Friday, March 20, 2015Salt Lake City, Utah
American String Teachers Association
2015National Solo Competition
Live Finals
Center for the Arts Abravanel Hall
123 West South TempleSalt Lake City, UT 84101
Thank you to our sponsors:
Evening Performance Pirastro GmbH
Grand Prize SHAR Music
Audience Favorite Yamaha Corporation of America
Laureate PrizesNathan Gordon FundRalph Matesky Fund
Warren LorangerJeffrey Solow
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Friday, March 20, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Message from the ChairWelcome to the finals of the ASTA National Solo Competition. Organizing a competition of this size and scope, which includes all of the modern string instruments in junior and senior divi-sions, is a complicated enterprise and there are many individu-als whose contributions have made it possible. My deepest thanks go to Libby Dietrich, who thoughtfully and comprehen-sively oversaw myriad aspects and details for this competition. President Stephen Benham, president-elect Brenda Brenner, and all of the staff at the national office took care of many other facets of the competition including raising the prize mon-ey—one of the most important and difficult tasks that goes into making it a successful event. A big thank you as well to the online judges, who in addition to selecting our online prize win-ners and the six Laureate Finalists (from more than 100 en-
trants), also acted as my advisory committee. Our judges for the finals are generously offer-ing their time, knowledge, and artistry by giving master classes at the conference. We thank them and hope that you have or will attend their classes. Since the National Solo Competition began in 1978 with 17 finalists from 10 states and $425 in prize money, it has not only grown but evolved in many ways. We joined the 21st Century by discarding individual state preliminaries and recorded national semifinals in favor of a single online first round, and this year we moved from a biennial competition to a yearly one. The judging panels for the preliminary and final rounds reflect the diversity of ASTA and of the competition: both panels include a representative from each of the six instrumental categories. This week we focus attention on the finalists, but we would be remiss if we did not recog-nize their teachers, whose hard work and dedication to the art of string teaching has helped these young musicians achieve this high level of excellence. The list of our past prize-winners who have gone on to careers as soloists, university professors, and titled orchestral musicians continues to grow each year: Hai-Ye Ni (1988) — principal cello of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cynthia Phelps (1983) — principal viola of the New York Philharmonic, Cathy Basrak (1996) — associate principal viola of the Boston Symphony, Jennifer Stumm (1996) — winner of the Primrose International Viola Competition and the Concert Artist Guild International Auditions, internationally known cellists Wendy Warner (1986 & 90) and Andres Diaz (1983), violinist Benjamin Beilman (2007) — recip-ient of a 2012 Avery Fischer Career Grant, cellist Sergey Antonov (2007) — Gold Medal winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition, the renowned violinist Joshua Bell (1981), Elizabeth Hainen (1988) — principal harp of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jeffrey Bradetich (1978) — professor of double bass at the University of North Texas and one of this year’s online judges, and finals judge DaXun Zhang (2002) — professor of double bass at the University of Texas at Austin. There are, of course, hundreds of other entrants, prize winners, and final-ists who did not receive awards (including such distinguished names as Rachel Barton Pine, Peter Stumpf, Zuill Bailey, Martha Masters, and Timothy Fain) who have gone on to successful careers in great orchestras and chamber music groups, as soloists, and in private teaching studios, where they are passing on their knowledge to the next generation of string players. Thank you for attending this exciting final round of the National Solo Competition and supporting our six Laureate Finalists. They have all come very far and are sure to reach even greater heights in the future.
Jeffrey Solow
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2015 National Solo Competition Live Finals
Abigail KentMount Pleasant, S.C.
Piece 1: Lute Suite No. 1 in E minor, BWV 966 J.S. Bach/trans. Jamet Prelude Allemande Piece 2: Sérénade, op. 83 Elias Parish-Alvars Piece 3: Danse des Lutins Henriette Renié Teachers: Elizabeth Hainen, Jacquelyn Bartlett, Judy McCoy
Awards: 2014 Finalist, International Young Artist Harp Competition; 2014 Performer, Lyon & Healy 150th Anniversary International Harp Festival; 2014 Semi-finalist, Wales International Harp Competition; 2013 Winner, “Play with the Pros” Concerto Competition and performance with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra; 2013 Finalist, Jacqueline Avent Concerto Competition; 2012 Winner, “Stars of Tomorrow” Contest/Concert at the Boston Harp Festival
Samuel NebyuPhiladelphia, Penn.
Piece 1: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 1003 J.S. Bach Grave Fuga Piece 2: Caprice Basque, op. 24 Pablo de Sarasate Piece 3: Carmen Fantasie Franz Waxman Teacher: Eduard Schmieder
Awards: First Place at Remember Enescu Competition in Romania; First Place at Flame Competition in Paris; Winner of Beverly Hills Auditions; Winner of Temple University Concerto Competition
Accompanist: Jayne Galloway
2015 Solo Competition Finalists
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Friday, March 20, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Arjun Ganguly St. Cloud, Minn.
Piece 1: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in E-flat Major C.F. Zelter Allegro con fuoco Piece 2: Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 J.S. Bach Prélude Sarabande Piece 3: Viola Concerto in A Minor William Walton Andante comodo Teacher: Korey Konkol
Awards: Minnesota Varsity Featured Award, National Youth Orchestra of USA, St. Cloud Symphony Young Artist Competition, American Fine Arts Festival Concerto Competition
Accompanist: Vedrana Subotic
John-Henry Crawford Evanston, Ill.
Piece 1: Cello Sonata in A Major , G. 4 L. Boccherini Adagio Allegro Piece 2: Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV1012 J.S. Bach Prélude Allemande Piece 3: Sonate pour violoncello et piano F. Poulenc Finale Teacher: Hans Jørgen Jensen
Awards: First prize, ASTA Senior Cello Division; First prize, Philadelphia Orchestra Greenfield Competition; Second prize, Kingsville International Solo Competition; and Bronze Medal, Dallas Symphony Lynn Harrell Competition.
Accompanist: Jayne Galloway
Finalists continued . . .
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2015 National Solo Competition Live Finals
Hao ZhouMission Viejo, Calif.
Piece 1: Danse Espagnole M. de Falla (Trans. Kreisler) Molto ritmico Piece 2: Carmen Fantasie J. Hubay Andante moderato Piece 3: Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 1003 J.S. Bach Grave Fuga Teacher: Aimée Kreston
Awards: Junior division bronze medalist, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (2014); Winner, Colburn School of Performing Arts Concerto Competition (2014); First place, Downey Symphony Young Artist Competition (2013); First place, Edith Knox Performance Competition (2013); Semifinalist, Dorothy Chandler Spotlight Awards (2012-13); First place, Torrance Concerto Competition (2012); Third place, Bellflower Concerto Competition, (2012); First place, ASTA California State Solo Competition, (2012), Full scholarship, Richard D. Colburn School of Performing Arts (2012-15); and Violin scholarship, Dr. Leon S. Altman Violin Scholarship from Young Musicians Foundation (2011).
Accompanist: Jayne Galloway
Hayaka KomatsuSan Rafael, Calif.
Piece 1: Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009 J.S. Bach Sarabande Gigue Piece 2: Concertstuck George Enescu Piece 3: Viola Concerto Sz. 120, BB128 Bela Bartók Teacher: Masao Kawaski
Awards: First place, Northern California Viola Society; Marin Music Chest Scholarship; First place, California ASTA Solo Competition; Felix Khuner Concerto Competition; Mondavi Young Artists Ensemble Award; and Bouchaine Young Artists Award.
Accompanist: Lawrence Gee
Finalists continued . . .
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Friday, March 20, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
o go with the tide is much easier than holding onto your belief as to the way of creating art, but to bring yourself to an awareness of what you truly wish to be, and show that on the stage, is more important than anything. Even though there may be failures, you may not have a perfect life, but you will have a complete life.”
Heran Yang, 2013 National Solo Competition Co- Grand ChampionHeran Yang is currently working on development of international competitions, advancing the outreach of the double bass to the public, increasing the double bass presence through the world at the Bradetich Foundation as associate director. He is the founder and artistic director of T.R.Y. Elite Ensemble, which is a group that explores a variety of musical genres.
Now, it is your turn!You get to be the judge! Who was your favorite?
http://fluidsurveys.com/polls/asta/solocompetition/
The Laureate Finalist with the highest percentage of votes wins $1,000!
“T
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Friday, March 20, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Artist Teacher Award Kim Kashkashian
Awarded annually to a pedagogue of renowned stature from North America.
Sponsored by: Kay H. Logan
Award presentation at the Live Finals of the Solo Competition
Winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo Album for her recording “Kurtág/Ligeti Music for Viola,” Kashkashian is recognized
internationally as a unique voice on the viola. In 2014, she was awarded the George Peabody Medal for outstanding contributions to music in America, as well as the prestigious Golden Bow award of Switzerland. A staunch proponent of contemporary music, she has developed creative relationships with György Kurtág, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Giya Kancheli and Arvo Pärt and premiered commissioned works by Peter Eötvös, Betty Olivero, Ken Ueno, Thomas Larcher, Lera Auerbach and Tigran Mansurian. Kashkashian has ongoing duo partnerships with pianist Robert Levin and with percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky, and the trio Tre Voce. As soloist, she has appeared with the orchestras of Berlin, London, Vienna, Milan, New York and Cleveland in collaboration with Eschenbach, Mehta, Welser-Moest, Kocsis, Dennis Russel Davies Blomstedt Robertson and Holliger. Recital appearances include the great halls of New York, Boston, Phila-delphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Athens and Tokyo. Her association with the prestigious ECM label since 1985 has resulted in a rich discography which includes the complete sonatas of Hindemith and Brahms, an album of Argentinian songs, the concertos of Schnittke, Bartók, Penderecki and Kurtág, as well as the Bach viola da gamba sonatas, recorded with Keith Jarrett. Kashkashian lives in Boston,where she coaches chamber music and viola at New England Conservatory. She is a founding member of Music for Food, an initiative by musicians to fight hunger in their home communities. To learn more, visit musicforfoodboston.org.
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2015 National Solo Competition Live Finals
Final Round Judges
ASTA thanks our distinguished panel of Final Round judges.
Violist Leslie Harlow, a graduate of the Juilliard School, performs as a chamber musician and soloist in addition to organizing groups, concerts, and events. She is founder of the Deer Valley Chamber Music Festival in Utah—now the Beetho-ven Festival Park City—and she founded and currently runs the Park City Film Music Festival (PCFMF). Launched in 1994, the PCFMF is the first festival in the U.S. dedicated to the impact of music in film. Harlow performs and records year round and continues to teach when possible.
Thomas Landschoot joined the Herberger College School of Music faculty of Arizona State University after having taught at the University of Michigan. He is the recipient of the prestigious Herberger College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Award. Born in Belgium, he began studying the cello at the age of six. He performs the entire standard cello repertoire, as well as works by contem-porary composers. Landschoot has played numerous recitals in Europe, the U.S., and Japan. He spends his summers performing and teaching at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
Marina Roznitovsky Oster, born in the Ukraine, currently teaches harp at the University of Nevada, Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College. She is the principal harpist with the Reno Chamber Orchestra, Susanville Sym-phony, and the Nevada Opera. She actively performs as a soloist and many of her performances have been broadcast on television and radio. In 2009, she represented Israel in the renowned International Harp Competition in Jerusa-lem and was featured on the Israeli news channels. She earned her B.M., M.M.
and Ph.D. in harp performance and pedagogy at Indiana University.
Eduard Schmieder was born and educated in Russia. He was a founding member and artistic director of the Venice International Violin Institute and the Moscow Trio. In Dallas, he formed iPalpiti Chamber Orchestra, which grew into an ensemble of international recognition. Schmieder holds Temple Uni-versity’s Carnell Distinguished Professor of Violin Chair in Philadelphia. Prior to this appointment, he was Distinguished Algur H. Meadows Chair of Violin and Chamber Music in the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, and tenured professor of the violin at the University of Southern California.
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Friday, March 20, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
DaXun Zhang, double bassist, has established himself as an unparalleled artist, earning the highest praise from both critics and audiences alike. The recipient of numerous awards, Zhang holds the distinction of being the youngest artist to win the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition in 2001, as well as the first double bass player to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. He was the 2002 ASTA Solo Competition Grand Prize winner. In 2007, Zhang was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant, which confirms his eminence as a soloist on this unusual instrument.
Panel of Online Judges
ASTA thanks our distinguished panel of online judges:
Jeffrey Bradetich, bassist, has performed more than 500 concerts on five continents. He has taught on the faculties of the Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has been director of the double bass program at the University of North Texas for 21 years. Bradetich was director of the International Society of Bassists (ISB) for eight years and established the ISB conventions and solo competitions. In 2008, he launched the Bradetich Foundation for the advance-ment of the double bass. The foundation now broadcasts a weekly internet radio show, Classical Bass Showcase at www.bradetichfoundation.org.
Brett Deubner, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra violist, has inspired world-wide critical acclaim for his powerful intensity and sumptuous tone. He serves on the faculty of Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia, and during the summer, he is on the faculty of the Luzerne Music Center in upstate New York and the Round Top Festival Institute in Texas. He is artistic director of the concert series “Music and More” in New Jersey, where he makes his home.
Deborah Fleisher is on the faculty of the Frost School of Music as lecturer in the Department of Instrumental Performance. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and received an artist diploma from the Peabody Institute. She was the harpist with the Baltimore Opera, Delaware Sympho-ny, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and Florida Sunshine Pops. She has performed at the Marlboro and Aspen Music Festivals. Fleisher has been in the pit orchestras for many hit Broadway shows.
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2015 National Solo Competition Live Finals
Grigory Kalinovsky started his music education with Tatiana Liberova in his native St. Petersburg, Russia, and at age 16 became the youngest winner of the Bellini International Music Competition in Italy. He continued his education in New York, graduating from the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM). In 2012, he joined three of his colleagues from MSM and became a co-director of Manhattan in the Mountains Music Festival, a unique program dedicated to solo and chamber music studies in New York. In 2013, he joined the faculty of Indiana Univer-sity Jacobs School of Music.
Terry King is not only a unique cellist, but a musical scholar, chamber musician, and conductor. His repertoire features the classic works for cello, including unknown masterworks. Many prominent American composers have written works for King, as well as entrusted him with their premieres. King is a member of the Mirecourt Trio and has been on the faculties of the San Francisco Conservatory, UC Berkeley, California State University at Ful-lerton, Grinnell College, University of Iowa, and is currently teaching at the Longy School of Music and the Hartt School of Music. He is presently engaged in a recording project of standard and American works for cello.
Martha Masters is a renowned American classical guitarist. In 2000, she won the Guitar Foundation of America’s (GFA) International Solo Compe-tition. She received both the bachelor and master of music degrees from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and completed the doctor of musi-cal arts degree at the University of Southern California. Masters is currently a professor and guitar instructor at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles, California, where she gives both private instruction and directs the LMU Guitar Ensemble. Masters is the president of GFA, which is dedi-cated to supporting guitar, its players, and its music.
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Friday, March 20, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Junior Division Winners
Violin
First Place—Hao Zhou, Mission Viejo, Calif. Second Place—Lindsey Jelin Lee, Philadelphia, Phila.Honorable mention—Fiona Shea, Lubbock, Tex.
Viola
First Place—Arjun Ganguly, St. Cloud, Minn.Second Place—Lindan Burns, Williams, Ore.Honorable mention—Miriam Wagstaff, Tropic, Utah
Cello
First Place—Kaye Otake, Short Hills, N.J. Second Place—Gabriel Martins, Bloomington, Ind.Honorable mention—Noah Lee, Oakland, N.J.Honorable mention—Mark Prihodko, Faribault, Minn.
Double Bass
First Place—Paris Myers, Gilbert, Ariz.Second Place—John Mietus, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Harp
First Place—Clara Warford, Nashville, Tenn.Honorable mention—Katherine Damon, Park City, Utah
Guitar
First Place—Ashwin Krishna, Los Altos, Calif.Second Place—Olivia Chiang, Rowland Heights, Calif.
Senior Division Winners
Violin
First Place—Samuel Nebyu, Philadelphia, Penn.Second Place—Yue Qian, Los Angeles, Calif.Honorable mention—Alex Ayers, Waukesha, Wisc.
Viola
First Place—Hayaka Komatsu, San Rafael, Calif. Second Place—Benjamin Chilton, Los Angeles, Calif.
Cello
First Place—John Crawford, Evanston, Ill. Double Bass
First Place—Aaron Olguin, The Colony, Tex.Second Place—August Ramos, Brookline, Mass.Honorable mention—Samuel Suggs, New Haven, Conn.
Harp
First Place—Abigail Kent, Mount Pleasant, S.C. Second Place—Chelsea Lane, Pittsburgh, Penn.Honorable mention—Elisabeth Zosseder, San Rafael, Calif.
Guitar
First Place—Xiaobo Pu, Philadelphia, Penn.
2015 National Solo Competition
The National Solo Competition is one of ASTA’s flagship programs. First held in the late 1970s, the competition has changed and evolved over the years – most notably by dropping state
chapter preliminaries in favor of an online first round and by moving from a biennial competition to a yearly one. Two things have remained constant however: the National Solo
Competition continues to offer recognition and exposure to some of America’s brightest young artists, and it continues to need financial support from ASTA’s members and friends.
In sponsoring an award you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped a highly deserving young player advance a step closer to her or his dreams.
Jeffrey Solow - National Solo Competition chair, past president, and award donor
Join long time Solo Competition champion Jeffrey Solow and pledge a donation to show your support for one of ASTA’s most deserving programs. The ASTA Board of Directors has a vision to grow the event’s prize money over the next few years to a sizeable amount that will benefit the participants in an even greater way. We cannot do it without your support.
Yes! I want to help the National Solo Competition!
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“The ASTA Solo Competition provides young students with a wonderful opportunity for exposure on the national level, as well as all the incredible benefits of the preparation for such an event
which every teacher appreciates, and pays off on the stage for the students. In my experience as a competitor, it was enlightening to meet other kids my age who were doing what I do, and see the
level of playing of other top young guitarists. One of the other finalists from my group in 1990 has become a lifelong friend and colleague, and it all began at ASTA. Now on the other side of things
as a judge, I am happy to see that ASTA continues this opportunity for students.”Martha Masters, 1990 National Solo Competition Finalist, 2013 National Solo Competition Final
Judge, 2015 National Solo Competition Preliminary Round Judge, ASTA Member.
Send your donation to the ASTA National Office and join others in sponsoring another young player’s dream!
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