RESULTS OF THE 2010 FESTIVAL FOR CREATIVE PIANISTS
Held at the Mesa State College Moss Performing Arts Center on March 25-27
The 16 contestants who performed in the 2010 festival once again did us proud! All students who fulfilled the attendance requirements received a "Participant Certificate" and one free prize of a CD recording, sheet music, or toy. First prize winners were awarded $100 for each prize earned plus an additional CD, music or toy. Eight contestants received Honorable Mention prizes (one of whom earned two Honorable Mentions); they, too, received an additional CD, music or toy.
• Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) won the "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE, BAROQUE WORK OR CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK" award for her performance of Sonata in E, K380/L23/P483 (with embellishments on repeats) by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757).
• The "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC PERIOD WORK" award was not awarded this year.
• Jordan Haren from Fruita, CO (age 12, student of Marge Zollner) won the "BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN IMPRESSIONISTIC OR CONTEMPORARY WORK (IN ANY STYLE)" award for her performance of Sonatina in C, Op. 13 No. 1, iii, by Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987).
• Abigail Heaton from Fruita, CO (age 14, student of Roberta Hardy) won the "EVELYN BILLBERG AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY A FEMALE COMPOSER" for her performance of an original work entitled His Return.
• Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) won the "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND PREDOMINANTLY SLOW WORK" for her performance of Third Gymnopedie in A Minor (1888), by Erik Satie (1866-1925).
• The designated winner of the "GRAND JUNCTION MUSIC TEACHERS AWARD FOR BEST GRAND JUNCTION PIANIST STUDYING WITH A GJMTA TEACHER," Zachary Bush, from Grand Junction, CO (age 16, student of Brita Fay) was unable to be present to receive it.
• Lucy Colson, from Grand Junction, CO (age 13, student of Marge Zollner) won the "THE J.B. HART MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST MESA COUNTY (CO) PIANIST" award for her varied performances, which included Zwei Sonatinen in G, Kinsky-Halm Anh. 5, i and ii, by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).
• Jordan Haren, from Fruita, CO (age 12, student of Marge Zollner) won the "THE ESTHER BOELTER AWARD FOR BEST COLORADO PIANIST" award for her varied performances, which included Sonata in C, K. 545, i, by Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756-1791).
• The judges decided to give two First Prizes in the category of "MOST VERSATILE PIANIST." This prize went to (1) Abigail Heaton from Fruita, CO (age 14, student of Roberta Hardy); and (2) Benjamin Tarmin from Grand Junction, CO (age 13, student of Paul Ludwig and Evelyn Billberg), who both gave varied performances.
• Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) 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 Sonata in E, K380/L23/P483 by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), with embellishments on repeats.
• The "BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION IN A JAZZ, POP, GOSPEL OR RAG STYLE WORK" award was not awarded this year.
• The "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COWBOY JAZZ SELECTION" award was not awarded this year.
• Kate Seaton from Grand Junction, CO (age 8, student of Arthur Houle) won "THE SUSAN TORGRUDE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION BY THE CONTESTANT" for her performance of The Incredible Spies on a digital piano.
• The judges decided to give two First Prizes in the category of "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A TASTEFUL TRANSCRIPTION OR ARRANGEMENT (IN ANY STYLE, ORIGINAL OR NOT) FOR PIANO SOLO, DUET OR TWO PIANOS." This prize went to (1) Ezra Haren from Fruita, CO (age 16, student of Marge Zollner) for his performance of Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, Concerning Hobbits, track 1 by Howard Shore (contemporary), arranged by the performer; and (2) Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) for her performance of There is a Fountain (in B-flat major - hymn arrangement); early American melody arr. by RUTH COLEMAN (CONTEMPORARY); original hymn written by William Cowper (1731-1800).
• Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) won the "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE, BAROQUE WORK OR CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK" award for her performance of Sonata in E, K380/L23/P483 (with embellishments on repeats) by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757).
• The "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC PERIOD WORK" award was not awarded this year.
• Jordan Haren from Fruita, CO (age 12, student of Marge Zollner) won the "BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN IMPRESSIONISTIC OR CONTEMPORARY WORK (IN ANY STYLE)" award for her performance of Sonatina in C, Op. 13 No. 1, iii, by Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987).
• Abigail Heaton from Fruita, CO (age 14, student of Roberta Hardy) won the "EVELYN BILLBERG AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY A FEMALE COMPOSER" for her performance of an original work entitled His Return.
• Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) won the "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND PREDOMINANTLY SLOW WORK" for her performance of Third Gymnopedie in A Minor (1888), by Erik Satie (1866-1925).
• The designated winner of the "GRAND JUNCTION MUSIC TEACHERS AWARD FOR BEST GRAND JUNCTION PIANIST STUDYING WITH A GJMTA TEACHER," Zachary Bush, from Grand Junction, CO (age 16, student of Brita Fay) was unable to be present to receive it.
• Lucy Colson, from Grand Junction, CO (age 13, student of Marge Zollner) won the "THE J.B. HART MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST MESA COUNTY (CO) PIANIST" award for her varied performances, which included Zwei Sonatinen in G, Kinsky-Halm Anh. 5, i and ii, by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).
• Jordan Haren, from Fruita, CO (age 12, student of Marge Zollner) won the "THE ESTHER BOELTER AWARD FOR BEST COLORADO PIANIST" award for her varied performances, which included Sonata in C, K. 545, i, by Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756-1791).
• The judges decided to give two First Prizes in the category of "MOST VERSATILE PIANIST." This prize went to (1) Abigail Heaton from Fruita, CO (age 14, student of Roberta Hardy); and (2) Benjamin Tarmin from Grand Junction, CO (age 13, student of Paul Ludwig and Evelyn Billberg), who both gave varied performances.
• Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) 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 Sonata in E, K380/L23/P483 by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), with embellishments on repeats.
• The "BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION IN A JAZZ, POP, GOSPEL OR RAG STYLE WORK" award was not awarded this year.
• The "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COWBOY JAZZ SELECTION" award was not awarded this year.
• Kate Seaton from Grand Junction, CO (age 8, student of Arthur Houle) won "THE SUSAN TORGRUDE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION BY THE CONTESTANT" for her performance of The Incredible Spies on a digital piano.
• The judges decided to give two First Prizes in the category of "BEST PERFORMANCE OF A TASTEFUL TRANSCRIPTION OR ARRANGEMENT (IN ANY STYLE, ORIGINAL OR NOT) FOR PIANO SOLO, DUET OR TWO PIANOS." This prize went to (1) Ezra Haren from Fruita, CO (age 16, student of Marge Zollner) for his performance of Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, Concerning Hobbits, track 1 by Howard Shore (contemporary), arranged by the performer; and (2) Katherine Leclerc from Glenbeulah, WI (age 18, student of Drea Wagner) for her performance of There is a Fountain (in B-flat major - hymn arrangement); early American melody arr. by RUTH COLEMAN (CONTEMPORARY); original hymn written by William Cowper (1731-1800).
Honorable Mention Awards
• Hans Snell from Fruita, CO (age 16, student of Marge Zollner) won two Honorable Mentions for his performances of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J. S. Bach, arr. Lawrence Gran (in the BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND PREDOMINANTLY SLOW WORK category) and Sonata in B-Flat, K. 333, i, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (in the BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE, BAROQUE WORK OR CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK category).• Jordan Haren from Fruita, CO (age 12, student of Marge Zollner) won for her performance of Prelude in E Minor, Op.28 No. 4, by Frederic Chopin (in the category of BEST PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC PERIOD WORK).
• Abigail Heaton from Fruita, CO (age 14, student of Roberta Hardy) won for her performance of Ecossaise in G, Wo0 23 (with embellishments by the performer) by Ludwig van Beethoven, (in the category of BEST DEMONSTRATION OF EMBELLISHING AND/OR IMPROVISING IN A CLASSICAL WORK).
• Caleb Kostreva from Clifton, CO (age 13, student of Lisa Bush) won for his performance of an original improvisatory piece (in the category of BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION BY THE CONTESTANT).
• Arvan Leany from Fruita, CO (age 14, student of Misty Sothers) won for his performance of his own pieces entitled Theolorious and Rise the Vanguard (in the category of BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION BY THE CONTESTANT).
• Troy Rindone from Avon, CO (age 8, student of Yvonne Schwartz) won for his performance of an original improvisation entitled Black Candy (in the category of BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION BY THE CONTESTANT).
• Kate Seaton from Grand Junction, CO (age 8, student of Arthur Houle) won for her performance of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by Lennon/McCartney on a digital piano (in the category of BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION IN A JAZZ, POP, GOSPEL OR RAG STYLE WORK).
• Benjamin Tarmin from Grand Junction, CO (age 13, student of Paul Ludwig and Evelyn Billberg) won primarily for his highly developed arrangements of popular songs (Replay by Iyaz and Down by Jay Sean) performed on digital piano (in the category of TASTEFUL TRANSCRIPTION OR ARRANGEMENT), but also in recognition of his original piece entitled My Mind.
Creative Teaching Incentive Award
• The "Creative Teaching Incentive Award" was awarded to Drea Wagner, an extraordinarily creative teacher from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Her student, Katherine Leclerc, was the only student to receive First Prizes in four categories. A 2009 graduate of Lakeland College with a degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, Drea Wagner is an accomplished studio teacher, performer, arranger, composer, improviser, and church musician. While in high school she began studying with Dr. Arthur Johnson, and has since won many competitions and awards, including the WMTA Badger State Keyboard Competition, and the Lakeland College 2009 Outstanding Student in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. On February 6, 2010, Drea Wagner and Arthur Johnson spearheaded their highly successful Classical Improvisation Festival for the teachers and students of the Michibago Music Teachers Association. We are indebted to both Drea Wagner and Arthur Johnson for bringing their unique talents to the 2010 Festival for Creative Pianists. (We were especially captivated by their spontaneous improvisations on various images!)
Judges
The judges for the 2010 festival were Dr. John Salmon, Dr. Arthur Johnson, and Dr. Monte Atkinson.