Meet the CIPC Young Artists Jury
PAUL SCHENLY
USA
Chairman
Winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, pianist Paul Schenly has been a soloist with major United States orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and New York Philharmonic. Mr. Schenly appeared in the Great Performers Series at Lincoln Center, and in acclaimed recitals at Carnegie Hall. He has performed with many of the world's leading conductors including James Levine, Erich Leinsdorf, Christoph von Dohnányi, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, Edo de Waart, Mstislav Rostropovich, Robert Shaw and Aaron Copland, Michael Tilson Thomas and Kiril Kondrashin.
Mr. Schenly is Professor and Artist in Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he was chairman of the piano department for over 25 years. He has served on the juries of several national and international competitions and his students have won national and international prizes. Mr. Schenly also serves as the Artistic Director of the Cleveland International Piano Competition and is the Founder/Director of the summer festival “Pianofest in the Hamptons.”Read more
International Artistry Defined 2014 Concert Series
Guest artists from China, France, Russia, Canada, Israel, and Palestine – as well as the entire roster of Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra – provided inspiration, joy, and amazing artistry throughout the year as CIPC presented the 2014 Concert Series. The Crescendo gala, held in the Ames Family Atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art after the third concert, provided a wonderful opportunity for old friends to catch up and new friends to meet.
A Unique Way to Give to CIPC
Do you have an appreciated stock? With the stock market hitting record highs, consider gifting stock you’ve held for one year or longer to the Cleveland International Piano Competition. There’s a double tax benefit: (1) You can deduct the current fair market value of the stock; and (2) you will avoid the capital gains tax, as well as the new 3.8% Medicare tax that you would have paid if you had sold the stock.
Call CIPC Development Director Molly Dixon at 216-707-5397 today learn more about the advantages of gifting stock to CIPC or to begin arranging your stock contribution in advance of the December 31 deadline. As always, please consult your tax adviser before implementing either of the above charitable gifts.
A Year of Change for ArtsConnect
Just about one year ago, in January 2014, the Cleveland International Piano Competition launched a new program called CIPC ArtsConnect. The program had its roots in Access to the Arts, an organization that was searching for new direction following the death of its founder, Graham Grund. At the time, the program provided concerts for nursing homes in Northeast Ohio using volunteer students from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Changes have abounded in the past year. While still providing concerts in nursing homes, hospice care facilities, hospitals, and senior communities, under the leadership of Director Sophié van der Westhuizen, the program has grown exponentially. CIPC ArtsConnect is now bringing music to a much larger and more diverse part of the community.Read more
Keeping Up With Stanislav Khristenko
Since winning first prize at the 2013 Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC), Stanislav Khristenko has been launched on a career-changing path of concertizing, recording, and learning new repertoire. He is, at varying times, exhausted, exhilarated, and contemplative. At all times he is focused on the future, making certain that he is well prepared for the next concert, the next season, or the next ten years. Stanislav Khristenko is not the kind of man who takes things for granted.
“For the next three to four years I am committed to learning as much repertoire as possible, while I am young and able to do it,” he says. “It is difficult, and it will be very busy for some time, but this way, I will have many concerti and recital programs in my repertoire. It will be much easier after this.”
This season he is playing eight different concerti – including Brahms Nos. 1 and 2, Rachmaninoff No. 2, Liszt No. 1, Tchaikovsky No. 1, and Mozart Nos. 20, 23, and 24. He also is playing three entirely different recital programs. The season includes performances throughout the U.S., as well as Korea, Spain, Belgium, and Bulgaria.Read more
Here Come the Young Artists!
This spring 25 very young pianists will participate in the CIPC Young Artists Competition and Institute, the first multi-round, international version of the former Piano/Ohio program organized by CIPC since 2005.
CIPC Young Artists will welcome piano students from around the world for juried performances, as well as master classes from members of the jury. Students will perform in two age groups: Juniors (age 12 to 15) and Seniors (age 16 to 18). Prizes will be awarded in each age group, with a first prize of $10,000 and $25,000, respectively.
“We are grateful to Zoya Reyzis, a long-time patron and member of the board, who is generously presenting the first prize in the Senior Division,” said CIPC President and CEO Pierre van der Westhuizen. “I also want to acknowledge the late Dr. John Flower, who was instrumental in the creation of the original youth competition in 2005, and later provided an endowment that now benefits CIPC Young Artists. We remember him very fondly.”Read more
Looking Ahead to the 2016 Competition
Mark your calendar now for the next Cleveland International Piano Competition and Festival, which will be held from Sunday, July 24 through Sunday, August 7, 2016. If those dates seem a little different this time around, you’re absolutely correct – the event is now a full 15 days long!
Two important changes are the driving force behind the extended program. First, the opening ceremony has become a major celebration and is now officially included as part of the event. It will serve as the grand kick off for the Competition and Festival at the Cleveland Museum of Art, with a major performance in Gartner Auditorium, followed by an appropriately festive party in the Ames Family Atrium.
The second important change is the addition of a chamber music performance round for the four finalists. This wonderful new way to assess and enjoy the skills of the finalists will be held just before the final concerto round with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall.Read more
Angela Hewitt Dazzles
Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt electrified the audience at CIPC's final concert of the year on Saturday, November 15. The full house in Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art heard Ms. Hewitt bring her incredible artistry to a wide ranging program that began with Bach's Partita No. 5 in G Major, and concluded with Liszt's mesmerizing "Dante" Sonata. Truly a memorable way to end a full year of wonderful music.
Stanislav Khristenko Becomes a Steinway Artist
2013 Mixon First Prize winner Stanislav Khristenko has been named to the roster of Steinway Artists. The designation recognizes a select group of pianists who have chosen to perform exclusively on Steinway pianos.
Mr. Khristenko released an album, Fantasies, on the Steinway & Sons label in 2014, which was part of his 2013 CIPC prize package. Critics, including Gramophone’s Jed Distler, who remarked that the collection represents fantasies “ranging from tiny jewel to epic canvas” and All Music Guide’s James Manheim who rated it “highly recommended,” heralded the album.Read more
Local Public Funding Supports the Work of CIPC
Over the past eight years, the Cleveland International Piano Competition has received nearly $590,000 dollars in support from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, which has helped make the CIPC one of the most spectacular events in Northeast Ohio. This type of funding strengthens our community, and enriches the quality of life in our neighborhoods for people of all ages. We’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about this extremely important funding partner.
The financial support received from the residents of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has been instrumental in recent changes to the CIPC that have had a major impact on the audience experience. This includes moving the solo rounds to the Cleveland Museum of Art, which, in turn, allowed for the addition of a major opening event in the Ames Family Atrium, a film series, guest artist concerts, panel discussions and pre-concert talks, and other audience-friendly activities.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture is the public funder of arts and culture organizations, programs and events in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s sole funding source is a dedicated cigarette tax levied within Cuyahoga County. Established by voters in 2007, CAC has awarded over 1,200 grants since then, distributing over $125 million in tax dollars to more than 300 organizations based in the county.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s sole funding source is a dedicated tax within Cuyahoga County. Renewal of this funding source will be on the ballot on November 3 for voters to consider. Please take a few minutes to learn more about this important source of public funding and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture by visiting their website: cacgrants.org.