Canadian wins
Senior Divison,
to perform at
Carnegie Oct. 13
More MSIPC news
For immediate release April 25, 2008
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JOPLIN, MO (SNS) – Avan Yu of Canada is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. Yu was selected following the Senior Division finals Friday night, and will receive a cash award of $15,000, plus a debut concert in Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall scheduled for October 13.
Tian Lu, 22, of China captured the second place award of $10,000. Peggy Pei-zhang Sung, 20 of Hong Kong is the third place winner with a prize of $5,000. Honorable Mention awards of $2,500 each were given to Fang Zhang, 29 of China and Lishan Xue, 22 of China.
This marks the second time Avan Yu has walked away with a prize in the Missouri Southern Competition. He captured first prize in the Junior Division of the 2002 MSIPC. He returned in 2003 for a solo recital as a benefit for the competition. Yu said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to be back in Missouri. Each time I have visited it has been a wonderful experience.”
The senior winners were selected from a field of 20 competitors in semifinal and finals rounds, performing before a five member panel of international judges. Nancy Weems of the University of Houston, Texas, chair of the judging panel said, “The level of playing here is always so high – this competition has a great reputation for that. It inspires us when we go back to teach our students, to see the level of achievement represented here.”
The three top winners in each division will perform in the Gala Winners Concert Saturday at 8 p.m. in Taylor Performing Arts Center at MSSU. Tickets are $15 with students and seniors 60 and over admitted free of charge.
Junior winners announced Thursday night are:
First Prize – Behzod Abduraimov, 17, Usbekistan
Second Prize – Anna Han, 12, USA
Third Prize – Yale Work, 17, USA
Honorable Mention - Jung-Eun Kim, 14, Korea and Daniel Hsu, 10, USA
For additional information contact MSIPC at 417‑625‑9755, or email msipc@mssu.edu.
