2012 Paderewski Youth Piano Competition Winners
Paso Robles, CA - The Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles is pleased to announce the winners of the sixth annual Youth Piano Competition held October 20 at Cass Winery in Paso Robles. The competition is open to residents of California's Central Coast, including the counties of San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Barbara.
Each year, students in two categories-Juniors (ages 10-14) and Seniors (ages 15-18)-compete for a variety of cash awards, an opportunity to perform during the annual Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles, and a chance to be selected for the all-expenses paid Paderewski Youth Exchange program in Poland.
The judges included India D'Avignon, Associate Professor of Music at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo; Idona Cabrinha, music faculty member at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo; and Marek Zebrowski, Artistic Director of the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles and Director of the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music.
After hearing this year's applicants, the jury decided to award the following prizes:
Junior Division
First Place ($400): Jack Raventos, a 12-year old from Orcutt, who studies with Dr. Lynne Garrett. Jack will perform Chopin's Grande Valse Brillante, Op. 18 at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
Second Place ($300): Daniel Ha, a 12-yar old from Nipomo, who studies with Dr. Lynne Garrett. Daniel will perform the third movement from Mozart's Sonata in F major, KV 332 at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
Third Place ($200): Cian Amor, an 11-year old from Los Osos, who studies with Michael Walker. Cian will perform the opening movement of Beethoven's Sonata in G major, Op. 49 no. 2 at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
In recognition of the excellent level of preparation exhibited by the Junior Division contestants, the Youth Piano Competition jury also awarded two Honorable Mention Prizes ($100 each) to the following participants:
Sydney Haughian, a 12-year old from San Luis Obispo, who studies with Alan Boehmer. Sydney will perform Debussy's Golliwogg's cakewalk at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
Kevin Park, an 11-year old from Santa Maria, who studies with Dr. Lynne Garrett. Kevin will perform Khachaturian's Toccata at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
Senior Division
Reflecting the number of students auditioning this year and their overall level of achievement, the jury awarded the following prizes in the Senior Division:
First Prize ($750): Gianna Zufall, a 15-year old from Arroyo Grande, who studies with Robert Koenig. Gianna will perform Paderewski's Menuet, Op. 14 no. 1 and Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66 at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
The Paderewski Legacy Prize for the Best Contestant from San Luis Obispo County ($200): Evan Lin, a 15-year old from San Luis Obispo, who studies with Alan Boehmer. Evan will perform Bach's Gigue from Keyboard Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816 and Paderewski's Nocturne, Op. 16 no. 4 at the Youth Competition Winners' Recital on November 10.
From L to R:
Front row: Jack Raventos, Kevin Park, Cian Amor, Gianna Zufall, Evan Lin.
Back row: Sydney Haughian and Daniel Ha.
The Winners' Recital will be held at the Paso Robles Inn Ballroom, 1103 Spring Street). November 10 at 4 p.m. Cash prizes and medals from the Paderewski Festival will be awarded during a ceremony immediately following the concert.
The 2012 Paderewski Youth Piano Competition Winners' Recital is free and open to the public. To accommodate the highest possible number of concertgoers, reservations are strongly recommended and may be made by going to the Festival's website - www.paderewskifest.com - or by emailing info@paderewskifest.com. Otherwise, seating will be on a first-come basis.
Biographies
Sydney Haughian (12) is from San Luis Obispo, CA and studies with Alan Boehmer. A Principal's Honor Roll Student at Old Mission School, Sydney enjoys math and history as well as working with computers and is interested in pursuing a career in graphic design. Last year she received a Technology Award for outstanding work in computer class. This year Sydney will play piano in retirement homes in San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande and, in her spare time, play golf and cook. She first competed in the Paderewski Youth Competition in 2010 and performed at the Studios in the Park during the Festival weekend.
Kevin Park (11) is from Santa Maria, CA and studies with Dr. Lynne Garrett. A finalist in the 2011 Paderewski Youth Competition, Kevin has won prizes in the California Association of Professional Music Teacher Competition and the Santa Barbara Winter Festival. He also participated in the Merit Program at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. A straight-A student at Ralph Dunlap Elementary, Kevin also studies violin with Brynne Albanese. Math is Kevin's favorite subject and he is a two times winner of the North County Math Superbowl. He looks forward to a career as a diplomat or doctor, and wants to pursue a minor in music as well.
Cian Amor (11) is from Los Osos, CA and studies with Michael Walker. Wanting to learn an instrument and inspired by his mother's former piano studies, he started to play piano at age nine and, with much hard work, has learned to love the instrument. He attends sixth grade at Monarch Grove Elementary, where he part of a television and film focus program, and he is also a member of the Los Osos Little League Majors baseball team. Cian hopes to gain experience and have some fun performing in the Paderewski competition, which is his first musical contest.
Daniel Ha (12) is from Nipomo, CA and studies with Dr. Lynne Garrett. A finalist in the 2010 and 2011 Paderewski Youth Competitions, Daniel is a straight-A student at Judkins Middle School. He enjoys math, science and writing, and hopes to become a neurosurgeon. In 2010-2011 Daniel won the San Luis Obispo County Writing Contest, participated in the Santa Maria Youth in Music Showcase, and was selected for the Music Academy of the West Merit Program in Santa Barbara.
Jack Raventos (12) is from Orcutt, CA and studies with Dr. Lynne Garrett. He was the Regional Winner of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers Associations in 2010 and 2011 and has been invited to perform as pianist and violinist by the Santa Maria Youth Music Showcase. A member of the San Luis Obispo String Youth Orchestra, Jack enjoys playing fiddle music, sailing, swimming, tennis, and riding his unicycle while playing the violin. He wants to study engineering, specializing in alternative energy, and to pursue music, which is one of his greatest passions.
Evan Lin (15) is from San Luis Obispo, CA and studies with Alan Boehmer. He plays piano in the San Luis Obispo High School jazz band and percussion in the marching band. A past finalist in several Paderewski Youth Competitions, Evan was selected for the 2011 Paderewski Youth Exchange program in Poland. He enjoys performing for the elderly and has participated in many fundraising concerts. Besides music, Evan loves playing and designing computer games and enjoys skiing with his parents. He is considering a career as a music teacher, motivating young people to enjoy classical music.
Gianna Zufall (15) is from Arroyo Grande, CA and studies with Robert Koenig. Currently at Mission College Prep High School, Gianna also studies neurology online at Northwestern University, pursuing her interest in links between autism and piano performance. A finalist in the 2010 Paderewski Youth Piano Competition, Gianna attended Summer Music West at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2008 and 2009, the California Summer Music Program in piano performance in Sonoma, and participated in the 2011 and 2012 Music Academy of the West Merit Program in Santa Barbara. For the past seven years, Gianna has played the violin and recently she began to study voice. She has a few music students of her own, trains miniature horses, and belongs to a competitive swim team. Along with her brother, she has performed at a local retirement home every month for the past eight years.
