The Fredonia School of Music has announced finalists for the Claudette Sorel Piano Competition.
"We had an incredible pool of talent this year," said School of Music Associate Professor Eliran Avni, who is competition director. "It was nearly impossible to narrow it down to eight, but we are thrilled to present you with this year's finalists."
Finalists include:
Anna Bray, 16 (Sterling, VA); student of Alexander Shtarkman; David Fu, 15 (Delmar, NY), student of Dr. Julian Martin; Nicholas Grote, 15 (Medina, WA), student of Peter Mack and Ni Liu; Vivian Kao, 16 (Cupertino, CA), student of Sasha Starcevich; Benjamin Sessions, 17 (Cochranville, PA), student of Anna Kislitsyna; Caleb Sharkey, 16 (New York, NY), student of Golda Tatz; Celicia Thendean, 15 (Pleasanton, CA), student of Ilana Vered; and Kevin Wang, 18 (Ontario, Canada), student of Lang Ning Liu
Each finalist will present a unique 20 to 25-minute program for the live Final Round on Sunday, Nov. 5 at noon in Rosch Recital Hall. First prize is $4,000 cash; an additional $4,000 will be given in smaller awards. The event is free and open to the public, and the live audience will vote for their favorite for the Audience Choice Award.
Awards will be presented after a brief deliberation, and a reception will follow. The event will also be livestreamed
"One thing that makes the Sorel Competition unique is that there is no prescribed repertoire," explained Dr. Avni. "Rather, we are looking for unique and innovative programming that shows us who they are as musicians, and what repertoire they are passionate about. They had to put some real thought into creating a program that stood out with an interesting and cohesive theme."
The first round consisted of video submissions, and 58 entries were received from across the U.S. as well as from Canada, Switzerland, China and Australia.
The Sorel Fellows Weekend will be held in conjunction with the competition, with young pianists on campus for workshops, lessons, an evening recital and behind-the-scenes access to the competition.
"The Piano Fellows Program is designed specifically for high school pianists who may not yet be ready for the competition circuit, but are looking for an exceptional experience to grow as a musician, feel more prepared for auditions and meet other young pianists," Avni explained. Fellows will work with SUNY Fredonia piano faculty members Sean Duggan, Jiyong Kim Mai and Avni, as well as with guest clinician Eva Cappelletti-Chao, professional violinist and certified life coach.
The Piano Fellows Program welcomes nine pianists from across the U.S., Canada and Switzerland, including:
Kai Canton, 16 (Los Angeles, CA), student of Ivana Grubelic Malo; Aurora Gaechter, 17 (Thurgau, Switzerland), student of Ljuba Brezger; Aaron Liu, 16 (Syosset, NY), student of Robin Freund-Epstein; Max Millet, 15 (Fort Lee, NJ), student of Chaeyoung Park; Sofia Religioso, 16 (Lake View, NY), student of Sarah Khuu; Manny Rose, 16 (Fredonia, NY), student of Phyllis East; Natasha Stanko, 15 (Tonawanda, NY), student of Shirley Chan; Victoria Zeng, 16 (Ontario, Canada), student of Lang-Ning Liu; and Zhihe Zhu, 17 (Ontario, Canada), student of Furio Zerafa.
The competition is named for pianist and SUNY Distinguished Professor Claudette Sorel, who taught at SUNY Fredonia for several years, and is supported by a foundation she founded. The Sorel Organization intends to create opportunities for women in composition, conducting, piano, voice and film scoring and to keep musical excellence alive while expanding the boundaries for women in music. For more information about the competition, please visit online.
