2020 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition Winners Announced!

The final round of the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition was a thrilling day of fantastic performances. The finalists performed live at University of South Carolina’s Johnson Hall in the Darla Moore School of Business. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there was no audience present in the concert hall, but the performance was watched by thousands of viewers from around the world. We are thankful to our viewers for their enthusiastic and lively support of the performers in the chat box of the livestream. After deliberation, the jury announced the following results to the livestream audience:

First Prize: Caleb Borick

Second Prize: Lucas Amory

Third Prize: Karina Tseng

Young Jury Award: Lucas Amory

Best Solo Work: Lucas Amory

Discretionary Award: Ben Hoang

Discretionary Award: Katie Liu

2020 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition Results

Finalists standing with awards in UofSC’s Johnson Hall

The finalists competed for over $10,000 in prizes and numerous performance opportunities. The First Prize winner, Caleb Borick, will perform a complete concerto with the South Carolina Philharmonic in the Masterworks concert series during the 2021/2022 season. The Second and Third Prize winners, Lucas Amory and Karina Tseng, will have opportunities to perform with the SC Philharmonic and SC Youth Orchestra at the discretion of the South Carolina Philharmonic Music Director. Additional professional engagements are offered to all prize winners.

Lucas Amory performs on The Concert Truck

Through our partnership with YoungArts, all prizewinners will automatically advance past the regional screening round, should they choose to apply to that program. The National YoungArts Foundation is the only organization in the United States empowered to nominate the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.

Katie Liu performs on The Concert Truck

The day before the finals, we enjoyed a lovely outdoor performance featuring The Concert Truck and the competition finalists. The Concert Truck, founded by Nick Luby and festival alumnus Susan Zhang, is a sixteen-foot box truck converted into a mobile concert hall complete with lights, sound system, and piano. The concert was held in front of the Koger Center for the Arts for a socially-distanced audience.

The Concert Truck founders Nick Luby and Susan Zhang perform

Congratulations to all finalists for their brilliant performances, hard work, and dedication!

Introducing the final round of the 2020 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition in an innovative virtual format

We are excited to announce the finalists of the 2020 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition! After competing in June, six incredible Southeastern Piano Festival participants were chosen to compete in the final round: Lucas Amory, Karina Tseng, Shiv Yajnik, Caleb Borick, Katie Liu, and Ben Hoang. To get to know the finalists, watch the SEPF social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) where we will post weekly interviews and performance videos of these talented pianists! 

On Sunday, November 15 at 3:00 p.m., the finalists will compete for over $10,000 in prizes and the opportunity to perform a complete concerto with the South Carolina Philharmonic in a Masterworks concert during the 2022/2023 season.

(left to right) Lucas Amory, Karina Tseng, Shiv Yajnik, Caleb Borick, Katie Liu, and Ben Hoang

Our mission remains to offer rigorous training and education to the next generation of pianists and bring their outstanding performances to the community. To facilitate this safely amidst the pandemic, we will be offering a livestream of all performances as well as new community outreach events in a virtual format. The week of the final round, competition finalists will meet virtually with students at schools in Columbia to perform and discuss life as a competitive pianist with elementary and middle school students. Additionally, we are hosting new creative and educational events including a Virtual Backstage and a Mock Jury with directors Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers! 

Watch the website for an upcoming update with a detailed calendar of virtual events from Wednesday, November 11 through Sunday, November 15. We look forward to seeing you virtually!

SEPF 2020 continues with the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition

It is with sadness that we announce the concerts of 2020 Southeastern Piano Festival are cancelled due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus, as well as the University of South Carolina decision to cancel all public events and in-person instruction until at least August 1.

We are, however, thrilled to announce that the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition will continue in a revised format. Our top priority remains to educate, promote and present the next generation of musical artistry and it is in this spirit that the competition will continue with a recorded round in June in which 6 participants will be chosen to continue on to the live round at the University of South Carolina which will take place during the Fall of 2020. Prizes in the competition will remain the same, including the unique opportunity for the winner to perform a concerto with the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. We look forward to hosting the finalists this Fall!

We are deeply thankful to our patrons, without whom the festival would not be able to flourish and continue in the revised format. Thank you to all of you who has supported the festival this year already and those who have pledged your support. We are working very hard to continue bringing quality programming to you, to our city and to our community. Stay tuned for more information!

Our gratitude goes out to the 2020 Southeastern Piano Festival Guest Artists Richard Goode, Fabio Bidini, Awadagin Pratt, Haesun Paik, Natalya Antonova, Sean Chen, and Yaron Kohlberg for their dedication to their art, their compassion, and their understanding. We have already gotten commitments from many of our artists to return in 2021, including the incomparable artist Richard Goode. Also as part of our 2021 season, we look forward to the return of our SEPF Alumni Avery Gagliano, Baron Cao, Leo Svirsky and The Concert Truck with Nick Luby and Susan Zhang!

Please give our 2020 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition participants a warm welcome and watch our website and social media platforms for videos and photos that feature these young talented pianists!

(left to right) Marco Jimenez Katie Liu Lucas Amory Karina Tseng

Emma Taggart Ryan Sheng Rebekah Hong Sydney Levey

Trung Nguyen Natalie Zhang Caleb Borick Andrew Shi

Charles Li Jackson Naglick Shiv Yajnik Angelina Ning

Maxine Park Ben Hoang Josephine Chou Malvyn Lai

Apply Now for the 2020 Southeastern Piano Festival

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.

2019 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition Winners Announced!

It has been an exhilarating day of inspiring and thoughtful performances. After the jury’s deliberation, the long-awaited results were announced as follows:

First Prize – Jessica Zhang

Second Prize – Caleb Borick

Third Prize – Solomon Ge

Discretionary Awards:

– Josephine Chou

– Ben Hoang

– Shiv Yajnik

Young Jury Award – Caleb Borick

Best Solo Work – Caleb Borick

Best Contemporary Work (after 1990) – Shiv Yajnik

Congratulations to all participants for their incredible performances, hard work and dedication!

2019 Arthur Fraser Int’l Piano Competition streaming live

The Arthur Fraser Int’l Piano Competition is streaming live.
Watch the competition live here on June 21, 2019.

Jury:
Yoheved Kaplinsky (The Juilliard School)
Alan Chow (Eastman School of Music)
Raymond Herbert (Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri)
Morihiko Nakahara (Music Director, South Carolina Philharmonic)
Jon Nakamatsu (Gold Medalist, 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition)

Young Jury:
Louie Hehman, chair
Nick Zehao Bai
Inhye Cho
Kelly Qin Ouyang
Natsumi Takai
Qiwen Wan

The single tickets are now on sale!

Single tickets are now on sale for the evening concerts!  The concerts sell out fast, so check out our amazing line-up in Concert Schedule and purchase your tickets today.  

As always, we open with immensely popular Piano Extravaganza Concert on Sunday, June 16, 4 P.M., in Johnson Performance Hall (Darla Moore School of Business).
June 17-20, Monday-Thursday, we are honored and proud to present Conrad Tao, Jon Nakamatsu, Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung and Marc-André Hamelin in evening concerts.  Each one of those names is a legend in the piano world.

Sunday, June 16, 2019 PIANO EXTRAVAGANZA The Southeastern Piano Festival opens with a traditionally sold-out  Piano Extravaganza Gala, featuring multiple pianos, piano faculty,  SEPF alumni and guests. 4:00 PM Moore School of Business, Johnson Performance Hall Admission: $20, $5 for students and free for children under 18 Monday, June 17, 2019 Piano X Inaugurating Concert CONRAD TAO Piano recital reimagined with a rising star of the New York City music scene. 7:30 PM Columbia Museum of Art Admission: $20, $5 for students and free for children under 18 Tuesday, June 18, 2019 ALESSIO BAX AND LUCILLE CHUNG Award-winning piano duo present classic and modern gems. 7:30 PM School of Music Recital Hall Admission: $20, $5 for students and free for children under 18 Wednesday, June 19, 2019 JON NAKAMATSU Gold Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 7:30 PM Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Admission: $20, $5 for students and free for children under 18 Thursday, June 20, 2019 MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN World-renown piano virtuoso performs piano masterpieces. 7:30 PM Admission: $20, $5 for students and free for children under 18 Friday, June 21, 2019 ARTHUR FRASER INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION Sponsored by the Symphony League of South Carolina Morning Session: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM Afternoon Session: 2:00 – 5:00 PM Evening Session: 7:30 – 9:00 PM Jury: VEDA KAPLINKSY, chair ALAN CHOW RAYMOND HERBERT JOHN NAKAMATSU MORIHIKO NAKAHARA School of Music Recital Hall Admission: Free Saturday, June 22, 2019 MASTERCLASSES 10:00 AM – Raymond Herbert 11:00 AM – Jon Nakamatsu 3:00 PM – Veda Kaplinsky 4:00 PM – Alan Chow School of Music Recital Hall Admission: Free Saturday, June 22, 2019 WINNERS RECITAL Performances by the winners of the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition. 7:30 PM School of Music Recital Hall Admission: $10, $5 for students and free for children under 18

 

 

2019 SEPF Guest Artists Announced!

The Southeastern Piano Festival is delighted to announce 2019 Guest Artists Marc-André Hamelin, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Jon Nakamatsu, the piano duo of Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung, Alan Chow, and Conrad Tao.  Taking place June 16-23 on campus of the University of South Carolina and other concert venues in Columbia, SC, the festival serves a dual mission, to present world-renown pianists to audience across South Carolina and beyond and to provide a training platform for twenty of the most gifted pre-college pianists from across the United States.

Presenting evening concerts are Marc-André Hamelin, known worldwide for his consummate musicianship and brilliant technique in the great works of the piano repertoire; Jon Nakamatsu, an international artist known for the excitement and elegance of his solo, concerto, and chamber performances; the piano duo of Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung, whose careers as solo and duo pianists have taken them around the world; and pianist/composer Conrad Tao, dubbed a musician of “probing intellect and open-hearted vision” by the New York Times.

“We are thrilled to present world-class guest artists to audiences across the Southeast and the 2019 festival promises be an incredible week of music.”, says Artistic Director Joseph Rackers.  “These wonderful musicians bring virtuosity, artistry and insight to their performances and are sure to inspire audiences and students alike”.

Masterclasses will be presented by Yoheved Kaplinsky, Chair of the Piano Department at the Juilliard School in New York; Alan Chow, who has won First Prize in the Concert Artists Guild International Competition and is professor piano at the Eastman School of Music; and Raymond Herbert, former Chair of the piano department at the University of Missouri and teacher of prizewinning students across the country.  The festival culminates with the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition on June 21, 2019.

A new unique initiative at the 2019 Piano Festival is Piano X. This initiative aims to explore and showcase new voices, new formats and the new direction the piano can take as a solo and collaborative instrument in today’s live music scene.  Headlined by Conrad Tao, who will perform an evening recital on Monday, June 17, the initiative will also include presentations, workshops, and open panel discussions by David Cutler, a composer, pianist, author and a leading figure in the bourgeoning field  of music entrepreneurship, Leo Svirsky, past winner of the festival, and a pianist and composer with unique and innovative voice, and Susan Zhang, also past winner of the festival, who together with her partner, Nick Luby, co-founded “The Concert Truck”.  “This new endeavor has been in the development for several years.”, says Artistic Director Marina Lomazov. ” The ‘X’ in Piano X stands for ‘unknown factor’, and it also stands for exploration, experimentation. excitement.  The festival is eager to showcase and support those who find new paths or see the familiar through a different lens.”

For more information, please visit our website, or browse our Facebook or Instagram pages. To watch performances from previous Southeastern Piano Festival guest artists and competitors, visit our Youtube page.

2018 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition Winners Announced!

It has been an exhilarating day of great performances and emotional highlights.  Finally, the jury came out of deliberations to deliver the following results to a great cheer from the crowd.

First Prize – Yerin Yang

Second Prize – Jason Lin

Third Prize – Keona Rose

Discretionary Awards:

– Christian Chiu

– Isabelle Lian

– Jessica Zhang

Young Jury Award – Yerin Yang

Best Solo Work – Yerin Yang

Best Contemporary Work (after 1990) – Jason Lin

Congratulations to all participants for their incredible performances, hard work and dedication!

2018 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition will be streaming live this Friday

The week of the piano festival always goes by too fast and before we know it, it’s time for the participants to showcase their talents and skills in the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition.  As in years past, it will be streamed live on Friday – just visit our SEPF Youtube page. Below is the order and times of the performances for the participants.  Their names and repertoire will be displayed on the stream.

Southeastern Piano Festival wishes all participants best of luck in their preparations and performances.  We are all looking forward to hearing you perform!