Music Institute of Chicago Announces Winner of 2016 International Duo Piano Competition

By: Jun. 14, 2016
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The Music Institute of Chicago announces that Duo Amadeae from the United States has won the $10,000 grand prize in the 2016 Chicago International Duo Piano Competition. Duo Amadeae also won the Director's Award, which honors them with an appearance during the 2017 Chicago Duo Piano Festival. Yordana and Kyurkchiev (Bulgaria) won the $5,000 second prize, and Klimova and Maholetti (Slovenia and Russia) won the $2,500 third prize. South Korea's Kim and Lee and Hong Kong's Ping and Ting each received $500 Honorable Mentions.

An initial 32 piano duos, ranging in age from 25 to 38 and representing 18 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America, competed for a spot in the quarterfinals. Judges for the video round included renowned pianists Edward and Anne Turgeon and Du Huang. The 19 duos in the quarterfinals, narrowed to 10 for the semifinals and five for the finals, competed before a panel of distinguished judges, including Jeffrey Swann (chair), Alvin Chow, Sandra Shapiro, and the duo Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro. All rounds took place at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.

"The competition was a complete artistic success," said Ralph Neiweem, who joins Claire Aebersold as artistic directors of the competition and co-founders of the Chicago Duo Piano Festival. "Each duo treated the audiences to stellar performances of their complete recital programs. The distinguished jury worked together harmoniously and without major disagreement. All concurred that the level was incredibly high, and any of the semifinalists or finalists were potential winners. The groundwork has been firmly laid for the continuation of this event in future years."

Dr. Mark George, president and CEO of the Music Institute, added, "This is the beginning of a new era for musical competition in Chicago, which is now becoming a destination for the best young musicians in the world."

The Chicago International Duo Piano Competition was generously supported by ITW - Illinois Tool Works.

Chicago's classical music station 98.7 WFMT recorded the final round for future broadcast on its "Music in Chicago" program.

Chicago Duo Piano Festival
Called a "duo piano mecca" by Pioneer Press, Chicago Duo Piano Festival (CDPF) was founded in 1988 by Music Institute faculty members and resident piano duo Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem. Its mission is to foster a deeper interest in the repertoire, performance, and teaching of music for piano, four hands and two pianos. The Festival includes an annual summer festival, a winter mini-fest, and periodic national and international duo piano competitions for youth and adults. The 28th annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival takes place July 8-17.

Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem
Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, artists in residence and faculty members at the Music Institute, enjoy an international career as proponents of music for both piano duet and two pianos. The duo has appeared with orchestras internationally, including the Chicago Philharmonic and the Vienna Tonkünstler. They have performed in recitals throughout the U.S. and Europe. Recent concerts include a 25th anniversary celebration concert at Merkin Hall in New York, an appearance at the Gina Bachauer Festival in Salt Lake City, and two recitals in Odessa, Ukraine. Aebersold and Neiweem have commissioned significant new works for the piano duo, including pieces by Joseph Turrin and Patrick Byers. The duo's CDs on the Summit label include Four Hand Reflections and music of Brahms and Schubert.



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