With a world-renowned line-up of guest artists, including Richard Goode, Awadagin Pratt, Fabio Bidibi, Haesun Paik, Yaron Kohlberg, Natalya Antonova, Sean Chen, and returning again this year, The Concert Truck, participants and audiences can expect another fantastic year at the 2020 Southeastern Piano Festival!
The Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition offers over $10,000 in prizes. The First Prize Winner will perform a complete concerto with the South Carolina Philharmonic in the Masterworks concert series during the 2021/2022 season. Second and Third Prize Winners may have opportunities to perform with the SC Philharmonic or SC Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at the discretion of the SC Philharmonic Music Director. Additional prizes include best performance of a contemporary work, discretionary awards and Young Jury Award. All prizewinners of the competition will also be eligible to pass the preliminary round of YoungArts Foundation auditions.
The Southeastern Piano Festival has become a platform for many aspiring performers and has enhanced the study and careers of many competitors and participants, including first prize winner of the 2017 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, Catherine Huang, who subsequently became the Gold Winner of YoungArts. “The Southeastern Piano Festival was a very eye-opening, rewarding, and special experience. Every aspect of it—taking private lessons and studio classes with faculty, attending masterclasses by esteemed guest artists, hearing world-class pianists perform live in concert, performing at the On-The-Road Concert, receiving feedback from the competition jury, befriending fellow participants, many of whom I still keep in touch with—helped me grow as both a musician and a person, and very rarely can a young musician receive all these special experiences within a single festival. The aspect of the festival that was most special to me was the privilege of attending nightly concerts by world-class artists. Since all the festival participants sat together in the audience, we collectively felt the excitement of hearing our idols live, later (during intermission and after each concert) expressing admiration for the enchanting music we just heard, and meeting the artists in person. SEPF gave me not just a prize in the competition but more importantly a plethora of new musical and artistic insight, a stronger appreciation for classical music and resolve to keep the art form at the foreground, and a new, supportive musical family” says Huang. Another SEPF alumni Eric Lu, a prizewinner at the 2013 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, was announced First Prize winner at the 2019 Leeds International Piano Competition.
During the Festival, participants will have the opportunity to attend exciting evening concerts, lectures, and play for masterclasses offered by the esteemed guest artists. Participants will also participate in daily lessons and studio classes with the piano faculty of the University of South Carolina, including Phillip Bush, Charles Fugo, and SEPF directors Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers. The festival, which takes place June 13-21, holds a special place in the South Carolina musical and cultural community. The festival provides an opportunity for pre-college students to perform, learn, network, and most importantly become part of a large family with ties and opportunities that continue far into their musical future.
Apply now to become a part of the wonderfully diverse and special Southeastern Piano Festival family! Applications close March 9, 2020. For more information, please visit our website. You can also follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Masterclasses will be presented by 
