Okay, all you neophyte wannabe's (including me) out there. Ever dream of being in the Van Cliburn competition and having them hang that gold medallion around your neck in a live televised ceremony. Now's your chance. The Cliburn Foundation just opened a new competition for amateurs, those whose primary occupation is not that of a concert artist. Qualifications: 30 years of age or greater, play the piano non-professionally. That's it. Grand prize $2,500. Several winners will get to perform with a chamber orchestra in a public concert. The competition is this June. First round 10 minute program. semifinals: 20min. Finalists: 30 min. program. Let's hop to it. How many will I see in Fort Worth this summer?

Will this be every 4 years ?

Someone from the forum has competed in it.

I think the competition, though relatively new, has been around for a couple of 'go-arounds' hasn't it?

Alex, are you going to have a go again? Ryan, you're over thirty - how about it? Jodi

Darn, how about us little kiddies? I'm almost not a minor...

I may be having a brain shutdown, but didn't Hakki (who hasn't been around in awhile) perform in the amateur competition?

Just curious...
Nina

Yes, it's been around since 1999. The next will be the third they have done, and it's steadly growing in popularity.

More info at:
http://www.cliburn.org/vcf/ipcoa.html

If my memory serves Alex is the only veteran of Cliburn amateur competition.

Hi Jodi, the age limit is 35 now - I think it was bumped up a couple of years ago. So I can't enter this year, but it would be fun!

Ryan

I think you're right Ryan. That will give me a couple of years to practice up.

Ryan, i would check on that about the minimum age being 35. I just spoke to someone at the Cliburn Foundation three days ago to order videos of Naida Cole's playing and the lady inform me that the minimum age was 30.

Andrew is right Nina. I haven't competed in the Van Cliburn, but I would like to, if I had the time to practice seriously.
Hakki.

Hi, Hakki:

Long time no "talk." Nice to hear from you again. By the way, your advice to split the descending scale in Beethoven's Pathetique (1st mvmt) into two hands was great. It may not be the way the professionals do it, but it sure worked out the kinks in that section for me.

Nina

Well, if any of you do enter, we can all show up with Piano Forum T-shirts and those stupid foam rubber hands and cheer you on! Just like the Olympics! Jodi

And the hats, Jodi. Don't forget those huge "cowboy" hats.

Joe,

I did. I asked a member of the Van Cliburn competition committee last year.

Ryan

Does nobody click on my links? The link I posted above takes you to the official webpage for the competition. It states quite plainly on the page for the upcoming competition that the minimum age is 35 as of June 3, 2002.

There was a great article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine two or three years ago, by Michael Kimmel (or Kimmelman, I never remember), who is an art critic for the New York Times. He competed in the Van Cliburn Amateur, and tells the story in the article. He studied with Seymour Bernstein (the one who wrote the book In Your Own Two Hands) when he was a kid, in New York, and then went back to him when he resumed lessons as an adult. I thought it was neat that he had only studied with one teacher.

Last year (or maybe it was two years ago) the winner was Christopher Basso, a 42-year-old Starbucks manager in New York City. Last summer (or two summers ago - I have memory problems when it comes to time), Helene Grimaud was scheduled to play in the Rockport (Mass.) Music Festival but got sick, and Chris Basso filled in, so I got to hear him play. At the time, I was about the same age and working in a similar kind of job, and coming home every night to practice for 2 or 3 hours. It was the first time I saw a pianist who I felt I could sort of relate to; it was nice. Nice to have a competition for us folks who've been in it for the long haul!