YAMAHA EDUCATION NEWS

The Most Outstanding Amateur Pianists

Yamaha has announced an incredible 2009 Wigmore Hall debut for the three students who achieved professional recognition as the best young classical piano talents in the UK, after winning the finals of the prestigious 'Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Scholarship Awards' held at the Royal Northern College of Music on 14th February 2008.

With finalists coming from the Royal College of Music (RCM), The Royal Academy of Music (RAM), The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD), winners, Sasha Grynyuk (GSMD), Alexander Romanovsky (RCM) and Vyacheslav Sidorenko (RNCM), had each expected to receive £2000 to put towards furthering their studies and classical music careers. However the students, the tutors and the live audience were taken totally by surprise when Yamaha’s Senior Director, Mike Ketley, announced that because of their exceptionally high quality, that in 2009, Yamaha would give all 3 winners a debut at London's prestigious Wigmore Hall.

In addition to the above awards a special prize of an all expenses paid place at the Birmingham International Piano Academy in the summer was awarded to Veronika Shoot (RAM).

In their nineteenth year and with a rotating instrument discipline, the 2008 scholarships were dedicated to Piano and produced a record number of entries. Ten finalists had been selected at preliminary rounds in December before a judging panel including John Humphreys (Deputy Head of Keyboard Studies, Birmingham Conservatoire), David Quigley (concert pianist and piano tutor (University of Birmingham and the Birmingham Conservatoire, and Artistic Director for the Birmingham International Piano Academy) and Alistair Jones (Yamaha Music’s education consultant with specific responsibility for conservatoires).

The ten students, representing some of the UK’s leading conservatoires and universities, were selected to each perform a programme of 30 minutes duration at the live final in front of a capacity audience, gaining valuable experience and feedback from a world class artist and tutor judging panel comprising:

Graham Scott (Head of Keyboard Studies, RNCM); Helen Krizos (Deputy Head of Keyboard Studies, RNCM); Aaron Shorr (Head of Keyboard Studies, RSAMD); Malcolm Wilson (Head of Keyboard Studies, Birmingham Conservatoire); Ronan O'Hora (Head of Keyboards Studies, Guildhall School of Music and Drama).

Chair of Jury, Graham Scott, told us: “The standard at this year's YMFE scholarship finals was extremely high. The jury and audience witnessed playing of enormous individuality, artistic insight and technical command. I am delighted that Yamaha are able to offer these valuable awards so that these young artists can further their studies. I shall watch with great interest as to how these young pianists develop as I feel confident that we shall be hearing much more of them in the future.”

Yamaha Education Liaison Manager, Bill Martin, stated: “Yamaha is very grateful to the distinguished jury who listened to our 10 finalists. Theirs was an unenviable task, selecting three outstanding pianists from such an array of young talent which led to our introduction of the special award for Veronika Shoot. This year's scholarship competition produced a record number of entries from our UK conservatoires, performing to a very high standard in the preliminary round. The ten finalists produced a wonderful day's music in their 30-minute programmes.”

Mike Ketley, Senior Director at Yamaha Music UK Limited stated: "Each year the standard seems to improve and this year Yamaha wanted to recognise the importance of providing a prestigious performance platform for piano students in the most spectacular and deserving way possible. We received so many excellent entries and all the finalists were quite outstanding. We are delighted to be able to offer these scholarships in order that these talented musicians can further their studies and look forward to enjoying the 2009 debut performances by the three winners in the Wigmore Hall."

The 2008 Finalists were -:

Mr Kodo Osada (GSMD); Mr Alexander Romanovsky (RCM); Mr Liu Ji (RAM); Mr Vyacheslav Sidorenko (RNCM); Mr Jayson Gillham (RAM); Mr Chiyan Wong (RNCM); Mr Alexander Karpeyev (GSMD); Miss Veronika Shoot (RAM); Mr Sasha Grynyuk (GSMD); Miss Kaoru Wada (RNCM)

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(posted April 2008)