2010 Paderewski Youth Piano Competition Winners
Winners of the 2010 Youth Piano Competition
Following the October 23, 2010, auditions held at the Cuesta College, North Campus, the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles proudly announced the winners of the 2010 Youth Piano Competition.
Twenty-five young pianists were judged by India D'Avignon (California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo), Michael Walker (Cuesta College, South Campus) and Marek Zebrowski (Polish Music Center, Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and Artistic Director of the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles). The contestants competed in two categories: Juniors (ages 10-14) and Seniors (ages 15-18). The Competition was open to residents of California's Central Coast, including the counties of San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Barbara.
A trio of 13-year-old pianists were finalists in the Junior Division. They are: First Place winner, Gianna Zufall, a resident of Arroyo Grande; Second Place winner, Madeline Anderson, a resident of Monterey; and the Third Place winner, Evan Lin, a resident of San Luis Obispo. In addition, Daniel Ha, a 10-year pianist from Nipomo received an Honorable Mention.
Jordan Adams (15) from Salinas was the First Place winner in the Senior Division. Kevin Lin, also 15, from Monterey, was the Second Place winner. Max Eisendrath (17) from San Luis Obispo was the Third Place Winner.
2010 Paderewski Festival Youth Piano Competition Winners: India D'Avignon (judge); Michael Walker (judge); Jordan Adams of Salinas (15) First Prize Winner, Senior Division; Marek Zebrowski (judge); Kevin Lin of Monterey (15) Second Prize Winner, Senior Division; Max Eisendrath of San Luis Obispo (17) Third Prize, Senior Division; Gianna Zufall of Arroyo Grande (13) First Prize, Junior Division; and Madeline Anderson of Monterey (14) Second Prize, Junior Division. Not pictured: Evan Lin of San Luis Obispo (13) Third Prize, Junior Division and Daniel Ha of Nipomo (10) Honorable Mention, Junior Division.
The 2010 Youth Piano Competition winners performed at the Winners' Concert held at the the Paso Robles Inn Ballroom at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 13. Like all 2010 Paderewski Festival concerts, this concert was also free and open to the public. In addition to cash prizes ranging from $50-$750, the winners received medals from the Paderewski Festival during a ceremony immediately following the concert.
In addition to the Winners' Concert, several runners up in this year's Youth Competition were featured in a special performance during the Paderewski Festival on Saturday, November 13, from 1-2 p.m. at the Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. These pianists included: Brian Bekker (18) of Pacific Grove, Sydney Haughian (10) of San Luis Obispo, Lauren Hayashi (14) of Arroyo Grande, Rory McClish (14) of Morro Bay and Lindsay Reed (15) of Paso Robles.
2010 Paderewski Festival Youth Piano Competition Honorable Mentions: Sydney Haughan (10) of San Luis Obispo, Rory McClish (14) of Morro Bay, Lindsey Reed (15) of Paso Robles, and Brian Bekker (18) of Pacific Grove. Not pictured: Lauren Hayashi (14) of Arroyo Grande.
The public was invited to the performances by these young and talented musicians during the 2010 edition of the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, virtuoso pianist, composer, statesman, humanitarian and orator. In the mid-1930s, Paderewski expressed a wish to establish free music education for talented youth in Paso Robles, a community where he once owned large ranches with vineyards and almond groves.
This year's anniversary edition of the Festival — November 10-14, 2010 — honored Paderewski's initiative to bring music to fellow Californians by making all concerts, masterclasses and lectures during the 2010 Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles free of charge.
