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Young pianists

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HT

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Sep 10, 2021, 6:02:25 AM9/10/21
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On the occasion of this year's Leeds and Chopin competitions:

1. are there any young pianists (not yet 50) of world fame and, if so, who are they
2. were they in the final of any of the major competitions?

Henk

Dan Koren

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Sep 10, 2021, 3:15:35 PM9/10/21
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On Friday, September 10, 2021 at 6:02:25 AM UTC-4, hvt...@xs4all.nl wrote:
> On the occasion of this year's Leeds and Chopin competitions:
>
> 1. are there any young pianists (not yet 50)
> of world fame and, if so, who are they

50 is waaaaay past "young"!
Too many to count!

> 2. were they in the final of any
> of ​the major competitions?

Some did, some not. A pretty
obvious liszt would include:

Benjamin Grosvenor
Khatia Buniatishvili
Lukas Vondracek
Lang van Bang
Yeol Eum Son
Alice Sara Ott
Joseph Moog
Yuja Wang
HJ Lim

Not sure if Halida Dinova
still qualifies.

dk

Paul A

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Sep 10, 2021, 4:31:52 PM9/10/21
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Dan Koren

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Sep 10, 2021, 5:10:25 PM9/10/21
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> I think this 30-year-old is just terrific myself...
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniil_Trifonov

Yikes! Horrible! 3F pianist.

dk

Paul A

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Sep 10, 2021, 8:36:15 PM9/10/21
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It appears as though your opinion is in the minority, considering the awards this young man has garnered...

https://www.medici.tv/en/artists/daniil-trifonov/

"Born in Nizhniy Novgorod in 1991, Daniil Trifonov has emerged as one of the most talked-about young musicians in the world. His reputation for outstanding performances, musical insight and expressive intensity has already surpassed the attention he received during the 2010-2011 season when he won medals at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw (Third Prize), the Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv (First Prize) and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (First Prize and Grand Prix, an additional honour bestowed on the best overall competitor in any category). In 2013, he was also awarded the prestigious Franco Abbiati Prize for Best Instrumental Soloist by Italy’s foremost music critics. Prior to that, Trifonov received awards at the Scriabin Competition of Moscow and at the San Marino International competition and received a Guzik Foundation Career Grant in 2009.

Recent and upcoming recitals include Stern Auditorium of New York Carnegie Hall, Washington Kennedy Center, Boston Celebrity Series, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw’s Master Piano Series, Philharmonie de Paris, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Zurich Tonhalle and Tokyo Opera City, amongst many others. Daniil Trifonov has also been presented by the major festivals of Europe: Verbier, Lucerne, Montreux, Tivoli, Salzburg, Edinburgh, Lockenhaus, Grafenegg, La Roque d'Anthéron, Klavier Festival Ruhr; while in the USA he appeared at Blossom, Ravinia and Chautauqua festivals."

Not too bad for a "Horrible! 3F pianist"...and I still think that he is terrific!

Herman

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Sep 10, 2021, 9:40:42 PM9/10/21
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On Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 2:36:15 AM UTC+2, Paul A wrote:
>
>
> Not too bad for a "Horrible! 3F pianist"...and I still think that he is terrific!

Good for you.

DK, who has officially retired from RMCR, doesn't even like classical music and the only thing that can redeem it for him is long flowing hair.
So I would not worry about his strange edicts.

Ricardo Jimenez

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Sep 10, 2021, 10:11:19 PM9/10/21
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On Fri, 10 Sep 2021 17:36:12 -0700 (PDT), Paul A <pnal...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>> Yikes! Horrible! 3F pianist.
>>
>> dk
>
>It appears as though your opinion is in the minority, considering the awards this young man has garnered...

I gather you are unfamiliar with RMCR, Paul. I have had good
listening experiences by following DK's POSITIVE recommendations.

Andy Evans

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Sep 11, 2021, 3:44:18 AM9/11/21
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On Saturday, 11 September 2021 at 03:11:19 UTC+1, Ricardo Jimenez wrote:
> I gather you are unfamiliar with RMCR, Paul. I have had good
> listening experiences by following DK's POSITIVE recommendations.

DK is truly a champion of pianists - those that meet his taste! We attended a Volodos concert together - one of his recommendations - and it was quite an occasion. We don't agree on all pianists but we do on quite a few.

HT

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Sep 11, 2021, 5:53:03 AM9/11/21
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Op vrijdag 10 september 2021 om 22:31:52 UTC+2 schreef Paul A:
A Wiki list of pianists mentions these youngsters:

Alexander Kobrin 1980
Anna Vinnitskaja 1983
Ayako Uehara 1980
Benjamin Grosvenor 1992
Boris Giltburg 1984
David Pasqualini 1986
Dong-Hyek Lim 1984
Lang Lang 1982
Li Yundi 1982
Lukáš Vondráček 1986
Martin Stadtfeld 1980
Rafał Blechacz 1985
Yuja Wang 1987

As far as I can tell, all of them participated in a competition, and the vast majority of them in one of the 'greater' competitions. The same goes for DK's list and for Trifonov. Competitions don't guarantee a successful career, but you obviously cannot have one without having been a finalist in one of them.

Herman

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Sep 11, 2021, 7:22:34 AM9/11/21
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Anna Fedorova (1990)
Hannes Minnaar (1984)

Frank Lekens

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Sep 12, 2021, 2:46:05 AM9/12/21
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Op 11-9-2021 om 11:53 schreef HT:
I thought Volodos has never been in a major competition.
But then his career is often cited as having taken off in a rather
atypical fashion.

I can't find any mention of Fazil Say having been a competition finalist
anywhere either.

Kit Armstrong seems only to have won the Kissinger Klavierolymp, surely
not one of the major competitions?


Exceptions that "prove" the rule, maybe.
--
Frank Lekens

http://fmlekens.home.xs4all.nl/
https://franklekens.blogspot.nl/

Alan Cooper

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Sep 12, 2021, 9:56:25 AM9/12/21
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On Friday, September 10, 2021 at 6:02:25 AM UTC-4, hvt...@xs4all.nl wrote:
On the way (or should be):

https://www.kirshbaumassociates.com/artist.php?id=juhopohjonenpiano (b. 1981). I don't know about competitions.

Also http://deniskozhukhin.com/ (b. 1986) -- 2010 Queen Elisabeth

AC

Frank Berger

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Sep 12, 2021, 10:29:50 AM9/12/21
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One of the most misused expressions in the English language. Exceptions that prove a rule are not the same as simple exceptions, which these would be. A sign that says "No parking on Sunday" indicates an exception that proves the rule that you can park on other days.

Graham

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Sep 12, 2021, 11:55:45 AM9/12/21
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On 2021-09-11 5:22 a.m., Herman wrote:
> Anna Fedorova (1990)
> Hannes Minnaar (1984)
>
Jan Lisiecki (1995)
He has a contract with DGG but so far, I haven't been that impressed.

HT

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Sep 13, 2021, 1:28:49 PM9/13/21
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Op zondag 12 september 2021 om 15:56:25 UTC+2 schreef cooper...@gmail.com:
Thank you. Pohjonen won the Nyborg Nordic Piano Competition in 2004. Kozhukhin deserves to be mentioned.

I forgot to mention Rana (1993) and Levit (1987). Both took part in several competitions.

Henk

Herman

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Sep 19, 2021, 4:17:11 PM9/19/21
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I just listened to some of Rafal Blechacz performing Schumann (G minor sonata) and Chopin (Mazurkas op 24). Stunningly beautiful.

Ricardo Jimenez

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Sep 19, 2021, 5:31:01 PM9/19/21
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On Sun, 19 Sep 2021 13:17:09 -0700 (PDT), Herman <her...@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>I just listened to some of Rafal Blechacz performing Schumann (G minor sonata) and Chopin (Mazurkas op 24). Stunningly beautiful.

The complete collection of Blechacz playlist on Spotify doesn't have
the 3 Op 24 Mazurkas but does have the Schumann.

Herman

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Sep 19, 2021, 9:54:54 PM9/19/21
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The Mazurkas are on youtube, part of a live recital in La Fenice, Italt, just like the Schumann sonata.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flIQ02Nlkpk

Ricardo Jimenez

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Sep 20, 2021, 10:28:11 AM9/20/21
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On Sun, 19 Sep 2021 18:54:52 -0700 (PDT), Herman <her...@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>On Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 11:31:01 PM UTC+2, Ricardo Jimenez wrote:
>> On Sun, 19 Sep 2021 13:17:09 -0700 (PDT), Herman <her...@yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>> >I just listened to some of Rafal Blechacz performing Schumann (G minor sonata) and Chopin (Mazurkas op 24). Stunningly beautiful.
>> The complete collection of Blechacz playlist on Spotify doesn't have
>> the 3 Op 24 Mazurkas but does have the Schumann.
>
>The Mazurkas are on youtube, part of a live recital in La Fenice, Italt, just like the Schumann sonata.
>
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flIQ02Nlkpk

I've started listening to the "Complete Collection" playlist on
Spotify and WOW! can he make Bach dance. I've also read his bio on
Wikipedia. An iinteresting guy. He is 36 and has a PHD in
philosophy.

"On October 21, 2005, he became the sole recipient of all five first
prizes at the 15th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in
Warsaw, taking First Prize and the polonaise, mazurka, sonata, and
concerto prizes. No other pianist has achieved this feat.[1] One of
the judges, Piotr Paleczny, said that Blechacz "so outclassed the
remaining finalists that no second prize could actually be
awarded."[3] Another judge, John O'Conor, called Blechacz "one of the
greatest artists I have had a chance to hear in my entire life".[4]
Blechacz was the first Pole to win the prize (given every five years)
since 1975, when Krystian Zimerman won.[5]"

He also performs frequently in the US. Has anybody heard him live?

Herman

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Sep 20, 2021, 10:38:38 AM9/20/21
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I did, though not, obviously, in the USA.
He is an unusually elegant, graceful pianist, say the total opposite of Trifonov.

HT

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Sep 20, 2021, 11:29:33 AM9/20/21
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Op maandag 20 september 2021 om 16:38:38 UTC+2 schreef Herman:
I haven't heard him live, but have all his recordings. He's a very sympathetic pianist, a pleasure to listen to. As you say, the opposite of Trifonov (who I did hear live).

Henk

Neil

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Sep 20, 2021, 1:49:33 PM9/20/21
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Alexandеr Malofeev
Ivan Bessonov <- name to watch

Herman

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Sep 20, 2021, 1:50:29 PM9/20/21
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On Monday, September 20, 2021 at 5:29:33 PM UTC+2, hvt...@xs4all.nl wrote:
> Op maandag 20 september 2021 om 16:38:38 UTC+2 schreef Herman:
> > On Monday, September 20, 2021 at 4:28:11 PM UTC+2, Ricardo Jimenez wrote:
> > > On Sun, 19 Sep 2021 18:54:52 -0700 (PDT), Herman <her...@yahoo.com>
> > >
> > >
> > > He also performs frequently in the US. Has anybody heard him live?
> > I did, though not, obviously, in the USA.
> > He is an unusually elegant, graceful pianist, say the total opposite of Trifonov.
> I haven't heard him live, but have all his recordings. He's a very sympathetic pianist, a pleasure to listen to. As you say, the opposite of Trifonov (who I did hear live).
>
> Henk

Pleasant, yes, but without blandness, IMO.
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