Competition

Sunday, April 11, 2010

On Sunday, April 11th 2010, from 1pm to 5pm (12pm - 1pm registration), the URI Piano Extravaganza! holds an adjudicated competition open to pianists who have not yet entered college. There are three categories for the competition; high school, middle school, and lower grades. All competitors are rated, but only the middle and high school categories are given placement awards. As in the past two years, the competition will sponsor an Honors Recital for top-rated competitors. This is a concert that is open to the public, but it will be at a different location at a later date.

For the middle and high school students, this competition gives them an opportunity to showcase their years of hard work in a formal, but low key environment. For the younger students, this competition gives them an opportunity to test their wings. High school students will perform on the main stage of URI's Fine Arts Center and the middle school students will perform in the main rehearsal hall. All venues will be open to family, friends, and the public.

Competitors are required to play (from memory) a 10 to 15 minute solo program of works from various styles - Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, or Modern/Contemporary. (Grades 1-5 may prepare a shorter program between 8 to 12 minutes.) There are no required pieces, and judges require copies of the sheet music.

Pianists will perform at the URI Fine Arts Center on one of the school's 9 foot Steinway D pianos.

Here are some pieces that have been played at recent festival competitions.

In the below high school bracket:

1. Six Ecossaises by Beethoven

2. Bach Two-Part Invention, No. 8

3. Spinning Song by Ellmenreich

4. Clementi Sonatina in F major, Op. 36, No. 4

5. Chopin Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2

6. Beethoven Sonata in D minor, Op. 31, No. 2 Third Movement

7. Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 2 by Bartok

8. Bach Invention No. 13 in A minor

9. Gavotte with Variations in A minor by Rameau

10. Kabalevsky: Rondo Op. 59

11. Ginastera: Suite De Danzas Criollas

12. Chopin: Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26, No. 1

In the high school bracket:

1. Bach Sinfonia in F minor

2. Satin Doll by Duke Ellington

3. The Sunken Cathedral by Debussy

4. Chopin Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posthumous

5. Kitten on the Keys by Confrey

6. Beethoven Sonata in D minor, Op. 31, No 2, Second Movement

7. Schubert Impromptu in A-flat minor, Op. 90, No. 4

8. Liszt Concert Paraphrase on "Rigoletto"

9. Brahms Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2

10. Pavane for a Dead Princess, Ravel

11. Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31, Chopin

12. Rhapsody in G minor, Op. 79, No. 2, Brahms

13. Brahms: Rhapsody in B-minor, Op 79, No. 1

14. Debussy: L'Isle Joyeuse

15. Prokofiev: Diabolical Suggestion

Competition Rules

1. It is a concert-style contest. Each participant will perform their entire program without interruption. Participants will select the order.

2. The decision of the adjudicators is final.

3. Please mail a check of $30 payable to URI Foundation to:

Piano Extravaganza! 2010

Department of Music

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI 02881

4. Fill out the information in the Online Registration.

5. Mail or email a photo of the student pianist for identification and publicity purposes. The photo will not be returned and may be used by a local newspaper in future articles regarding Piano Extravaganza!.

6. Please make sure you have provided all information; Online Registration, photo, and $30 application fee.

7. The deadline for application is Friday, March 26, 2010.

8. For the Little Pianist division, the applicant needs to be in grade 5 or under. For the Junior Pianist division, the applicant needs to be in grades 6 through 8, and for the Senior Pianist division, the pianist needs to be in high school - before full-time college. For this competition, the grade level will supersede age for group placement.

If a student has won a division previously, then he/she will be placed in the next higher division. If an applicant desires, he/she can be placed in a higher division than these rules indicate, but cannot be placed in a lower division. The contest organizers will try to keep these divisions, but they retain the right to adjust the cutoff points based on the number of applicants for each division.

Contact Dr. Manabu Takasawa for questions.