| Avan Yu of Canada is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. Yu was selected following the Senior Division finals Friday night, and will receive a cash award of $15,000, plus a debut concert in Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall scheduled for October 13.
Tian Lu, 22, of China captured the second place award of $10,000. Peggy Pei-zhang Sung, 20 of Hong Kong is the third place winner with a prize of $5,000. Honorable Mention awards of $2,500 each were given to Fang Zhang, 29 of China and Lishan Xue, 22 of China.
This marks the second time Avan Yu has walked away with a prize in the Missouri Southern Competition. He captured first prize in the Junior Division of the 2002 MSIPC. He returned in 2003 for a solo recital as a benefit for the competition. Yu said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to be back in Missouri. Each time I have visited it has been a wonderful experience.”
The senior winners were selected from a field of 20 competitors in semifinal and finals rounds, performing before a five member panel of international judges. Nancy Weems of the University of Houston, Texas, chair of the judging panel said, “The level of playing here is always so high – this competition has a great reputation for that. It inspires us when we go back to teach our students, to see the level of achievement represented here.”
Junior winners named
Behzod Abduraimov of Uzbekistan was named winner of the Junior Division of the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition following the final round Thursday night. The 17-year-old pianist will receive a first prize of $4,000. He is a student of Stanislav Ioudenitch at Park University Youth Conservatory in Kansas City and has won several other top prizes in international competition.
Anna Han, 12, of the United States was awarded second prize of $3,000. Yale Work, 17, of the United States won third place honors with a cash award of $2,000. Honorable Mention awards of $1,500 each were given to 10-year-old Daniel Hsu of the United States and Jung-Eun Kim, 14, of Korea.
The first, second and third place winners will perform with the senior winners in the Gala Winners Concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 26, 2008, in the Taylor Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the Gala are $15, free to students and seniors 60 and over.
Go Back |
