-recording with ‘Variations’ by J. Brahms, J. Haydn, C. Czerny, S. Ra-chmaninov and A. Schnittke.

Since mid-nineties he has been working as a professor at the piano department of the Conservatory in Enschede, the Netherlands. He is also the co-founder of the special Young Talents department of this Conserva-tory. Nowadays he continues to work as professor at the piano depart-ment of the ArtEZ Conservatory in Enschede, the Netherlands.

JURY MEMBER JANINA FIALKOWSKAMs Fialkowska is an “Officer of the Order of Canada”, and holds honorary doctorates from Acadia University, Queen’s University and Wilfrid Laurier Univer-sity. She is the recipient of the “2012 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in Clas-sical Music”, Canada’s foremost honor for excellence in the performing arts. She was the first woman instrumentalist to be so honored.


JANINAFIALKOWSKABeloved the world over for her exquisite pianism, Janina Fialkowska has enchanted audiences for almost forty years with her glorious lyrical sound, her sterling musicianship and her profound sense of musical integrity.

Blending her vast experience with her refreshingly natural approach “Fialkowska has become an artist of rare distinction as well as retaining all the virtuosity of her youth” (La Presse, Montreal)

Celebrated for her interpretations of the classical and romantic reper-toire, she is particularly distinguished as one of the great interpreters of the piano works of Chopin and Mozart. She has also won acclaim as a champion of the music of Franz Liszt as well as of twentieth-century Polish composers, both in concert and on disc.

Born to a Canadian mother and a Polish father in Montreal, Janina Fialkowska started studying the piano with her mother at the age of five. Eventually she entered the Ecole de Musique Vincent d’Indy, studying under the tutelage of Mlle. Yvonne Hubert. The University of Montreal awarded her both advance degrees of “Baccalaureat” and “Maitrise” by the time she was only 17.

In 1969, her career was greatly advanced by two events: winning the first prize in the Radio Canada National Talent Festival and travelling to Paris to study with Yvonne Lefebure. One year later, she entered the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where she first studied with Sascha Gorod-nitzki, and later became his assistant for five years.

In 1974 her career was launched by Arthur Rubinstein, after her prize-winning performance at his inaugural Master Piano Competition in Israel.

In touring Europe and Asia, Ms Fialkowska has appeared as guest artist with such prestigious orchestras as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Halle Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the Warsaw Philharmonic and the French and Belgium National Radio Orchestras as well as the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the Israel Phil-harmonic, the Osaka Philharmonic and the Hong Kong Philharmonic.

ILJASCHEPSFormer soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, who now guides students at Musikhoch-schule in Cologne/Aachen. Ilja Scheps completed his studies at the Moscow ”P. I. Tschaikowsky” Conservatory under Prof. Lev Vlassenko and Prof. Evgenij Schenderow-itch. From 1982 to 1992 Scheps was soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. He gave concerts with orchestras and solo recitals and also appearing as accompanist of renowned singers and instrumentalists there. This resulted in his acquiring a large repertoire, including works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Skrjabin, Prokofjeff and Tschaikowsky, as well those by Schnittke, Silvestrov and Denisov. At the same time I. Scheps taught at the Moscow “P. I. Tschaikowsky” Conserva-tory.

From 1992 I. Scheps lives in Germany. Besides his performing in many countries round the world, he is an enthusiastic pedagogue. Many years I. Scheps was a professor at the Rostock University and at the Darmstadt Music Academy.

Now he is a professor of the Musikhochschule in Cologne/Aachen (Co-logne Music University). Students of Prof. Scheps are winner of impor-tant international piano competitions so as exclusive artists of “Sony” and “Universal” Records.

I. Scheps also conducts workshops and master classes at the interna-tional music academies and as a visiting professor in many universities, he is an Artistic director of Paderewski International Piano Academy in Bydgoszcz (Poland) – the unique masterclasses for pianists playing piano concertos with a symphony orchestra.

Prof. Scheps is jury member of international piano competitions and a chairman of “Prix Amadeo” International Piano Competition in Germany.

Ilja Scheps has recorded more than 10 CDs with “MCA” (USA); “Le Chant du Monde” (France), “Melodia” (Russia), “Coriolan/Teldec”, “Deutsche Welle”, “ECM-Records” (Germany)..

JURY MEMBER ILJA SCHEPSJury member at many of the World’s most pres-tiguous piano competi-tions,.

TORISTØDLEIf it wasn’t for Tori Stødle’s efforts and vision, the Top of the World International Piano Com-petition simply wouldn’t have existed. She is the brains and the steam engine behind a competition that has rapidly become a World phenomenon.

Tori Stødle, Top of the World’s Artistic Director, is, of course, a piano virtuoso herself, with 7 CD releases to her name and hundreds of concerts performed around the Globe. Even His Majesty the King of Norway has lauded her efforts by appointing her to Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for her contributions to the Norwegian cultural scene.

Starting off as a student of Mary Barratt Due and Robert Riefling, Tori went on to study with Professor Jürgen Uhde at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Stuttgart and later with the legendary Adele Marcus, in New York. She has since given concerts, masterclasses and lecture recitals in Europe, Russia and USA. She also takes part as jury member in numerous international piano competitions. In New York she has given lecture recitals at Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music.

Tori has World-premiered several Norwegian works dedicated to her and received numerous grants and prizes. After her New York-debut at Carnegie Hall in 1990, James R. Ostreich of the New York Times wrote: “She is a superbly refined miniaturist, able to create little worlds of colour and poetry with exquisite shading of dynamics and shaping of phrases”.

Tori is Professor Emeritus of piano at the Music Conservatory, Faculty of Art, University of Tromsø. In 2013 she released a DVD presenting Adele Marcus Technical Regimen. She is also an appointed Steinway artist.

JURY MEMBER TORI STØDLETori is lauded by His Majesty the King of Norway for her fabulous contributions to the Norwegian cultural scene.

14 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 THE JURY

MUSIC COMPETITIONS NORWAY

2015

2016

Top of the World International Piano CompetitionTromsø, 14–19 June 2015

Application deadline: 1 February 2015www.topo heworld.no

The Queen Sonja International Music Competition: VoiceOslo, 12–21 August 2015

Application deadline: 1 March 2015www.qsimc.no

Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition for Piano TriosTrondheim, 21–27 September 2015

Application deadline:20 April 2015www.ticc.no

The International Edvard Grieg Piano CompetitionBergen, October 2016

Application deadline: TBAwww.griegcompetition.com

The Princess Astrid Music Competition Trondheim, November 2016

Application deadline:September 2016www.tso.no

COMPETITION

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PRINCESS ASTRIDMUSIC COMPETITION

16 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 17

Arctic Philharmonic paying their tribute to Edvard Munch, for his 150th Anniversary

Arctic Philharmonic is the World’s northernmost symphony orchestra, with its bases in Bodø and Tromsø. It was formed on 18 June 2009 in Bodø, and is already among the largest and most active cultural institutions in Northern Norway.

Top of the World is proud, for the second time, to present North Norway’s own jewel, the Arctic Philharmonic as the orchestra for the grand finale.

ARCTIC PHILHARMONIC

CONDUCTOR OLAF HENZOLDOlaf Henzold was born in Leipzig, and studied at the Music Conservatory of Dresden. He won the Toscanini competition in Parma in 1987, and made his debut at the State Opera in Berlin in 1989. He has been conductor at the Leipzig Opera, with Luzerne Symphonic Orchestra, the Music Director at Saarbrücken, and was the Head Conductor at the Norwegian Opera through the 2000’s.

With the World-known trombonist and conductor, Christian Lindberg, as its Artistic leader, Arctic Philharmonic has toured considerably, both in Norway and the rest of the World.

With its unique artistic location and passion for good music, Arctic Philharmonic aims to give people a musical experience that excites, touches, enrages and seduces.

The Contestants

PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUNDBeethovenSonata in B flat major Andante favori in F major WoO 57Scriabin Sonata Nr.3 in F-sharp minor op.23 (1897-98) Drammatico Allegretto Andante Presto con fuoco

SEMIFINALD. Scarlatti Sonata in E major K20 Presto Sonata in E minor K98 Allegrissimo Sonata in A major K208 Adagio e cantabile

Sonata in D minor K64 Allegro M.A. Hamelin Pavana VarieéClaude Debussy Estampes Pagodes La soirée dans Grenade Jardins sous la pluie

Chopin Scherzo no. 4 in E major op. 54

FINAL ROUNDRavelG majorChopinNo 2

IGORANDREEV

01 We will start our presentations with the tremendous, Russian talent - Igor Andreev

- a prize winner from numerous countries, and a hotly tipped favorite to win.Igor Andreev was born in 1988 in Kaliningrad, Russia, and started playing the piano at 5. In 2000, he entered the Special Musical School at the St Petersburg State Conservatory, in Prof. Vladimir Suslov’s class. He graduated from the school with honors in 2007 and entered the St.Petersburg State Conservatory, under Prof. Leonid Zaichik, Prof. Irina Sharapova and Prof. Victoria Zimina (chamber ensemble). In 2011 he won the Swiss Government Scholarship and entered the Bern University of Arts (class of Prof. Tomasz Herbut).

Igor Andreev performs in concert halls of Russia and abroad (Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania). He gives concerts with symphony orchestras such as Kaliningrad State Symphonic Or-chestra, Kaunas Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg State Conservatory Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and plays in various chamber ensembles.

He is a prize winner of the international piano competitions in Estonia (1998) and Czech Republic (1998), Safonov Competition in Pyatigorsk (1999), Liszt Competition in Weimar (2005), Competition of the Rotary clubs in Spain (2009), “3rd Classics in the Streets”, Bad Ragaz (Switzer-land) Competition” (2012), 44. Swiss Competition in Laupersdorf (2013), “6. Concours International de Piano de Lyon” (2014) and “69. Concours de Genève“ (2014).

In addition to the solo repertoire, Igor Andreev pays much attention to chamber music. He is a prize winner of the Sviridov International Com-petition in St. Petersburg (2005), Shostakovich International Competi-tion in Moscow (2010) and the “Three centuries of classical romances” international competition in St. Petersburg (2012).

Since 2015 he works as a collaborative pianist for the violin and viola classes at the Bern University of Arts.

20 TOP OF THE WORLD 2015 THE CONTESTANTS

ROBERTBILY

02 We continue our presentation round with the marvelous Czech pianist, Robert Bily –

winner of more than 70 national and international awards and prizes. Born in 1997 in Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic), Robert Bily began studying the piano at the age of 6. From 2003-2007 he had piano lessons with Margarita Gebhardt in Halle (Saale), Germany. The next 7 years he studied in Germany with Dirk Fischbeck at Latina August Herrman Francke Grammar School. Currently, he is a pupil of Jacques Ammon at the University in Leipzig.

It is safe to say that Bily is one of the favorites to win Top of the World 2015. He is a winner of many national and international competi-tions: the Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau, the International Steinway piano Competition in Hamburg, National Bach Competition in Köthen, International Piano Competition “Young Pianists of the North ” in Newcastle, England; Lions-music prize Thüringen, international „Ro-man Llull Rotary Club“-piano competition in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, international piano competition with orchestra in Barlassina – Italy.

He won 1st prize at the national piano competition of the Jütting Foun-dation in Stendal, 2011. 2012 and 2013 he won the 1st Chopin Prize of the new Chopin society in Leipzig; 1st prize at the International Piano Competition ” Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte ” in 2012 in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic and a special award for the interpretation of the first movement of the Waldstein Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, 1st prize at the International Piano Competition “Piano Talents” in Milan in 2013.

He won nine awards at the international Münchner Klavierpodium in 2013, his piano teacher Dirk Fischbeck also received the “Dialogue Prize” for outstanding pedagogic achievement. In 2013 he won 1st prize at the 29th Karel Kunc – Duo Competition in Bad Durkheim in duo with flute. Bily also won 1st prizes at the International Young Pianists Competition in Troisdorf 2014 and at the prestigious International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen 2014, where he also won the EMCY award.

Overall, he has already performed in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Italy, England and Spain.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Mozart Fantasia in D minor, KV 397 BeethovenSonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53 “Waldstein” Allegro con brio Introduzione: Adagio molto. Rondo. Allegro moderato - Prestissimo

RachmaninovMoment Musicaux Op. 16, Nr. IV in E minor

SEMIFINAL

W.A.MozartPiano Sonata in F major, K. 332 Allegro Adagio Allegro assai

ChopinPiano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, op. 35 Grave – Doppio movimento Scherzo Marche funèbre: Lento Finale: Presto

Henri Dutilleux Sonate pour piano

FINAL ROUND

BeethovenNo 4

LisztNo 1

VASYLKOTYS

03Vasyl has ended up with the 2nd prize at prestigious competitions in Germany, Italy

and his home country, Ukraine. Will he make it all the way to the top at Top of the World 2015? Having studied piano from the age of 8, at Zolochiv Music School, Vasyl went on to S. Krushelnytska Music Special School in Lviv in 1998, under the guidance of Prof. Maria Krushelnytska. From 2002, he spent 7 years at M.Lysenko National Music Academy, with the same tutor, and Hoch-schule for Musik und Theater in Rostock, Germany, in the class of Prof. Matthias Kirschnereit.

Vasyl has been unfortunate enough to collect three 2nd prizes in previous competitions, namely “Mendelssohn Preis” Competition for Duo Cello and Piano (Berlin), V. Horowitz Piano International Competition (Kiev) and A. Scriabin International Piano Competition (Grozetto, Italy). Here, he also won the Scriabin Prize.

Having performed in both Ukraine, Germany, USA, Golland, Poland and Croatia, Vasyl is very experienced as a solo recitalist.

Vasyl has also played at international festivals, such as Gezeiten Konzerte (Germany), Peter de Grote Festival (Holland), Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern (Germany).

He has vast experience from playing with famous orchestras, includ-ing the Phoenix Symphony, Bremer Philharmoniker, National Odessa Philharmonic, Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine (Kiev), Norddeutschen Philharmonie, Polish Chamber Philhar-monic Sopot, Theater Vorpommern Philhamoniesches Orchester, under conductors such as Nicholas Milton, Hobart Earl, James Feddeck, Victor Ploskina, Yury Bervetski, Niklas Willen, Mykola Dyadyura, Manfred Hermann Lehner, Wojciech Rajski and Colo Berg.

Many of his concerts have been recorded by radio stations, including the NDR Kultur, Deutschlandradio Kultur, RTBF Belgique and SM TV (San Marino).


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

RavelGaspard de la Nui 1. Ondine 2. La gibet 3. Scarbo

LisztChasse neige Allegro agitato molto

SEMIFINAL

HaydnSonate Hob.XVI:34 1. Presto 2. Adagio 3. Molto vivace

Granados La Maja y el ruiseñor Andante melancolico

Rachmaninov Sonate no.1 op.28 1. Allegro moderato 2. Lento 3. Allegro molto

FINAL ROUND

BeethovenNo. 4

RachmaninovNo. 2

JUN HWICHO

04Despite being only 18 years of age, Jun Hwi Cho has already 8 first prizes in piano

competitions to his name, both from his home country South Korea and from USA.

He became the 1st Prize Winner of The Seventh New York International Piano Competition in June 2014, a biennial event presented under the auspices of The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, and he was awarded a recital at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., as well as further appearances on the Young Artists Series, a program of concerts through-out U.S.A.

Raved by the Washington Post as “A secure, fully professional perfor-mance- admirable from any musician, let alone from a teenager,”

Also, he was the 1st Prize Winner of the 2014 Debut International Piano Competition and performed at Carnegie Hall. He had been the recipi-ent of many prizes in his native Korea, appeared twice on the Kumho Prodigy Concert and performed on the Korean Broadcasting System.

In addition, he performed as a soloist with the W. Philharmonic Orches-tra and the Bucheon Symphonia Orchestra.

Jun Hwi Cho was born in Seoul and began his piano studies at the age of nine. He completed in the Preparatory Division of the KNUA and at-tended the Korean National Institute for the Gifted in Arts.

Currently he attends the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Bach French Suite No.2 in C minor, BWV813a

SchubertImprompt No.3 in B-flat Major, Op.142/D.935

LisztAprès une lecture du Dante, ‘fantasia quasi sonata’, S.158c

SEMIFINAL

Beethoven Piano Sonata in C Major, Op.2, No.3

Messiaen Vingt regards sur L’Enfant-Jesus Premiere communion de la Vierge

Schumann Carnaval, Op.9

FINAL

RachmaninovNo. 2

TchaikovskyNo. 1

PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

LisztBallade No. 2 in B minor

ProkofievSonata in F major, K. Sonata No. 7, Op. 83 I. Allegro inquieto II. Andante caloroso III. Precipitato

SEMIFINAL

HaydnSonata in C major, Hob. 48 I. Andante con espressione II. Rondo. Presto

Schumann Sonata in F minor, Op. 14 I. Allegro II. Scherzo III. Quasi Variazioni, An-dantino de Clara Wieck IV. Prestissimo possibile

Scriabin Etude in F sharp major Op. 42, No. 4

Scriabin Sonata no. 5 op. 53

FINAL

BrahmsNo. 1

Prokofiev No. 2

LINDSAYGARRITSON

05Lindsay Garritson is not just a pianist with incredible qualities, she is also an

accomplished. violinist, who has performed for the likes of Jimmy Carter and Colin Powell.An award-winning performer, Lindsay has received top prizes at the 2013 USASU Bosendorfer International Piano Competition, 2011 Mon-treal International Piano Competition, the 2011 Yale Woolsey Concerto Competition, the 2010 Mozarteum International Chopin Competition (Salzburg), the Fite Family Competition, just to mention a few.

Also an active participant at music festivals and courses worldwide, Lindsay has attended Music@Menlo’s International Program, The Steans Institute (Ravinia Festival), Prussia Cove International Musicians Semi-nar in England, Aspen Music Festival, International Holland Music Sessions, Orford Arts Center, (Canada), International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College, International Institute for Young Musi-cians, Innsbrook Music Festival and School, Amalfi Coast Music Festi-val (Italy), Prague International Master classes, Nancy Music Festival (France), the Igualada Master classes (Spain), Mozarteum International Master Classes (Austria), and Obidos International Piano Master classes (Portugal).

Lindsay is an accomplished violinist, and was concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2003-2006. She has also had the honor of performing for such dignitaries as Jimmy Carter and Colin Powell, and she has participated in master classes with Leonidas Kavakos and Lewis Kaplan. Her teachers have included John Kendall, founder of the Suzuki movement in the United States.

Lindsay holds degrees from Principia College (B.A. in Music) and Yale School of Music (M.M. and Artist Diploma). Her piano teachers include Boris Berman, Luiz de Moura Castro, Zena Ilyashov, Emilio Del Rosa-rio, the late Jane Allen, and Jennifer Lim. She currently resides in New Haven, CT, and is a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the City University of New York as a student of Choong-Mo Kang.


MARGARYTAGOLOVKO

06Ukraine-born Margaryta Golovko is a regular at the prize podiums of European

piano competitions, and has already performed concerts in nine countries spread across three continents. Margaryta was born in Kamenez-Podolsky, Ukraine, and started her piano studies at the age of five. In 1997, she started studying at the Kiev Special Music School named after M.V. Lysenko, being under the guid-ance of Prof. Boris Fedorov. With him, she continued her studies from 2004 – 2009 at the National Music Academy of Ukraine P. I. Tchaiko-vsky (NMAU), completing with a master diploma. Since 2011 she has been studying at the International Piano Academy ‘Incontri col Maestri’ in Imola (Italy) with Prof. Piero Rattalino.

Margaryta has a vast experience from piano competitions. In 2006 she participated in the International Piano Commpetiiton ‘Citta di Marsala’ in Marsala (Italy) winning 3rd Prize. At the 30th International Smetana Piano Competition in Pilsen (Czech Republic) in 2012 she was awarded 1st Prize and the EMCY Prize.

The same year, Margaryta received the 3rd prize and the Bacau Orches-tra prize at the 1st International Piano Competition ‘Citta di Acquaviva delle Fonti’ (Italy). She also received a 1st prize at last year’s Midwest International Piano Competition in Cedar Falls, USA.

She has performed as a soloist, as part of ensembles and as concert mas-ter in concert halls in Ukraine and abroad in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, United States of America and Romania. Margaryta has performed concerts with the Kyiv State Symphony Orchestra, Pilsen Filarmonic Symphony Orchestra, Youth Symphony Orchestra ‘Helycon Symphony Orchestra and Waterloo Symphony Orchestra.

She kept herself busy through 2014. In March, Margaryta performed a recital at Mozart Hall in Filarmonic Academy of Bologna (Italy). In September, she took part at the 8th International Music Festival «MITO Settembre Musica» in Italy (Milan, Torin), where performed a recitals with Brahms piano music. In December, Margaryta performed a recital in Mariinsky Theatre-II (the Prokofiev Hall) in Saint Petersburg during the 8th International Piano Festival «Contemporary piano faces».


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Scarletti Two Sonatas (K 466, K119) Andante moderato Allegro

B.BartokThree Burlesques op.8c 1. Quarrel 2. Slightly tipsy 3. Capriccioso

F.ChopinFantasie op.49 Marcia, Grave Doppio movimento Lento sostenuto Tempo primo Adagio sostenuto Allegro assai

SEMIFINAL

HaydnSonata Hob.XVI:29 in F major I. Moderato II. Adagio III. Tempo di Menuetto

Ravel“Alborada del gracioso”, “La vallee des cloches” from “Miroirs”

RachmaninovVariations on a Theme of Chopin op.22

FINAL

BeethovenNo. 4

Brahms No. 1

DAVIDJAE-WEON HUH

07In later years, South Korea have nurtured an enormous amount of classical talents,

but few are as gifted as the tremendous David Jae-Weon Huh.Born in South Korea, pianist David Jae-Weon Huh is recognized for his sense of poetry and technical brilliance. Mr. Huh has won prizes at many national and international piano competitions. He was a Grand Prize winner at Korea Music Association Competition, where he was also awarded the Culture Minister Award. He won 1st Prize both at the Chopin Piano Competition in Korea and Korea Music Competition. In 2007, David Jae-Weon Huh began to grab the international attention by winning 1st Prize at the China Shanghai international competition. Sub-sequently, he was awarded the Bronze Medal at the Hamamatsu Interna-tional Piano Competition, and also got a Special Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition.

David Jae-Weon Huh has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. He appeared in numerous festivals, including recital invitations at Animato Debut Concert in Paris, Nakanoshima International Music Festival, San Francisco Music Festival, Leipzig Euro Music Festival, Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Festi-val, International Holland Music Sessions, Yamaha Rising Artist Series, and Asia Music Festival in Kanazawa, Japan.

Mr. Huh has also performed with many orchestras, including Tokyo Sym-phony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and KNUA Sym-phony Orchestra. In addition, he gave numerous chamber music concerts and especially collaborated twice with cellist Myung Wha Chung.

He holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degree from Korea National University of Arts, and pursued a Master of Music at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Moving to Germany, he was accepted into soloklasse program at Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.

Recently, he has finished a recording session for radio broadcasting at NDR in Hannover, and David Huh will be featured in four recitals in Netherlands, including the Royal Concertgebouw debut in Amsterdam for the 2015-2016 season.

PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUNDHaydnSonata No.58 in C Major Hob.XVI:48 1. Andante con Espressione 2. Rondo

Gubaidulina Chaconne

Liszt• Mephisto Waltz no.1

SEMIFINALBeethovenSonata No.26 in E flat Major op.81a 1. Das Lebewohl (Adagio – Allegro) 2. Abwesenheit (Andante espressivo) 3. Das Wiedersehen (Vivacissimamente)

Chopin3 Mazurkas op.59 No. 1 in A minor No. 2 in A flat Major No. 3 in F sharp minor

Liszt Sonata in B minor, S178

FINALProkofievNo. 3

LisztNo. 1


YURINOIZUMI

08Yurino Izumi epitomizes the new wave of Japanese pianists – self-confident, cool

and blessed with a phenomenal talent.She started competing from the age of 7, and has raked in several first prizes in the PTNA (Piano Teachers’ National Association) competitions in Japan before she turning 19. At 11, she won First Prize at the All Ja-pan Student Music Competition. The following year, she won the Second Prize at the same competition.

She started gaining international recognition from the age of 13, when she received the Prize of Encouragement at the International Youth Piano Competition at Ettlingen in Germany. Three years later, she won 3rd Prize at the prestigious Jr. Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in USA.

In 2001, she was picked to play in the the series of “Teenagers Musicians Vol.12” , and followed that up by participating in the International Music Festival at Aubers-sur-Oise in France.

Besides touring her home country, Yurino has toured Slovakia, Italy, France, Portugal, USA, Austria and Hungary. In 2002, she won the 1st Prize, Prize for the Youngest Player and Prize for the Best Player of the Contemporary Composition at the 19th Porto City International Competition.

In 2004, she performed at the 3rd Music Festival at Fuji-Yoshida in Ja-pan, and in 2006, she got the Special Prize of Adjudicators & Observers at the 1st Takamatsu International Piano Competition.

Izumi has performed with numerous orchestras, including Kanagawa Philharmony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Krakow Chamber Symphony Orchestra, Zilina Chamber Orchestra, Porto City Symphony Orchestra and New Japan Philharmonic.

She has studied with Eguchi Fumiko, Urakabe Shinji, Esaki Mitsuyo, Ito Kei, and at The Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris from 2002 to 2007 with Dominique Geoffroy.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Schubert/LisztFrühlingslaube Erlkönig ProkofievSonata for piano no. 4 op. 29 Allegro molto sostenuto Andante assai Allegro con brio, ma non leggiere

SEMIFINAL

MozartPraeludium mit einer Fuge C-Dur K.394 K6.383a

SchubertSonate fur Klavier Nr.18 G-Dur ‘Fantasie’ D894 op.78 Molto moderato e cantabile Andante Menuetto: Allegro moderato Allegretto

DutilleuxSonate pour piano Choral et variations

FINAL ROUND

ProkofievNo. 3

RavelG major

MARIAMKHARATYAN

09Armenian pianists have previously won the Second Prize in Top of the World, but

with Mariam Kharatyan, they aim to make it all the way to the top.Mariam was born in 1987, and started playing the piano at the age of 6. After music school, she continued her studies at the Music College with Romanos Meliqyan, in Yerevan, Armenia. From 2005, her studies con-tinued at Yerevan State Conservatory, in the class of Associate Professor Areg Sargsyan.

Mariam finished her Master Degree of Piano Performance at the Komitas State Conservatory in 2011, with top grades. Since 2012, she has lived in Norway, and has studied at Agder Music Conservatory, doing the Master Program of Piano Performance Western–European Music, in the class of Professors Tellef Juva and Sveinung Bjelland.

After her graduation from Univerity of Agder, she has been working at UIA at the Faculty of Fine Arts, as an Accompanist and Piano Teacher .

Mariam is not a newcomer to piano competition, and has won several national and international contests. She was Semifinalist at the 14th Grieg International Piano Competition in Bergen, Norway. In 2013, she won the First Prize at the 5th International Piano Competition “Giovanni Musicisti” in Treviso, Italy. In 2014, Mariam performed a solo recital at Auditorium Stefanini, in Treviso, invited by Italian Academia Musicale.

In 2010, Mariam won 3rd place in the ”Renaissance” International 2nd Contest Festival of Musician Performers in Gyumri, Armenia. She has also been honored by ”Sørlandske Sommernetter - Festkonserten” to Klassisk UIA 2013 Award, in Kristiansand, Norway.

Along with her activities as soloist, Mariam is also an experienced cham-ber musician, playing in various ensembles. In 2013, she was invited to perform with Laurens Weinhold (violin, Norway-Austria) in NYCMF (Norwegian Youth Chamber Music Festival) in Stavanger.

From 2012-2014, she performed concerts as a soloist and as a chamber musician at Ung Klassisk Festival, in Arendal Kulturhus, Kilden Teater og Konserthus, Kristiansand and at Risør Ung Festival.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

FranckPrelude, Choral and Fugue

Chopin Ballade no. 2 F major Andantino Presto con Fuoco

KhachatourianToccata

SEMIFINAL

ScarlattiSonata D minor L366 Sonata A major L391

GriegLyriske stykker op.65 Nr. 1. Fra ungdoms-dagene Nr. 2. Bondens sang Nr. 3. Tungsinn Nr. 4. Salon Nr. 5. I balladetone Nr. 6. Bryllupsdag på Troldhaugen

RavelMiroirs “Noctuelles” “Oiseaux tristes” “Une barque sur l’océan” “Alborada del gracioso” “La vallée des cloches”

FINAL

RachmaninovNo. 2

BeethovenNo. 3

YUKIKONDO

10Yuki Kondo is a regular at the winning po-diums of International piano competitions,

and a hotly tipped favorite to win the trophy in Tromsø.This wonderful performer from Aichi, Japan, graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (Geidai) in 2007, and has since persued her studies in France. In 2010, she obtained the superior diploma from the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris with top marks. Four years later, she obtained the concert diploma at the Schola Canto-rum in Paris. During her studies, she worked with Olivier Gardon, Eugen Indjic and Gabriel Tacchino, and participated at various piano competi-tions in Europe and Japan.

As mentioned, Yuki has raked in a huge amount of prizes. In 2007, she won 1st prize at the Japan Mozart Music Competition, three years later, she achieved a similar fete at the Tokyo Arts Center Competition. In 2011, she received “Best Pianist Prize” from the Japan Arts Center, and the following year, she on 1st prize both at the Teresa Llacuna Inter-national Competition, Valence, France and at the International Brest Competition,France.

2013 brought a 1st Prize victory at the International Scriabin Competi-tion, Paris, and she won a Medal at the International Maria Canals Com-petition, Barcelona both in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, she also received ”Best Pianist Prize” from the Japan Arts Center and 1st prize (Jury Award) and Steingraeber & Söhne Award at the Pianale International Music Academy Competition, Schlitz/Fulda, Germany.

Among recitals and concerts given in Europe and Japan, it is worth men-tioning ”Bon Anniversaire Monsieur Chopin” concert in Châteauroux, which was televised in France, a Concert at King’s Palace open space in Warsaw and at Mozarthaus in Vienna, Austria.

Yuki has also released the CD “Yuki Kondo Live at Gluiras” (Chopin,Debussy,Poulenc,Liszt), a production by Easis, France.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

PoulencLes Soirées de Nazelles Préambule, 1 .Le comble de la distinction, 2. Le coeur sur la main, 3. La désinvolture et la descrétion, 4. La suite dans les idées, 5. Le charme enjôleur, 6. Le contentement de soi, 7. Le goût du malheur, 8. L’alerte vieillesse, Cadence, Finale

RachmaninovEtude-Tableaux Op.39-6 in A minor

SEMIFINAL

BeethovenSonate op.2-2 A major 1. Allegro Vivace, 2. Largo appassionato, 3. Scherzo-Allegretto, 4. Rondo-Grazioso

MussorgskyTaubleaux d’une Expositon

FINAL

ChopinNo. 1

RachmaninovNo. 2

LIANAGEVORGYAN

11Liana Gevorgyan has filled her cupboards at home with trophies, having won piano com-

petitions in 5 different countries. This is the first time she is competing on these shores. Liana Gevorgyan was born in 1989 in Kazan, Russia, and studied at Ka-zan Music school-college under Prof. Victor Stolov from 1996 till 2007. In 2007, she entered Kazan State Conservatory, again with prof. Victor Stolov. From 2010 to 2013, she was a student of Conservatorio Superior de Musica del Liceu in Barcelona, with prof. Stanislav Pochekin. And from 2013 to present, she has been studying at University Mozarteum in Salzburg, under the guidance of Prof. Pavel Gililov.

Even in her first piano competition – at the age of 8 – she made her mark, as she received 3rd Prize at Young Talents International Music Competition” in St. Petersburg. At 10, she came 4th in Young Talents International Piano Competition in Slovakia, and in 2001, she won Di-ploma and the Special Prize for the Best Performance of Mozart’s Sonata at the International piano competition named by B. Smetana in the Czech Republic.

From then on, she has gone from victory to victory: In 2004 – 1st Prize at International Music Competition named by M. Yudina in St. Petersburg. In 2009 – 1st Prize at “Ciutat de Carlet” International Piano Competition, Spain. In 2011 – you guessed it, 1st Prize at “Vilafranca del Penedes” International Piano Competition, Spain. She did, however, “only” win the 2nd Prize at San Sebastian International Piano Competition in 2013 and at “Giuliano Pecar” International Piano Competition the following year, but returned as 1st Prize winner later that year at André Dumortier International piano competition in Belgium. She also won Yamaha Scholarship Award 2013/2014.

Liana has vast international experience, and has performed solo recitals in both Russia, Austria, Spain and Belgium.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

BachFrench Overture BWV 831 1. Ouverture 2. Courante 3. Gavotte 1 4. Gavotte 2 5. Passepied 1 6. Passepied 2 7. Sarabande 8. Bourree 1 9. Borree 2 10. Gigue 11. Echo

SEMIFINAL

ScarlattiSonata K161 Allegro

HaydnSonata No 28 Hob.XVI:42 I. Andante con espressione II. Vivace assai

DebussyImages II Book 1. Cloches a travers les feuilles 2. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut 3. Poissons d’or

MedtnerSonata op. 22 G minor Tenebroso, siempre affrettan

FINAL

BeethovenNo. 3

RavelG major

YUN-YANGLEE

12Graduating at the extremely young age of 17 with a major in Piano, speaks volumes. Yun-

Yang Lee is definitely someone to be reckoned with in this competition. Born in Taiwan, Yun-Yang Lee studied the piano from the age of six. At a record young age of 17, he passed the exam of CNSM de Paris with unanimous vote, and got a major in Piano.

In 2004, he obtained the “Diplôme de Formation Supérieure ” of Piano, and started studying chamber music. On June 2006, he received the Diploma of chamber music and in September the same year, he entered Cycle de Perfectionnement.

Besides his chamber music work, Yun-Yang has worked with US violinist Sarah Kapustin and the cellist of Opera Orchestra of Paris, Clara Strauss, as Archiduc Trio.

Lee has studied with many renowned pianists and professors: Albert Mühlböck, Charles Lilamand, Theodor Paraschivesco, Laurent Cabasso, Jean Mouillière, Alain Meunier, Xiao-Mei Zhu, Michel Strauss, Vladimir Mendelssohn, just to mention a few.

Lee has won numerous awards at home and abroad. He was the Junior 1st Prize Winner of Chopin International Competition in Taiwan, the 1st Prize Winner and many other special prizes in 2nd Carl Czerny Interna-tional Piano Competition in Prague, the 1st Prize Winner of Concours Musical de France, the Brest, Forum de Normandie and FLAME Piano Competition in France; the 3rd Prize of the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona and the Special Prize of the Youngest Concertiste; the 2nd Prize of Concours International des Nuits Pianis-tiques – Concours des Lauréats SPEDIDAM in France; the 1st Prize of Mayenne International Piano Competition in France and the 1st Prize of Ile-de-France International Piano Competition in France. In short, he is certainly no newcomer to piano competitions.

Lee has performed at plenty of Piano Festivals, namely Paris Chopin Piano Festival, Peter the Great festival in Holland, “Les Journées Roman-tiques” and the Giverny Chamber Music Festival, just to mention a few.. It will be an honor, watching him perform for the first time in Norway.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

LisztAnnée de Pèlerinage Première année Suisse 1. Chapelle de Guillaume Tell 2. Au lac de Wallenstadt 3. Pastorale 4. Au bord d’une source 5. Orage

Balakirev Islamey - Oriental Fantasy, Op. 18

SEMIFINAL

MozartPiano Sonata No.13 in B flat major, K.333 I. Allegro II. Andante cantabile III. Allegretto grazioso

RavelGaspard de la Nuit 1. Ondine, 3. Scarbo

StravinskyThree Movements from Petrushka 1. Danse russe 2. Chez Pétrouchka 3. La semaine grasse

FINAL

LisztNo. 2

ProkofievNo. 3

MARCOSMADRIGAL SOTO

13For the first time in Top of the World’s his-tory, we have a Cuban pianist taking part.

Marcos Madrigal Soto has, however, already made a name for himself, both in Europe, North America and South America. Marcos Madrigal was born in 1984 in Havana, Cuba, and graduated from the University of Arts of Cuba (Instituto Superior de Arte) in 2007, where he studied under the guidance of Teresita Junco.

He is a household name in the most important concert halls in Cuba, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, England, Switzerland and Austria, as well as in many capitals of Latin America Soto made his debut at the age of 15 with an orchestra, and has since performed as a soloist with most of the Symphony Orchestras in Latin America.

In 1998, he won the Grand Prize at the “Amadeo Roldán Competition”, as well as Special Mentions at the Best Interpretation of Cuban and Latin American Music. In 1999, he won an award in the 2nd Edition of the “Concurso Iberoamericano of Havana”. Three years later, he was graced with the 1st Prize and the Prize to Best Interpretation of Cuban Music in the “UNEAC Contest”, and the following year he won the 1st Prize in the 2nd Edition of the “Ignacio Cervantes International Piano Contest”.

Furthermore, he won an award at the “Panama International Piano Com-petition” in 2006, as well as grabbing the 1st Prize and a Special Mention at the Interpretation of Costa Rican Music in the Maria Clara Cullell In-ternational Piano Competition” in Costa Rica. In June 2008, he received the European 1st Prize for Piano Performance at the 3rd Edition of the “International Piano Competition of Avezzano” (Abruzzo, Italy).

Soto has toured France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Colombia with ancient music group Ars Longa, and has recorded several CDs with the French label K617. He has also released several CDs on the Colibrí record label.

In April 2013, he won the 2nd Prize with distinction at the International Piano Competition Prize Jaén. Soto currently lives in Italy, where he attends Master Classes at the Inter-national Piano Academy Lake Como, directed by Martha Argerich.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

GranadosFrom GOYESCAS: “El amor y la muerte” Balada: Animato e Dramatico

ProkofievSonata no. 7 op. 83 in Si bemol Mayor I - Allegro Inqueto II - Andante Caloroso III - Precipitato

SEMIFINAL

PoulencMelancolie FP 105 Tres Modere

BeethovenSonata N.28 op.101, en La mayor I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten EmpfindungII. Lebhaft. MarschmassigIII. Langsam und sehnsuchtvollIV. Geschwinde, doch nicht zu sehr, und mit Entschlossenheit

SchumannSymphonic Etudes, Op.13 - All 12 movements

FINAL

GriegA minor

RavelG major

SZYMONNEHRING

14Being the sole contender from Chopin’s home country, twenty year old Szymon

Nehring is given the heavy task of bringing the Top of the World trophy to Poland. Szymon Nehring was born in Krakow, and started his piano education at the age of 5. For 11 years he was a student at the Chopin Memorial Musical College in Krakow, being moulded into a master pianist by Prof. Olga Lazarska. Since September 2013, he has been studying at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, in Prof. Stefan Wojtas’ class.

Szymon Nehring regularly participates in music festivals and competitions. He has also, on numerous occasions, made his mark on the winners’ podium: He won 1st prize at the Steinway International Piano Competition in Hamburg (2005), 1st prize and a Special Award for the Best Performance of a piece by Hungarian composer at The International Ferenczy Gyorgy Memorial Piano Competition in Budapest (2010).

Szymon received 3rd prize at the 6th International Piano Competition “Step Towards Mastery” in St. Petersburg (2011), 1st prize at the Chopin Piano Competition in Narva (2012), 2nd prize at the International Com-petition „Academy Award” in Rome, Italy (2014), 1st prize and 6 special prizes at the International Piano Competition „Halina Czerny-Stefanska in memoriam” in Poznan, Poland (2014) and 1st Prize at the Internation-al Piano Competition „Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam” in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2014). It will come as no surprise if the 20 year old cashes in the top prize in Norway as well.

Szymon has performed concerts with orchestras such as Philharmonic Orchestra of Warmia & Mazury, Philharmonic Orchestra of Lvov, Polish Baltic Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra of St. Petersburg and National Orchestra of Estonia.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

ScarlattiSonata L495 Allegro

ChopinFantasie op. 49 1. Marcia Doppio movimento 2. Lento sostenuto 3. Tempo primo

SzymanowskiVariations op. 3 Tema, Andantino Tranquillo e Semplice. Var. 1. L’istesso tempo Var. 2. Agitato Var. 3. Andantino quasi tempo di Mazurka Var. 4. Con moto Scher-zando Var. 5. Lento dolce Var. 6. Scherzando. Molto vivace Var. 7. Allegro agitato et energico Var. 8. Meno mosso, mesto Var. 9. Maggiore, Tempo di valse, grazioso Var. 10. Andantino dolce Var. 11. Andantino dolce affetuoso Var. 12. Allegro con fuoco

SEMIFINAL

BeethovenSonata op. 31 no. 1 1. Allegro vivace 2. Adagio grazioso 3. Rondo. Allegretto

Chopin12 Etudes op. 25

FINAL

ChopinNo. 1

RachmaninovNo. 2

VICTORCAYRES

15Few contestants have more experience from competitions than this Brazilian wonderboy.

Victor Cayres has more than 10 First and Special Prizes from around the world. Just listing up his results from competitions, is enough to fill a book. Victor has come out as the, erm, victor so many times, it is unbelievable.

He received 1st prizes at Richmond Piano Competition Boston Uni-versity 2013, Respighi Prize Competition 2012, Concerto Competition at Boston University 2011, Nelson Freire Piano Competition (Rio de Janeiro) 2003, Petrobras International Competition (Rio de Janeiro) 2002, Magdalena Tagliaferro Piano Competition (São Paulo) 2000 and National Youth Instrumentalists Competition (Piracicaba, Brazil) 1998.

On top of that, he has received the Special Prize for ”Best Performance of J.S.Bach” at Magdalena Tagliaferro Piano Competition (São Paulo) 2000 and ”Best Chamber Musician” at National Youth Instrumentalists Competition (Piracicaba, Brazil) 1998. He has also received Honorable Deference Title, from the Congress of Piracicaba City Hall, Piracicaba, Brazil, for “great artistry and command in the music field”, and was the Recipient of 2012 Zulalian Award at Boston University.

Cayres also received 2nd prizes at the Leos Janacek International Piano Competition in Brno, Czech Republic, in 2012. New England Conserva-tory Commencement Competition 2007, Gina Bachauer South American Competition 2002 and Sommerfestspiele Klavier Wettbewerb (Murten, Switzerland) 2001.

Victor Cayres has earned praise for concerts with the Sine Nomine String Quartet in Switzerland, and as a soloist with such orchestras as the Bos-ton Pops and Brno Philharmonic in the Czech Republic.

He has recently released a CD on Albany Records with works by David Owens. Previous engagements included concerts in Brazil and in the U.S., including a debut at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall, as a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of New York. Victor Cayres has studied at University of São Paulo, Staatliche Hochschule für Muzik in Karlsruhe, Germany, New England Conservatory and Boston University.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Villa LobosImpressoes Seresteiras

MozartSonata in Bb major K570 Allegro Adagio Allegretto

LisztTranscendental Etude no. 7 “Eroica”

SEMIFINAL

FranckPrelude, Choral, et Fugue

ScarlettiSonata in F Major K. 44

BartokThree Burlesques op. 8c Quarrel Slightly Tipsy Molto vivo - Capriccioso

LisztAprès une lecture du Dante

FINAL

SchumannA minor

LisztNo. 2

EVGENYSTARODUBTSEV

16 He has won the First Prize 15 times and Second Prize twice in international piano

competitions. Will Evgeny Starodubtsev add to his incredible tally in Tromsø?Russian Evgeny Starodubtsev was born in 1981, and was accepted into the Central Musical School of Moscow at 10. After graduating in 1999 as a pianist and a composer, he became a student at the Moscow Conserva-tory’s Faculty of Composition. In 2000, Evgeny began studying under the guidance of prof. Natalia Trull, from which he graduated in 2006. He has since continued as her assistant at Moscow Conservatory’s Piano Faculty.

Evgeny’s competition results speak volumes. He won 1st prize at Spanish music in the International Piano Competition “Compositores de Espa’a” (Madrid) 2004, 1st prize at “Cidade do Porto” 2005, 1st prize and a Special Prize for Best Performance of Spanish Music in the International Piano Competition ”Ciudad de Ferrol” (Spain, 2007) and 1st prize and two special prizes for Best Performance of Chopin Compositions and for Best Performance of Szymanowski Compositions in Baltic International Piano Competition 2007.

The following year, he won 1st prize “Gran Premio Marcatel” at the International Piano Competition “Parnassos 2008” (Monterrey, Mexico), and in 2009, he won an unbelievable 5 international piano competitions in France, Italy, Spain (2) and Canada.

In recent years, he is famous for having won 1st prize at the International Ciurlionis Piano Competition in Vilnius 2011, three more competition wins in 2013 (Greece, France & Kazakhstan), and three 1st prizes (Serbia, Italy and Italy) and a 2nd prize (Armenia) in 2014. To say that he is one of the favorites to win in Tromsø, is an understatement.

Evgeny succesfully performs recitals and concert tours in Spain, Germany, France, Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, Canada and others. One of his most important performances was in September 2006, in Amsterdam Concertgebouw Hall at the Shostakovich Music festival. He performed Mozart double piano concerto in Barcelona Palau de lá Musica in 2011. The following year, he made his debut in Konzerthaus, Berlin where he among other compositions performed II book of Ligeti etudes.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Grieg7 lyrical pieces op.47 Valse-impromptu Feuille d’Album Melodie Halling Melancholie Springtanz Elegie

LisztSpanish rhapsodie

SEMIFINAL

BachToccata F# minor

ScriabinSonate No.4 Andante Presto volando

Ravel3 pieces from “Miroirs” Les oiseaux tristes Une barque sur le océan Alborada del grazioso

Stravinsky3 movements from “Petroushka” Russian dance Petroushka’s cell Shrovetide

FINAL

ProkofievProkofiev No. 3

RachmaninovNo. 2

JENNASUNG

17Invited to perform at Carnegie Hall and made her orchestra debut by the age of 10,

British prodigy, Jenna Sung, continues to make an impression in the piano world. Ms Sung, identified by Gramophone as “the talent of tomorrow – today”, has been critically acclaimed, described as creating “magical impression-istic, but also dramatic sound-paintings” by Westdeutsche Zeitung.

Jenna received an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall, and made her orchestra debut at age ten. More recently, Jenna had a successful debut concert in the Berlin Philharmonic and at Wigmore Hall London. She is very active contemporary music performer, an example of which is her commissioning two pieces by renowned British composers, premiered by her at Wigmore Hall, to commemorate the lives lost in the Korean ferry disaster of April 2014. Jenna was the winner of numerous piano competitions, including Jaques Samuel Pianos Competition London, Alfred Kitchin Competition, RCM Concerto Competition London, Ciudad de Huesca in Spain, Stefano Marizza in Italy, Maria Canals in Spain,Carl Filtsch in Romania, Premio Iturbi Valencia and others. Her career led her to many cities in the world – in countries like UK, Germany, Italy, Korea, Holland, Spain and France. Jenna has studied at many prestigious conservatoires – Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin, Royal College of Music London, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Seoul Arts High School, and Yewon Arts School.

Furthermore, she has worked with renowned pianists such as Prof. Gabriele Kupfernagel, Prof. George Sava, Prof. Klaus Sticken, Bruce Bru-baker, Prof. Michel Berroff, Prof. Roy Howat, Prof. Józef Stompel, Prof. Anne Queffelec, Prof. Brigitte Engerer, Prof. Stefan Litwin, Pascal Rogé, Eugene Indjic, Prof. Andrzej Jasinski, Prof. Deniz Gelenbe, Prof. Martinos Tirimos and Prof. Leon McCawley.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

SolérSonata in D minor SR120 Allegro spiritoso

RavelGaspard de la nuit

LisztHungarian Rhapsody no. 10

SEMIFINAL

ScarlattiSonatas K1, K141

HaydnSonata HobXVI 48

ScriabinPrelude and Nocturne op.9

SchumannCarnaval op.9

ShostakovichPrelude and Fugue no.15 op.87

FINAL

TchaikovskyNo. 1

ProkofievNo. 3


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

ScarlattiSonata K 126 C Minor

BeethovenSonata op. 53 Allegro con brio Introduzione. Adagio molto Rondo. Allegretto Moderato - Prestissimo

LisztLa Campella

SEMIFINAL

DebussyFeux d’Artifice

LisztSonata B Minor

ProkofievSonata no. 7 op. 83 Allegro inquieto Andante caloroso Precipitato

FINAL

TchaikovskyNo. 1

LisztNo. 1

ALEXEYSYCHEV

18Competition wins spread across four continents – Russian super talent, Alexey

Sychev, is the ultimate globe-trotter among the contestants. Sychev has become a laureate of numerous international competitions.

In 2014, he received the 1st prize and the Audience Prize at Dr. Luis Sigall Piano Competition, Chile and 3rd Prize of A. Casagrande Interna-tional Piano Competition, Italy. The year prior to that, he won the 3rd Prize and Audience Prize of G.B. Viotti International Music Competition.

Alexey is the 1st prize winner of World Online Piano Competition 2012 (USA) and of Princess Lalla Meryem International Piano Competition 2012 (Morocco).

He also won the 1st prize at Ennio Porrino 2012 (Cagliari, Italy), 2nd prize and Critics Prize of San Marino International Piano Competition 2010, 1st prize at Premio Franz Liszt 2009 (Italy), among many others. Alexey received a scholarship of “Russian art of performance” foundation and M. Rostropovich foundation scholarship.

Alexey Sychev has performed recitals in Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, USA, and has performed with orchestras throughout Russia, Europe and South America. He recorded a CD with the Czech Radio.

Alexey graduated with a diploma of distinction from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where he studied with Alexei Nasedkin, and continued his graduate studies with Pavel Nersessian and Alexei Nabioulin. Currently, Alexey studies in Mozarteum University Salzburg with Jacques Rouvier.

JONG-HAIPARK

19Wildly gifted Jong-Hai Park aims to bring the Top of the World trophy to South Korea.

Mr. Park started his music education at 6, and has since studied at the Neighborhood Music School and the Hartt School in USA, after leaving his home country Korea. He was honorably permitted entrance of KNUA through the Prodigy Program 2006, and in 2012 he auditioned and received scholarship to the piano department of Hannover Musikhochschule in the Germany, where he is currently studying with Professor Arie Vardi.

Mr. Park has won numerous domestic and international competitions, including the Greater New Haven Concert Orchestra Competition in 1999 (1st Prize), Renee B. Fisher Competition in 2000 (2nd Prize), Korea Philharmonic Orchestra Competition in 2002 (1st Prize), Nagoya International Music Competition (2nd prize) and an Award from Japan Academy of Chamber Music in 2008, and the Hong Kong International Piano Competition in 2008 (2nd Prize).

He has also received the 2nd prize and Special Awards such as the RTE NSO Prize, for the Best Concerto Performance, and the Bridget Doolan Prize for the best performance of a piece by Mozart at the Dublin Inter-national Piano Competition in 2009. In the year that followed, he laureated a finalist in the Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competi-tion, and won the SOS Talents as a prize for the youngest finalist.

He has won the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize in 2011, sponsored by the City of Eppan, and followed it up by winning Piano Campus Com-petition in Paris and being awarded Best Contemporary Prize in 2014

Mr. Park gave his first concert at the age of nine with the Greater New Haven Concert Orchestra in 1999. Since then, he has made frequent appearances with other major orchestra, such as the Nagoya Philhar-monic Orchestra, Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmon-ic Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Royal Chamber Wallonie and RTE National Symphony Orchestra. He has given numerous recitals as a soloist, including Kumho Prodigy Concert & Rising Star Series, Kumho Young Artist Concert Series, Paris La monnaie and a I’Oratoire du Louvre.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Liszt Transcendental Etude No.7 Eroica

BeethovenSonata op. 57

SEMIFINAL

Brahms Sonata in F minor op. 5

ProkofievSonata no. 7

FINAL

Tchaikovsky No. 1

Brahms No. 1

GEORGYTCHAIDZE

20Georgy Tchaidze had a talent both for violin and piano, but isn’t sad he chose

the latter, as it has brought him to prestigious places like Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall. Born in 1988 in St. Petersburg, Georgy began studying the piano and violin at the age of 7. In 2005 he graduated from Nizhny Novgorod Bala-kirev College, under the guidance of Prof. N. Feoktistova.

The same year, he entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (prof. S. Dorensky). Georgy is currently attending the 3rd year of the post-graduate program there, as well as studying at Berlin University of Arts with Prof. K.Hellwig.

He is a laureate of many international piano competitions in Russia, USA, Germany, Croatia and Canada. He won 2nd prize both at II Inter-national Seiler Piano Competition (Kitzingen, Germany) 2001 and at Eastman Young Artists International Piano Competition USA 2004. He received the 2nd prize and the Special Prize for Admission Work at the 3rd EPTA Svetislav Stancic International Piano Competition (Zagreb, Croatia) 2006, and came 1st at both Rachmaninov Young Artist Interna-tional Piano Competition (V.Novgorod, Russia) 2004 and Esther Honens International Piano Competition 2009. In recent years, he has also collected a 2nd prize at XI Kissinger Klavier Olymp 2013.

Georgy Tchaidze has taken part in several international musical festivals, such as Verbier Festival and Septembre Musical in Switzerland, Lofoten Piano Festivals in Norway, Piano aux Jacobins in France, Bad Kissingen Sommer in Germany and many others. He has worked with many celebrated musicians, including S. Kovacevic, F. Rados, B. Berman, P. Zukerman , G. Takacz-Nagy, L. Lortie, J.-E. Bavouzet, P. Lewis, M.-N. Lemieux, Cecilia String Quartet and Borodin Quartet.

His debut appearances in Carnegie Hall (New York, 2012), Wigmore Hall (London, 2012), Konzerthaus (Berlin, 2012) and Concertgebouw (Am-sterdam, 2010-11) were highly acclaimed by critics and audience.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

Chopin4 Mazurkas op. 30

GranadosGoyesca No. 5 ‘El Amor y la Muerte. Balada’

ScriabinPoeme “Verse la Flamme” op. 72

SEMIFINAL

BeethovenSonata in A flat Major op.110 1. Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo 2. Allegro molto 3. Adagio, ma non troppo - Fuga: Allegro, ma non troppo

MussorgskyPictures at an Exhibition 1. Gnomus[Promenade II]. Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza 2. Il Vecchio Castello[Promenade III]. Modera-to non tanto, pesamente 3. Tuileries (Dispute d’enfants après jeux) 4. Bydło[Promenade IV]. Tranquillo 5. Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks 6. “Samuel” Goldenberg und “Schmuÿle”Promenade [V] 7. Limoges, le marché (La grande nouvelle) 8. Catacombæ (Sepul-crum romanum)Cum mortuis in lingua mortua 9. The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba-Yagá)10. The Great Gate of Kiev

FINAL

TchaikovskyNo. 1

ProkfievNo. 3

ODA HJERTINEVOLTERSVIK

21Oda has the heavy task of defending the Norwegian colors at this year’s Top of the

World. Judging from her qualities, few would be better suited.Norwegian pianist, Oda Voltersvik, holds a Master in Performance degree from the Royal College of Music, London, and studies currently with professor Gabriele Baldocci for the Postgraduate Artist Diploma at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She has played for international pianists including Leif Ove Andsnes, Menahem Pressler, Gary Graffmann, Ian Brown, Christina Ortiz, Alexander Kobrin, Marios Papadopoulos and Vladimir Krainev.

Concert venues at which she has performed, include the Norwegian National Broadcasting, opening concert during the Grieg Jubilee 2007, Jacqueline du Pré Concert Hall in Oxford, the 1st International Folk Music Festival in Beijing, several solo and chamber music concerts for the Bergen Chamber Music Society and Grieg in Bergen Series.

She has also given concerts with the Sinfonietta of Athens and Norwe-gian–Polish Youth Orchestra in Poland and in Bergen 2014, as well as recitals in many venues in London, including The Norwegian Embassy, Conway Hall, Regent Hall and Amaryllis Fleming Hall. In august 2014, she was Artist in residence at Troldhaugen (Grieg`s home) with her own recital and lunch concerts for one week.

In 2015, Oda has given solo recitals with Beethoven, Grieg and Prokof-iev, as well having performed with pianist Giulio Potenza, with whom she has formed a piano duo Volt & Potenza.

At the opening of Bergen Chamber Music Society 80th Anniversary, she played with master students from New York, Barratt Due Music Academy, Norwegian Academy of Music and The Norwegian Opera Orchestra, the Sinding Piano Quintet and also played Prokofiev solo.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

BachFantasia and fugue in a minor, BWV 944

GriegBallade in G minor, Op.24

SEMIFINAL

BeethovenPiano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, op.57 `Appassionata` I. Allegro AssaiII. Andante con motoIII. Allegro ma non troppo

ChopinBallade no. 2 in F major, op. 38

ProkofievSonata no. 2 in D minor, op. 14 I. Allegro ma non troppoII. Scherzo: Allegro marcatoIII. AndanteIV. Vivace

FINAL

ChopinNo. 1

GriegA minor

JACKIEJAEKYUNG YOO

22Acknowledged as one of the “future leaders of the Korean music scene,” pianist

Jackie Jaekyung Yoo has enjoyed acclaim both at home and abroad. She has won top prizes at nearly thirty international competitions, including the International Piano Competition “Chopin Roma,” Bösen-dorfer International Piano Competition and the Jaén International Piano Competition. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Manchester Camerata, Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radio and Tel-evision, Phoenix Symphony and the Orquestra Simfonica del Valles.

Jackie also performs worldwide, and has appeared in several festi-vals, including the International Gümüslük Classical Music Festival in Turkey and the Bebersee Festival in Germany. At Bebersee, she stepped in at the last minute to perform Liszt’s Grand Duo with violinist Oscar Bohórquez, winning such praise as “the pianist reacted to her partner with great flexibility and musicality.” Also an accomplished ensemble pianist, Jackie has appeared live on radio broadcasts (e.g.“InTune”on BBC Radio 3) as part of DuoYoo + Kim, the team that has won critical acclaim for the recitals at the United Nations in Geneva, and at Sommets-Musicaux Gstaad in Switzerland.

Jackie is currently based in Germany, after having studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Matti Raekallio and Markus Groh, as well as having completed the International Artist Diploma Program at the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK.


PROGRAMME

FIRST ROUND

LigetiEtudes, Book I

SchumannToccata Op. 7

SEMIFINAL

RavelMiroirs 1. Noctuelles 2. Oiseaux tristes 3. Une barque sur l’océan 4. Alborada del gracioso 5. La vallée des cloches

LisztGrandes études de Paganini 1. G Minor 2. E-flat Major 3. G-sharp Minor “La campanella” 4. E Major 5. E Major “La chasse” 6. A Minor

FINAL

ProkofievNo. 3

ChopinNo. 1

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Top of the WorldINTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

JUNE 14-19, 2015 TROMSØ, NORWAY

THE 4TH

ANS Felleseiet Austad | Bjørn A/S | DNB | FormueforvaltningNordea Bank | PWC

Collaborating partners: UiT - Norges Arktiske Universitet, Arctic Philharmonic, Kulturhuset, Nordlysfestivalen, Steinway Pricewinners Concerts Network, Sparebank1 Nord-Norge,

Domkirken, Tromsø kommune, Festspillene i Nord-Norge, Troms fylkeskommune, Nordland Musikkfestuke, Steinway Piano Service A/S, Amalie Hotell, The Edge,

Kjøkkensjefen, Emmas Drømmekjøkken, Alink-Argerich Foundation

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