This Saturday, Nov. 9, the DePauw School of Music will host its Ninth Young Artists Piano Competition and Festival, inviting high school students to compete for a variety of prizes.
Aside from a monetary prize, this year's competition winner will have the new opportunity to open the final recital on Saturday evening. All of the participating students will also have the opportunity to speak with DePauw piano faculty, have a tour of DePauw's campus and Nature Park as well as attend a recital and masterclass with Dr. May Phang, a professor of piano.
This year's adjudicator panel will include DePauw piano professors Claude Cymerman and Maureen Carkeek as well as new guests, president of the American Pianists Association (APA) Joel Harrison and distinguished pianist Sean Chen who will be the featured soloist in the closing recital.
The festival has served both the School of Music and young competing pianists in a number of ways. It provides participants with a first-hand look at what collegiate music studies will be like, but it also gives the DePauw faculty a good sense of what young players conceive their futures as musicians to be.
Phang, who has directed the Festival since its inaugural year, describes how she hopes these visiting students could get a positive experience through this opportunity.
"The goal was to create a high quality competition in a friendly environment, to attract bright talented pianists to DePauw, [and] to encourage the young people in the community to come see people their age perform," she said. "The event has always been open to the public, and competitors are encouraged to listen to each other and to learn from each other."
Junior Rachel Robin, piano studies major at DePauw and the winner of the 2013 DePauw Concerto Competition, won the Young Artist Competition in 2010. Robin remembers how her initial visit to DePauw after winning in 2010 helped her decide that DePauw was the best fit for her.
"I was visiting the school, and in a sample lesson with Dr. Phang, and she suggested I enter," she said. "[I] remember meeting and talking with Phang and Cymerman. Both were extremely friendly and encouraging."
Robin has previously volunteered at the festival and interacted with the participants, assuring them that "the faculty inside the auditorium are very nice people and want to see the students succeed."
Jennifer Soster, special events liaison for 21st Century Musician, has recently become involved in the event and has added a unique perspective to the goals of the festival. Soster suggested that the festival be switched from its original date in April to its current date in November. This is when high school seniors are deciding whether or not they want to pursue music professionally, so the piano faculty takes advantage of this time to answer any questions and concerns.
Part of the School of Music's 21st Century Musician initiative is to ensure that younger students stay motivated in their pursuit of professional musicianship by providing them with new skills and opportunities; the Young Artists Festival creates interactions with faculty members, DePauw students and participants that allows for a dialogue on the growing list of career avenues for professional musicians. Soster hopes that DePauw students' participation in the festival will continue to grow. The participants' interactions with guest artist Sean Chen will provide them with an additional interaction with a successful musician who is only a few years older.
Chen was recently a finalist in the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and was named the 2013 American Pianists Association DeHaan Classical Fellow. He has also soloed with a number of orchestras including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Phang expressed how he anticipates Chen's arrival to DePauw.
"Sean Chen was originally invited as the winner of this year's APA fellowship award in April-[he] was successful in not just one, but two of the major competitions in the same year," he said. "We are eagerly awaiting his recital."
All festivities are open to the DePauw and local communities. For a more detailed schedule of events, visit www.depauw.edu/music.