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For those who enjoyed the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition thread and webcast, you might be excited to know that the 2021 Cleveland International Piano Competition is in progress.
There was supposed to be a Cliburn competition this year, but it usually happens around Memorial Day and things weren't quite "normal" then. So it has been delayed until next year.
The Cleveland competition, meanwhile, has often been held in the mid-summer in the same years as the Cliburn competition. So you often see non-medal-winning finalists at the Cliburn competition go on to place at the Cleveland competition. Not a bad consolation prize as the winner takes home a sweet $75K check.
This year, it is being held in hybrid format - see program book. The first two rounds were virtual and are being shown online for free. Right now, the entire first round and the first 2 of 6 sessions of the second round are available for viewing, while the final 4 sessions of the second round have yet to be streamed.
Meanwhile, the semifinals and finals will occur live in Cleveland in the next few weeks before ticketed audiences, both in-person and online.
I've streamed all 6 sessions of the first round in the background, partly to multitask and partly because I can't stream them live. So I'm generally not looking at a performer for looks or stage presence - I'm just listening to sound quality. (Of course, at a competition with an in-person element, subjective biases will abound.) I've found myself gravitating to less commonly played pieces, or pleasing (or provocative) interpretations of warhorses I've heard a million times.
Of the first round performances, I found the following to be standouts:
There was supposed to be a Cliburn competition this year, but it usually happens around Memorial Day and things weren't quite "normal" then. So it has been delayed until next year.
The Cleveland competition, meanwhile, has often been held in the mid-summer in the same years as the Cliburn competition. So you often see non-medal-winning finalists at the Cliburn competition go on to place at the Cleveland competition. Not a bad consolation prize as the winner takes home a sweet $75K check.
This year, it is being held in hybrid format - see program book. The first two rounds were virtual and are being shown online for free. Right now, the entire first round and the first 2 of 6 sessions of the second round are available for viewing, while the final 4 sessions of the second round have yet to be streamed.
Meanwhile, the semifinals and finals will occur live in Cleveland in the next few weeks before ticketed audiences, both in-person and online.
I've streamed all 6 sessions of the first round in the background, partly to multitask and partly because I can't stream them live. So I'm generally not looking at a performer for looks or stage presence - I'm just listening to sound quality. (Of course, at a competition with an in-person element, subjective biases will abound.) I've found myself gravitating to less commonly played pieces, or pleasing (or provocative) interpretations of warhorses I've heard a million times.
Of the first round performances, I found the following to be standouts:
- Lucas Thomazinho - the beginning of First Round, Day 2
- Rafael Skorka - the end of First Round, Day 3
- Bowen Li - the beginning of First Round, Day 4
- Byeol Kim - the end of First Round, Day 4
- Clayton Stephenson - midway through First Round, Day 5 - still very young; his Firebird ranged from a plodding slow section which then accelerated into the ending at 70mph and then 100mph
- Arseni Mun - the end of First Round, Day 5 - beautiful sound, although I'm on the fence about his interpretation
- Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, the beginning of First Round, Day 6 - best hair
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