Competition finalists chosen

COMPETITION FINALISTS CHOSEN

From an initial 15 entrants, aged between 20 and 28, three have been chosen to compete for the grand prize of £3000 in the prestigious ‘Robert William and Florence Amy Brant International Pianoforte Competition’. Seven made it through to the semi-finals which were held at the Barber Institute on the 27 June following a preliminary round the day before, and three finalists were selected.

The finalists; Ji Liu, Alexander Soares and Polina Bogdanova, all currently studying in England, will play in the competition final on Saturday 3 July at 7pm at Town Hall, Birmingham. They’ll play a varied programme consisting of their own choice of works lasting approximately 40 minutes. The evening promises to feature some outstanding up and coming musicians playing a diverse selection of music, including all of Chopin’s Op 25 etudes, a contemporary piece by Boulez, and a work by Grieg which was once performed in Town Hall by the composer himself.

Ji Liu – London – (b1990 China)

Chopin: 12 Etudes Op. 25
Schumann: Toccata in C Op 7
Gulda: Play Piano Play, No 6

Alexander Soares – Richmond – (b1986 Great Britain)

Liszt: Ballade No 2 in B minor
Boulez: Douze Notations
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasie Op 61

Polina Bogdanova – Manchester – (b1986 Russia)

Grieg: Holberg Suite Op 40
Liszt: Transcendental etude No 12, “Chasse-neige”
Rachmaninov: Variations on a Theme by Corelli Op 42