The pianists are coming, the pianists are coming!
During the week of June 6-10, over 30 of the world’s best young pianists will head to Iowa to compete in UNI’s second Midwest International Piano Competition. On June 11th, three of those pianists will be competing in the finals, supported by the University of Northern Iowa’s School of Music. Iowa Public Radio’s Jacqueline Halbloom and Al Schares will host IPR’s live Performance Iowa broadcast, presenting pre-recorded interviews with the finalists and commentary from the competition’s artistic co-founders, UNI’s Associate Professor of Piano Dmitri Vorobiev and Associate Professor of Piano Sean Botkin.
The Midwest International Piano Competition features two divisions, the junior division (up to age 17) and the senior division (up to age 32). The junior division offers three cash prizes, with a top prize of $2500. The senior division has six honorable mentions and three cash prizes, with a grand prize of $10,000. On June 11th, the final evening of the competition, the three senior division finalists will each have the privilege of performing a complete concerto with the wcfsymphony under their Artistic Director and Conductor Jason Weinberger. The three finalists will perform their concerto on the stage of the Great Hall at UNI’s Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The senior winner will also have the opportunity to make a CD recording with the Blue Griffin label.
Competitors will come from as far away as China, Japan, Italy, Algeria, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, Costa Rica, and Lithuania. The competition this year is judged by internationally acclaimed pianists Eric Larsen, Craig Sheppard, and Nelita True.
Don’t miss Iowa Public Radio’s live coverage of the 2016 Midwest International Piano Competition on Performance Iowa, Saturday, June 11 starting at 7 p.m. The preliminary rounds take place June 5-9 and are free and open to the public. The finals concert for the junior category begins at 2 p.m. Friday, June 10 at $10 a ticket. The June 11th finals concert and receptions for the senior category begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 at $25 a ticket. Tickets are available by calling 319-273-4TIX, online at www.uni.edu/tickets, or at the door of the Gallagher-Bluedorn.
Be there in person, or join IPR Classical on the radio or online at www.iowapublicradio.org.
