Piano competition hosts free events
July 2, 2014
907-474-2417
07/02/14
Several community events will be held between the upcoming rounds of performance at the Alaska International Piano-e-Competition taking place in the Fine Arts Complex on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The events are free and open to the public, and include technological demonstrations and long-distance music lectures featuring the cutting-edge technology in the Yamaha Disklavier, community clinics with some of the competitors, and the opportunity to watch young Alaskans perform for two of the competition's international jurors in master classes.
Seekin' Haydn: A long-distance musical lecture from Manhattan
July 7, 10-11 a.m. in the Davis Concert Hall
Nationally recognized teacher of keyboard studies Paul Sheftel will lecture from his studio in Manhattan, speaking to the audience in the Davis Concert Hall via live webcast and demonstrating his insights into the sonatas of Joseph Haydn on his Yamaha Disklavier. His precise keystrokes and pedal technique will be relayed instantly to the Disklavier on stage in the Davis Concert Hall, which will play in real time, in sync with his performance on the East Coast. Sheftel will invite several special guests to perform for the audience in Fairbanks.
Up Close and Personal: Community clinics with piano competitors
July 8 and 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., McGown Room, Fine Arts Complex
Emcees Lori Neufeld and Susie Hackett from KUAC will lead the conversation with competitors from the Alaska International Piano-e-Competition (to be determined after the second round of play is complete on July 5). Competitors will give a short performance and then answer questions from the emcee and the audience about their lives, their work, and their technique. This opportunity to speak casually and directly with some of the best young pianists in the world should not be missed. Piano teachers and students may find these clinics particularly engaging, as will anyone who wants to get to know these accomplished musicians.
Master classes with jurors Sara Davis Buechner and Alexander Kobrin
July 10 and 11, 1-3 p.m., Davis Concert Hall
Young piano students living in or hailing from Alaska will perform for jurors Sara Davis Buechner (July 10) and Alexander Kobrin (July 11), winners of the Gina Bachauer and Van Cliburn International Piano Competitions, respectively. Each student will give a 10-15 minute recital, then receive feedback and direction from the juror on how to improve. These public exhibitions are important opportunities for students, who often list them on their CVs. Performers will include students as young as 10 years old from Fairbanks, Anchorage and Southeast Alaska.
Creating Musical Connections: Toronto technology demonstration
July 12, noon-2 p.m., Davis Concert Hall
See the power of the Yamaha Disklavier in action in the Davis Concert Hall as Stella Sick, managing director of Musicians in Debut International, guides the audience through the intricacies of the instrument and technology. A direct connection will be made between the Disklavier in Fairbanks and a Disklavier in Toronto, Canada, with an accompanying live web stream. The precision and technology of the Disklavier will be discussed, and musical performances will be exchanged between the two sites, demonstrating the possibilities for greater connections, educational and otherwise, through the use of the Disklavier.
The Alaska International Piano-e-Competition and these community lectures have been made possible by contributions from Drs. Paul Jensen and John Lopez of Spine Care Specialists of Alaska, the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Brian Rogers and Sherry Modrow, anonymous donors, Design Alaska, Yamaha Corporation of America and many more.
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