| Miami, FL - The
sixth annual Miami International Piano Festival returns to
the Lincoln Theater in Miami Beach with its “Discovery
Series” Wednesday, May 14 through Saturday,
May 17, 2003 with an exciting program of concerts and lectures.
Presented by Patrons of Exceptional Artists in conjunction
with Community Concerts, the Miami International Piano Festival
is building a worldwide reputation for identifying and launching
the careers of future “great performing artists”
based on notable excellence and outstanding musical intellect.
This year’s “Discovery Series” will undoubtedly
further this reputation.
The festival kicks off on Wednesday May 14
with a free lecture at 7:00 p.m. on “The Changing Function
of Criticism” by Matthew Gurewitsch, a freelance writer
based in Manhattan who contributes reviews, essays, and features
on culture and travel to leading publications on three continents,
among them The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Vogue,
Town & Country, Opéra International (Paris), and
Esquire (Japan). The concert at 8:15 p.m. features pianist
Piotr Anderszewski, recently named the 2002 Gilmore Artist,
in a program dedicated to the music of J. Sebastian Bach.
The Gilmore, which awards a munificent top prize every four
years--$300,000 in Anderszewski's case--deploys an anonymous
handful of music professionals to listen to prospective pianists
in ordinary concert settings. The pianists who are finalists
in a process don't know they are being evaluated. Without
the hot-house pressure and artificial surroundings of a competition,
so the Gilmore philosophy goes, young pianists are more likely
to display their true talent and, just as important, their
philosophy about music-making in general.
The second night of the series, Thursday,
May 15, begins with a free lecture on "Music and Justice"
at 7:00 p.m. by Professor Bruce Payne from Duke University
and Director of the special program, "Leadership and
Philanthropy in the Arts.” Thursday night's concert
at 8:15 p.m. features Misha Dacic a young Yugoslavian virtuoso
in a solo recital devoted to works of Scarlatti, Chopin, Schumann
and Liszt.
The festival continues Friday May 16, with a lecture at 7:00
p.m. on "Tales of Music's Prodigies" by Professor
Frank Cooper from the University of Miami. The evening concert
will feature Antonio Pompa Baldi, 2001Silver Medal Winner
of the Van Cliburn Competition. Praised by Wayne Lee Gay in
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as a "potential pianistic
messiah", and by Chris Pasles in the Los Angeles Times
for his "warmth, exquisite taste, and arresting technique,"
twenty-seven year old Antonio Pompa-Baldi emerged from the
Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001
with not only a coveted silver medal, but the Phyllis Jones
Tilley Memorial Award for the Best Performance of a major
new work. Mr. Pompa Baldi's program will include works by
Grieg, Poulenc, Liszt, Moszkowski and Rachmaninov.
Closing day of the festival, Saturday, May
17, 2002, starts at 2:00 p.m. with a special program on prodigies,
"Prodigies and Masters of Tomorrow" featuring Kit
Arsmtrong, a 10 year old virtuoso pianist and composer, and
Eugene Ugorski, a 13 year old virtuoso violinist. Each artist
will perform a complete solo program.
The final free evening lecture of the series
features an interesting talk at 7:00 p.m by chief Music Critic
of London’s Daily Telegraph, Geoffrey Norris entitled
"Talent Will Out?" The evening concludes with pianist
Alexander Gavrylyuk, 2000 Gold Medal Winner of the Hamamatsu
Competition at 8:15 p.m. Gavrylyuk was the brightest star
at the Fourth Hamamatsu Piano Competition this year, receiving
first prize based on a unanimous decision by the judges. Ms.
Hiroko Nakamura, the head judge of the Competition, praised
him saying that "not only does Gavrylyuk show attention
to detail and superlative technique, his flowing and romantic
musicality requires me to call him 'the greatest 16 year-old
virtuoso of the past fifty years'."
For more information on the Discovery Series
including artist biographies, photos and a complete listing
of the program please visit www.miamipianofest.com. Special
packages offering admission to all events in the "Discovery
Series" are available for $180 each. Ticket prices for
individual concerts are $50, $30 and $15 with a 50% discount
for students. Tickets are available through the Lincoln Theater's
Box Office at 305-673-3331 or by e-mail: tickets@nws.org.
Group discounts are available by calling 305-935-5115. VIP
tickets are also available beginning at $100 each and are
available by calling The Miami Piano Festival at 305-935-5115
or 305-794-7515. The
Lincoln Theater is located on 555 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.
All dates, programs and artists are subject to change without
further notice.
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