2022 Cliburn amateur competition details announced

Piano

The Cliburn has announced details of the 2022 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, taking place Oct. 12–18, 2022, in Fort Worth, with the first two rounds at PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU and the Final Round concert with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Damon Gupton at Bass Performance Hall.

This eighth edition of the Cliburn Amateur was previously scheduled for May 2020.

The 2022 Cliburn Amateur competitors represent 19 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States.

They range in age from 38 to 72, with a median age of 51, the Cliburn said in the announcement.

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An additional 20 pianists have been selected as non-competing festival participants, bringing the total number of pianists to 68 and countries represented to 23 with the addition of China, Egypt, Honduras and Russia.

The 2022 Cliburn Amateur Competitors represent a wide range of professions including: IT/Software (13), Management/Business (11), Medicine (8), Finance/Accounting (5), Law (4) and Academia (4), a playwright, a realtor, and a freelance translator.

Applications closed Jan. 16, 2020, and a selection committee chose the 48 competitors and 24 festival participants from an impressive pool of 205 applicants representing 32 countries, through online applications and video submissions of 15 to 20 minutes in length.

Competitors were originally announced in March 2020, prior to the Competition’s postponement. Four competitors previously announced were unable to participate during the rescheduled dates.

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Those positions were filled by alternates and applications will not re-open, the Cliburn said.

The Amateur Competition highlights the importance of music-making in everyday life, bringing together the world’s best non-professional pianists age 35 and older for seven days of performances, symposia and social events, the Cliburn said.

Tickets will go on sale in Spring 2022.

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR COMPETITORS

Format: Name, Occupation, Age at time of Competition, Current City of Residence

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UNITED STATES

California

Gorden Cheng, Information Security Architect, 41 (San Diego) John Gutheil, CEO–Medical Oncologist, 66 (La Jolla); also representing United Kingdom Hyongsoon Kim, Attorney, 43 (La Habra) Jon Lee, Software Manager, 41 (San Francisco) Aaron Miller, Academic Administrator, 42 (Los Angeles)

District of Columbia

Simon Finlow, IT Project Manager (Retired), 66; also representing United Kingdom

Illinois

Allen Racho, Software Architect, 49 (Bolingbrook)

Maryland   

Eladio Santiago, President & CEO–Advisory Investment Management, 58 (West Friendship)

Massachusetts

Robert Finley, Electronics Engineer (Retired), 72 (Northborough) James Rosenblum, Attorney, 41 (Harwich)

Minnesota   

Adrienne Johnson, Playwright, 68 (Minneapolis)

New York  

Henri-Robert Delbeau, Physician, 59 (Williston Park) Michael Slavin, Neuro-Ophthalmologist (retired), 71 (Manhasset)

North Carolina

Matthew Barnhill, Accountant, 38 (Charlotte) Gregory Knight, Software Engineer, 60 (Morganton) Richard Reid, Software Engineer, 71 (Cary)

Rhode Island   

Suzanna Laramee, Financial Advisor (Retired), 66 (Newport)

Texas   

Noah DeGarmo, Physician, 44 (Dallas)

Marisa Naomi Haines, Business Strategist, 66 (Murphy); also representing Brazil Irene Longacre-Whiteside, Executive Assistant, 67 (Arlington)

INTERNATIONAL

Argentina

Miriam Berro, Software Engineer, 65 (lives in Montréal, Canada); also representing Canada

France

Xavier Aymonod, Marketing Director, 46 (Paris) Julien Bedon, System Simulation Engineer, 40 (lives in Yokohama, Japan) Thierry Goldwaser, Software Developer, 46 (Ploeren) Vincent Letourmy, Chief Operating Officer, 51 (lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Dominique Salloum, CEO–Artificial Intelligence Industry, 53 (Cormontreuil); also representing Lebanon

Germany

Uta Hielscher, Executive Assistant, 52 (Deggendorf)

Greece

Michael Stefanakis, Tax Attorney, 40 (Athens)

Indonesia

Ferdy Talan, Realtor, 38 (lives in West New York, New Jersey)

Ireland

Deirbhile Brennan, Accountant, 53 (Dublin)

Italy

Filippo Tresca, International Tax Consultant, 41 (Barletta)

Japan

Ken Iisaka, Software Engineer, 53 (lives in Foster City, California); also representing Canada Keiko Kircher, College Physics Instructor, 41 (lives in Champaign, Illinois); Also representing United States Yasuo Kurimoto, Ophthalmologist, 61 (Kobe) Rie Moore, Translator, 47 (lives in Lexington Park, Maryland) Masanori Murakami, Clinical Research Associate, 38 (Tokyo) Kesuke Ota, Research Scientist, 41 (Yokohama) Yuka Otohata, Marketing Operations Professional, 51 (Tokyo) Hiroko Toya, Attorney, 65 (Tokyo) Eiji Yoshimura, Business Planning Director, 50 (Tokyo)

Mexico

Jorge Zamora, Business Development Director–Wireless Technology, 49 (Huixquilucan)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Sean Sutherland, Production Manager, 45 (lives in Montréal, Canada); also representing Canada

South Korea

Youjin Hong, Psychiatrist, 41 (Gangneung) Yeon Wook Jeong, Entrepreneur/Attorney, 53 (Seoul) Seung-Yeop Lee, Mathematics Professor, 47 (lives in Tampa, Florida)

Taiwan

Felicia Cheng, Neuroscience Researcher, 39 (lives in Göttingen, Germany); also representing Germany

Turkey

Ipek Bozkurt, Professor, 42 (lives in Seabrook, Texas); also representing United States

Ukraine

Dmytro Vynogradov, Business Development Manager, 52 (Kyiv)

2022 CLIBURN AMATEUR NON-COMPETING FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS:

Kathy Hodge Abrahamson, Nurse Practitioner, 61, United States (Arlington, Texas) Anna Antimiichuk, Communications Executive, 39, Russia/United Kingdom (London) Diane Austin, Researcher (retired), 68, United States (Fort Worth, Texas) Luis Alberto Bernhard, Retinal Angiographer, 72, Honduras (Miami, Florida) Luke Berryman, Director of Faculty Recruitment, 38, United Kingdom (New York, New York) Stephen Bertges, Sales and Marketing Executive (Retired), 70, United States (El Dorado Hills, California) Xiao Chen, Management Professor, 43, China/Canada (Charlottetown, Canada) Ruth Dillon, Project Manager, 61, Egypt/United States (Troy, Virginia) Vivienne Fleischer, Ergonomics Consultant/Entrepreneur, 58, United States (Brooklyn, New York) Catherine Grimball, Military Spouse, 42, United States (Camp Lejeune, North Carolina) Olivia Lee, Scientific Writer, 41, United States (Seattle, Washington) Eugene Lee, CEO, 60, United States (Palo Alto, California) Barbara Roeser, Physician – Dermatology, 66, Germany (Bad Arolsen) Heesun Joyce Rogers, Physician, 59, United States (North Royalton, Ohio) Esfir Ross, Dental Assistant (retired), 75, United States (Oakland, California) John William Schleifer, Physician, 40, United States (Omaha, Nebraska) Hideko Tazawa, Supply Chain Professional, 66, Japan (Tokyo) Wei Ling Wang, Computer Network Engineer, 58, United States (Plano, Texas) Elizabeth Yin, Stay-at-Home Mom, 55, United States (Los Altos, California) Victor You, Attorney, 58, United States (New York, New York)

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Preliminary Round (6 concerts at PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU)

  • October 12, 2022: 2:30 & 7:00 p.m. 
  • October 13, 2022: 2:30 & 7:00 p.m.
  • October 14, 2022: 2:30 & 7:00 p.m.

48 pianists, each performing a 15-minute recital.

Semifinal Round (4 concerts at PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU) October 15, 2022: 2:30 & 7:00 p.m.

October 16, 2022: 2:30 & 7:00 p.m.

20 pianists, each performing a 28-minute recital.

Final Round (1 concert at Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun Streets) October 18, 2022: 7:00 p.m.

6 pianists, each performing one concerto movement with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Damon Gupton.

Tickets to all rounds will go on sale in Spring 2022.

FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

PepsiCo Recital Hall at TCU

October 14–16, 2022: 10:00 a.m.

20 pianists each performing a 15-minute recital for members of the jury.

These performances are free and open to the public.

2022 AMATEUR COMPETITION JURY

Ralph Votapek, jury chairman (United States), 1962 Cliburn gold medalist Peter Czornyj (United Kingdom) Alessandro Deljavan (Italy) Valery Kuleshov (Russia) Carol Leone (United States) Alex McDonald (United States) Pamela Mia Paul (United States)

2022 APPLICANT POOL

The Eighth Cliburn Amateur received 205 applications from 32 countries (a record number for applications received and countries represented) including (in alphabetical order): Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States.

The 124 men and 81 women who applied for the Amateur Competition also represent a wide number of occupations including: doctors, lawyers, engineers, homemakers, a playwright, a sommelier, a United Nations officer, a gardener, a theologian, and a neuroscientist.

The applicants ranged in age from 35 to 78 with an average age of 52 years.

PRIZES & AWARDS

1st Prize: $2,000 Cash + Pair of complete subscription packages to the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (Official Guest Status) 2nd Prize: $1,500 Cash 3rd Prize: $1,000 Cash Special Prizes: Audience & Jury Discretionary Awards

The Cliburn will offer a fully produced, multicamera webcast of the Semifinal and Final Rounds. The webcast will stream at https://cliburn.org/ and will also be available on YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook Live.

New this year, the 20 pianists selected as non-competing festival participants will play up to 15 minutes for comments from jurors (these performances will be open to the public). All invited pianists will also have expanded festival opportunities, including a variety of public performances; practical seminars; four-hand and chamber readings; and a host of social events where they can form lasting relationships with people from around the world who share their same passion. A full schedule of festival events will be announced Summer 2022.

Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas’ cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series. It presents 1,000 Cliburn in the Classroom in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it draws the world’s attention with more than 8 million visits from 170 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; and regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations.

Sponsors of the 2022 Cliburn Amateur:

BNSF
Sewell Automotive Companies
Official Piano of the Cliburn: Steinway & Sons – North Texas/Houston