Selected Past Competition Winners »
Anton Nel (1986, 1987) - Highlights of Mr. Nel's nearly three decades of concertizing include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the symphonies of Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit and London, among many others. He has three solo CD's (including a recital disc for EMI) as well as several chamber music recordings to his credit.
John Novacek (1988, 1989, 1993) - The New York Times calls Grammy Nominee John a "wise, nimble, sensitive artist." The Los Angeles Times states "Novacek is a commanding presence at the keyboard, not just because of a sterling technique, but also his virile, integrated playing." John has toured frequently across Asia, Europe, and North America both as a soloist and a much sought-after collaborative artist.
Jon Nakamatsu (1989, 1991) - He was the 1997 Gold Medalist Winner fo the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Comeptition, the only American to have achieved this distinction since 1981. Extensive recital tours throughout the United States and Europe have featured debuts in New York City (Carnegie Hall), Washington, DC (John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, Paris, London and Milan.
Mikhail Korzhev (1993, 2005) - Winner of numerous competitions, Korzhev performed extensively as a soloist and with orchestras in his native Russia while still a youth. He's recently performed with local orchestras, including the American Youth Symphony at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Carson/ Dominguez Hills Symphony and others. Among his most recent were his appearances with the Allentown Symphony (Pennsylvania), where he performed the Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 on a 24-hour notice and with the USC Symphony in a performance of the orchestral piano part in Stravinsky's "Petrushka." Two years ago he formed the Caporata Piano Quartet which has been touring in the US and Europe to general acclaim.
James Giles (1997) - Giles is one of the most versatile pianists of his generation, acclaimed for the dynamic brilliance and communicative power of his playing. He has performed with New York's Jupiter Symphony; the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra in Queen Eliabeth Hall; the Kharkiv Philharmonic in Ukraine; and with the Opera Orchestra of New York in Alice Tully Hall. Last season, in addition to recitals in Seattle, Chicago, Tucson, Birmingham, and Champaign-Urbana, he embarks on his first tour of China and releases recordings of Schubert and new American music.
