All 17 contestants are to be commended for their fine performances! Every student who fulfilled the attendance requirements received a “Participant Certificate” and a free CD recording. First prize winners were awarded $100 for each prize earned. Honorable Mention recipients received an additional CD recording.

• Christina Qi from Logan, UT (student of Gary Amano) won the “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE, BAROQUE WORK OR CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK” award for her performance of Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata, 1st movement.

• Jonathan Keith from American Fork, UT (student of Irene Peery-Fox) won the “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC PERIOD WORK” award for his performance of Rachmaninoff’s Moment Musical Op. 16 No. 4.

• Christina Qi from Logan, UT (student of Gary Amano) won the “BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN IMPRESSIONISTIC OR CONTEMPORARY WORK (IN ANY STYLE)” award for her performance of Debussy’s Poissons d’or (Goldfish) from Images, Book II.

• AJ Bush from Fort Collins, CO (student of Lisa Bush; now pursuing studies at Colorado State University) won the “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY A FEMALE COMPOSER” award for her performance of an original work in D minor.

• Matt Scofield from Grand Junction, CO (student of Monte Atkinson) won the “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND PREDOMINANTLY SLOW WORK” award for his performance of MacDowell’s To a Wild Rose from "Woodland Sketches."

• Matt Scofield from Grand Junction, CO (student of Monte Atkinson) won the “THE J.B. HART MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST MESA COUNTY (CO) PIANIST” award for his varied performances, which included Beethoven’s Sonata in G Minor, Op. 49, No. 1, 1st movement.

• John Ahern from Grand Junction, CO (student of Andrea Arese-Elias) won the “BEST COLORADO PIANIST” award for his varied performances, which included Ravel’s Jeux d'eau.

• Jonathan Keith from American Fork, UT (student of Irene Peery-Fox) won the “MOST VERSATILE PIANIST” award for his varied performances, which included a jazz improvisation.

• Hope Chynoweth from Grand Junction, CO (student of Arthur Houle) won the “BEST DEMONSTRATION OF EMBELLISHING AND/OR IMPROVISING IN A CLASSICAL WORK (an appropriate Baroque, Classic or Romantic period work, or Neo-Classical contemporary work)” award for her performance of Chopin’s Valse in A Minor, Op. posth. (published 1955), in which Hope played original variants on repeats.

• John Ahern from Grand Junction, CO (student of Andrea Arese-Elias) won the “BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION IN A JAZZ, POP, GOSPEL OR RAG STYLE WORK” award for his performance of an original jazz composition.

• Jonathan Keith from American Fork, UT (student of Irene Peery-Fox) won the “THE SUSAN TORGRUDE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION BY THE CONTESTANT” award for his performance of an original composition for left hand alone entitled The Veil.

• Fay Fay Ye from Salt Lake City, UT (student of Susan Duehlmeier) won the “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A TASTEFUL TRANSCRIPTION OR ARRANGEMENT (IN ANY STYLE, ORIGINAL OR NOT) FOR PIANO SOLO” award for her performance of Chen Peixun’s Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake.

Honorable Mention Awards

• Jessica Garton, in two categories: “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY A FEMALE COMPOSER” and “BEST DEMONSTRATION OF EMBELLISHING AND/OR IMPROVISING IN A CLASSICAL WORK (an appropriate Baroque, Classic or Romantic period work, or Neo-Classical contemporary work)”

• Zachary Bush: “MOST VERSATILE PIANIST” category

• Lauren Mann: “BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN IMPRESSIONISTIC OR CONTEMPORARY WORK (IN ANY STYLE)” category

• Jack Cohen: “BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND PREDOMINANTLY SLOW WORK” category

Creative Teaching Incentive Award

• The "Creative Teaching Incentive Award" was awarded to Lisa Bush of Grand Junction, CO

Judges

The judges for the 2008 festival were Dr. John Salmon, Dr. Anthony Olson, and Dr. Monte Atkinson.

Judges' program CD's now available!

We are pleased to announce that CD recordings of the Judges Program (3/21/08) are available. Enjoy John Salmon's amazingly creative and embellished Bach as well as Anthony Olson's flamboyant performance of the music of Gottschalk! Contact Dr. Houle for details.

We are grateful to our 2008 festival contributors, without whom this festival would not have been possible:

Evelyn Billberg
Paul C. Collins, M.D.
Juli Draney
Azam and Arthur Houle
Bijan and Jenny Houle
John and Linda Stedman
Susan Torgrude, M.S. (Environmental Researcher/Planner, BOELTER DESIGN GROUP, Inc.)

Thanks also to Mesa State College, the Grand Junction Music Teachers Association,
& to J. B. Hart Music for their sponsorship.



YAMAHA PIANOS & CLAVINOVAS • FENDER & MARTIN
GUITARS
AMP's • DRUMS • PA's • KORG KEYBOARDS
417 Main St., Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 242-9282 or 1-800-310-9282

Special thanks to our volunteers

Evelyn Billberg
Lisa Bush
Victor Chambers
Joann Hall
Joan Kruckenburg
Lynnsey Lambrecht
Malinda Lyons
Jackie Smith

We also appreciate the day-to-day support and tireless contributions of our music department head, Calvin Hofer, and our fine arts administrative assistant, Lyn Ross.

Finally, a hearty thanks goes to Frank & Jayne Steuart for their hospitality in hosting our out-of-town judges.