Thirty-eight young pianists from the teaching studios of five states competed for thirteen $500 prizes, a Bonus Award worth $420, and various Honorable Mention Prizes. This festival, the only one of its kind in the world, encourages excellence in classical repertory, overall versatility, and creative skills in composition, jazz, improvising and embellishing.

A stunning one-third of the contestants played their own original compositions. Two of these students earned more than one $500 award. Lauren Barney, student of Manuella Pagano and an eighth grader from Mesa, Arizona, was awarded $1500 for excelling in three prize categories. Joshua Archibald-Seiffer, student of David Tacher and a 7th grader from Boise, was awarded two prizes -- a $500 prize for his own original work and the Bonus Prize.

The other $500 prize winners were: Dari Duval of Tucson, Arizona, student of June Chow-Tyne; Emily Inderrieden of Kaysville, Utah, student of Yu-Jane Yang; Keenan Reesor of Logan, Utah, student of Gary Amano; Anarie White of Richmond, Utah, student of Kathleen Lloyd; Molly Turner of Nampa, Idaho, student of Monica Hughes; Natalee Lowe of Boise, Idaho, student of David Tacher; Luke Yoder of Boise, Idaho, student of Reed Burkholder and Mike Rosenthal; Sara Lloyd of Smithfield, Utah, student of Betty Beecher; and Ted Yamamoto of Caldwell, Idaho, student of Arthur Houle.

Honorable Mention Prizes were awarded to Weston Arnold of Sparks, Nevada, student of Sonnet Johnson; Kathryn Christensen of Boise, Idaho, student of James Cook; Jessica Frandsen of Richmond, Utah, student of Betty Beecher; Steven Giles of Boise, Idaho, student of Del Parkinson; and Andrea Richards of Nampa, Idaho, student of Del Parkinson.

The following pianists also participated in the festival: KaCee Agin-Batten, Michael Bowers, Kate Cook, Carolyn Eanes, Jenifer Fairchild, Aaron Hansen, Josh Houston, Brian Hull, Suzy Jeong, Nathaniel Mann, Keli McCracken, Marette McKnight, Andrea Nielsen, Elizabeth Oyama, Aaron Pike, Jennifer Ransley, Teri Roderick, Maria Roetto, Jonathan Sater, Kara Soderquist, Lucas Stringfield, and Angela Wells. The overall quality of contestants' performances was exceptionally high. In addition to the honorable mentions selected, the judges privately considered eleven additional pianists very "close calls." They were sincere in asserting that ALL participants were "winners" for their fine efforts!

Two teachers, Reed Burkholder and Mike Rosenthal, were chosen to receive the "Creative Teaching Incentive Award" to recognize and support creative piano teaching.

The judges for the festival were Dr. John Salmon of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro; Ted Rosenthal of the Manhattan School of Music; and local jazz celebrity Darryl Schoenborn. Schoenborn stepped in at the last minute to replace Dr. Scott McBride Smith, who was unable to judge due to a family emergency. (We are pleased that Dr. Smith will join us for the 2002 festival.) All three judges, along with festival Director Arthur Houle, performed jazz and classical selections in recital. The surprising climax was a spontaneous, unrehearsed blues "jam" by the judges and Houle on two pianos (two on each piano).

Sponsors for the festival were Caldwell Fine Arts, Caldwell Thursday Musicale, Dianne Goolkasian-Rahbee, Dunkley Music, Kawai America, The Miles & Virginia Willard Foundation, Marjorie Burgess, Schimmel Pianos, Treasure Valley Music, Welch Music, Winther Music, Yamaha Corporation, Young Chang America, and anonymous donors.

More complete details below

REPERTORY EXCELLENCE AWARDS (Piano solo works or concerto movements)

• THE ALBERTSON COLLEGE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE OR BAROQUE WORK
Dari Duval (AZ, age 17, student of June Chow-Tyne) $500
Partita BWV 826, Sinfonia by Bach

• THE KAWAI AMERICA AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CLASSICAL PERIOD OR ROMANTIC PERIOD WORK
Lauren Barney (AZ, age 14, student of Manuella Pagano) $500
Fantasie-Impromptu by Chopin

• THE YAMAHA CORPORATION AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN IMPRESSIONISTIC OR CONTEMPORARY WORK IN ANY STYLE
Emily Inderrieden (UT, age 14, student of Yu-Jane Yang) $500
Concerto No. 1, Op. 7 by Robert Muczynski
Accompanist: Amy Collard

• THE MILES & VIRGINIA WILLARD FOUNDATION AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK BY FREDERIC CHOPIN
Keenan Reesor (UT, age 17, student of Gary Amano) $500
Sonata Op. 35, Bb Minor, 1st movement, by Chopin

• THE ALBERTSON COLLEGE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY A FEMALE COMPOSER
Anarie White (UT, age 14, student of Kathleen Lloyd) $500
Latin Rondo by Anarie White

• THE DUNKLEY MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST IDAHO PIANIST
Molly Turner (ID, age 15, student of Monica Hughes) $500
Sonata Op. 2/2, 1st movement, by Beethoven

CREATIVE PIANIST AWARDS

• THE WELCH MUSIC AWARD FOR MOST VERSATILE PIANIST
Lauren Barney (AZ, age 14, student of Manuella Pagano) $500
Visions Fugitives (one selection) by Prokofiev

• THE SYLVIA HUNT AWARD FOR BEST DEMONSTRATION OF EMBELLISHING AND/OR IMPROVISING IN A CLASSICAL SOLO WORK (an appropriate Baroque, Classic or Romantic period work)
Natalee Lowe (ID, age 13, student of David Tacher) $500
Courante in F Major by Handel (all embellishments by Natalee Lowe)

• THE TREASURE VALLEY MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION IN A JAZZ, POP OR RAG STYLE SOLO WORK
Luke Yoder (ID, age 18, student of Reed Burkholder, jazz/theory from Mike Rosenthal with assistance from Chuck Smith) $500
They Can't Take That Away From Me by Gershwin

• THE WINTHER MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL COMPOSITION FOR PIANO SOLO
Lauren Barney (AZ, age 14, student of Manuella Pagano, composition from Heidi Grimes) $500
The Englander and His Wife by Lauren Barney

• THE ALBERTSON COLLEGE AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL COMPOSITION FOR PIANO SOLO (two prizes were awarded for original works, since no prize for Best Transcription/Arrangement was awarded)
Joshua Archibald-Seiffer (ID, age 13, student of David Tacher, with assistance from Wally Bratt, Lisa Derry, and Del Parkinson) $500
Etude-Ballade by Joshua Archibald-Seiffer

• THE JOSEPH PRAMBERGER (YOUNG CHANG AMERICA) AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND PREDOMINANTLY SLOW SOLO WORK OR CONCERTO MOVEMENT
Sara Lloyd (UT, age 16, student of Betty Beecher) $500
Concerto #2 in F Minor, 2nd movement, by Chopin
Accompanist: Robyn Wells

• THE NIKOLAUS SCHIMMEL AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONCERTO MOVEMENT FEATURING THE PERFORMER'S OWN ORIGINAL CADENZA(S) AND/OR LEAD-IN(S)
Ted Yamamoto (ID, age 16, student of Arthur Houle) $500
Concerto in C, K. 467, 3rd movement by Mozart (cadenza and lead-ins by Ted Yamamoto)
Accompanist: Margie Koenig

BONUS AWARD

• THE CALDWELL FINE ARTS AWARD FOR BEST TREASURE VALLEY PIANIST
Joshua Archibald-Seiffer (ID, age 13, student of David Tacher) -- $420 Total Prize Value -- $200 plus Caldwell Fine Arts Season Tickets for 2001-2002 (8 Events, $220 value)

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS (various items)

Weston Arnold (NV, age 16, student of Sonnet Johnson)
Kathryn Christensen (ID, age 16, student of James Cook)
Jessica Frandsen (UT, age 13, student of Betty Beecher)
Steven Giles (ID, age 16, student of Del Parkinson with assistance from Shirley Taylor)
Andrea Richards (ID, age 17, student of Del Parkinson)

Generous sponsors donated the following honorable mention prizes:

WINTHER MUSIC of Boise: Two Ultra Adjustable Plush Piano Benches (awarded to Andrea Richards and Jessica Frandsen by hat drawing)

DIANNE GOOLKASIAN RAHBEE: 15 copies of her CD entitled "Music of Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee"

MARJORIE BURGESS: 15 copies of her CD entitled "Music of Marjorie Burgess"

YAMAHA CORPORATION: 12 Yamaha briefcases

In addition, ALL contestants received a Certificate of Participation and a CD of music by Chopin or Marjorie Burgess and/or other item(s).

Creative Teaching Incentive Award:

(made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor):
Reed Burkholder & Mike Rosenthal (teachers of Luke Yoder) - $250 ($125 each).

RAFFLE PRIZE:

"The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher" 2nd Edition, by Marienne Uszler, Stewart Gordon & Scott McBride Smith. $50 textbook. Winner: Juli Draney, piano teacher from Boise, Idaho.