Nine pianists from an international pool of contestants have been selected to participate in the final three rounds of the first-ever Seattle Symphony Piano Competition taking place September 15–18. Through this French-American-themed competition, the Seattle Symphony seeks to promote and recognize distinctive up-and-coming pianists eager to embrace its vision for innovation, contemporary music and creative programming. Presented in partnership with Young Concert Artists (YCA) and Washington Performing Arts, the competition offers winners a comprehensive career overview and guidance on navigating the changing landscape of an international performance career. The winning pianist will receive a $10,000 cash prize; perform during the Seattle Symphony’s 2015–2016 Opening Night concert on September 19; an opportunity to perform with the Symphony during the 2016–2017 season; admission to the Semi-Final round of the 2015 or 2016 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, as well as airfare and housing in New York for the Semi-Finals and Finals, if chosen; a future performance opportunity with Washington Performing Arts and consultation with YCA and First Chair Promotion on career development.
All three rounds are open and accessible to the public, who are invited to cast their votes for the Audience Favorite Award. Pianist and YCA alumnus Jean-Yves Thibaudet will serve as Chair of the jury, which also includes Music Director Ludovic Morlot, Seattle Symphony Principal Cello and YCA alumnus Efe Baltacıgil, Young Concert Artists Director of Artist Management Monica J. Felkel, Washington Performing Arts Director of Programming Samantha Pollack, First Chair Promotion Project Manager James Egelhofer and Seattle Symphony President & CEO Simon Woods.
Applicants worldwide submitted audio recordings of their performances to the Symphony earlier in the spring. A panel of reviewers chose nine pianists to compete in Seattle for the final three rounds of the competition, starting with a Recital Round on September 15, when each contestant will perform a piece by Ravel from the piano solo repertoire; Premonitions, a Seattle Symphony commission of a jazz-inspired piece by Portland-based composer and YCA alumnus Kenji Bunch composed specially for the Competition; and one additional work of the contestant’s choosing. Six contestants will move forward to the Semi-Final Round on September 16, playing one American and one French piano concerto from a list of competition concerto repertoire (see below) with piano accompaniment. Three finalists will be chosen to compete in the Final Round of the competition on September 18, when each contestant will perform either an American or French concerto with the orchestra, conducted by Ludovic Morlot. The public is invited to all three rounds. Complimentary tickets are available via RSVP for the recital and semi-final rounds and tickets to the finals are available for purchase. Patrons should visit www.seattlesymphony.org/piano to RSVP and/or purchase tickets.
Seattle Symphony Piano Competition
Recital Round, Tuesday, September 15, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall
Session 1: 9–11:30 a.m., Session 2: 1–3:30 p.m., Semi-Finalist to be announced at 5 p.m.
Semi-Final Round, Wednesday, September 16, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall
Session 1: 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Session 2: 3–6 p.m., Finalist to be announced at 7 p.m.
Final Round, Friday, September 18, S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at 7 p.m., Winners will be announced at the end of the evening.
Concerto Repertoire (see above text for complete details):
Barber Piano Concerto
Copland Piano Concerto
Gershwin Piano Concerto
Poulenc Piano Concerto
Ravel Piano Concerto in G
Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2
