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Thank you for your thoughts, reactions and comments. It means a lot to receive honest feedback in our new endeavor to grow awareness of this art form.
As I am write, I am listening to the wonderful music by Robert Schumann which Charles Wadsworth writes about in his article below. The two piano version is played by Duo D'Accord, Dranoff International Two Piano Competition winners in 2001.
How do these artists find a stage for their musicality? How do they navigate the music world, and build their names? One of the essential paths are competitions, and none is more rigorous than The Dranoff. Next month, we begin the next competition cycle, which connects us with countless people and places worldwide, and culminates in the 12th Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in May of 2011 in Miami.
I invite you to reflect on the beauty and emotional impact of this music, on the excitement of giving immensely talented duos a platform to play a huge range of repertoire, on hearing new music commissioned by The Dranoff. It brings together people. It crosses borders. It illuminates Miami, not the city of the media, but the city that is our home. To those who do not know Miami, we invite you to come to visit Miami in May of 2011 for the Dranoff International two Piano Competition!
I want to encourage you to close your year by supporting our work. There are very few competitions dedicated to Duo Pianism; there is only one Dranoff!
Two pianos are more than two instruments - the reverberations between the two sets of strings excite each other and create a greater whole. Just like the
relationship between people.
Gabriele Fiorentino
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CONTENT
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WHAT IS GOING ON IN MIAMI - Art Basel...and events of some of the groups and organizations we have a close relationship with....read more
TWO PIANO MUSIC WORLDWIDE - This offers a list of performances by Dranoff laureates, solo and duo.....read more
REPERTOIRE FOR TWO PIANOS -Members of the Artistic Advisory Board of The Dranoff share their thoughts on favorite selections, or introduce new pieces, or share discoveries...read more
THE COMPETITION - The core of The Dranoff is the International Two Piano Competition. Our next competition takes place in May of 2011 in Miami....read more
NEWS - About "our" duos, of course...read more
STORIES AND PICTURES - Coincidences or facts or souvenirs, things to share....read more
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 WHAT IS GOING ON IN MIAMI
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The Season is upon us. Art Basel has entered the scene. What started as a focal point for collectors and buyers at one location has spread into areas of the city not known to anyone but true cognoscienti of the lesser trodden paths. Art Basel is now de rigueur for anyone who wants to be seen - not at the original spot, but rather in and around all the shows/events/installation/performances and so on everywhere in the Design and Wynwood Districts and all over South Beach. There is great art, and up and coming art, but the most interesting artifacts tend to be the people.
And of course, there is performing art in its many forms. There are two concerts by Dranoff winning duos, as well as events offered by a group of organizations and presenters we at The Dranoff have shared performances with.
DECEMBER
12/12 The Dranoff - Duo Scarbo, Dranoff Audience Prize winners, playing a program of 2 pianos, with student art. 3pm. Art South Sanctuary, 240 Krome Ave., Homestead. www.dranoff2piano.org
12/13 St. Martha Church - Nestor Torres, Flute, and Paul Posnak, Piano, performing classical favorites with a tinge of Latin jazz. 3pm. 9301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami Shores. www.saintmartha.com
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12/21 Friends of Chamber Music - Yefim Bronfman, Cho Liang Lin, Kyoko Takezawa, Roberto Diaz, William De Rosa. 8pm. University of Miami Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables. www.miamichambermusic.org.
Bass Museum
10/3/09 - 2/21/10 - Dzine.
10/3/09 - 1/10/10 - Kent Henricksen: Wayward We Hunt.
12/3/09 - 3/14/10 - Where Do We Go From Here? La Coleccion Jumex
2121 Park Avenue, Miami Beach. www.bassmuseum.org.
Alejandra Von Hartz Gallery
11/14/09 - 2/6/10 - Beloved Structure: The Argentine Legacy. Artists: Fabián Burgos, Martín Di Paola, Marcolina Dipierro, Verónica Di Toro, Lucio Dorr, Silvia Gurfein, Silvana Lacarra, Adriana Minoliti, Karina Peisajovich, Pablo Siquier, Andrés Sobrino.
2630 NW 2ND. Avenue, info@alejandravonhartz.net
JANUARY
Friends of Chamber Music
1/5/10 - James Ehnes, Andres Diaz, Valentina Lisitsa.
1/20/10 - Takesha Kizart (Soprano), Ken Noda (Piano) 8pm. University of Miami Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables. www.miamichambermusic.org.
FEBRUARY
2/11/10 - The Dranoff - An Italian Evening, Dranoff Competition Winners Piano Duo Trivella &
The Bergonzi Quartet with a special transcription for 2 pianos of music by Sgambati, University of Miami
Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables.
2/17/10 - Friends of Chamber Music - The Paris Trio & Alexander Fiterstein (Clarinet). 8pm. University of Miami Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables. www.miamichambermusic.org.
2/27/10 - 3/7/10 - Miami Bach Society- Tropical Baroque Music Festival XI. www.miamibachsociety.org
Last season, we had a wonderful series of joined performances with the Atlantic Classic Orchestra, and Maestro Stewart Robertson. Please check their season at Atlantic Classical Orchestra
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TWO PIANO MUSIC WORLD WIDE
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It is our mission to broaden interest in this ensemble music form, therefore we include in this calendar not only to Dranoff artists. Of course, we focus on the careers of Dranoff winners, even if they perform as soloists, as long as they still consider themselves as part of a duo.
2009
United States
12/4 Eastman School of Music, Kilburn Hall. Recital by Duo Maxim Mogilevsky and Svetlana Smolina.
2/10 - Polish Consulate on Madison Ave, New York City, concert ( all Chopin)
Germany
12/4 Kammermusiksaal Rostock, Kuehlungsborn. 8pm. Olha Chipak & Oleksiy Kushnir.
12/30,31 Barockkonzertsaal, Rostock. 7pm. Olha Chipak & Oleksiy Kushnir.
12/31 Salmen, Offenburg, Duo Hesse & Pauna. www.weltklassik.de
Netherlands
12/12 Jurriaanesezaal, Rotterdam. 8:15pm. Maarten Van Veen & Ralph von Raat. Works by Stravinsky, Debussy and Adams.
Italy
12/18,19,20 Rome. Duo Trivella, Donizetti program.
Russia
12/19 St. Petersburg Symphony, Maestro Vladimir Lande. Maxim Mogilevsky, piano.
Japan
12/5 Takasaki, Gumma. 2:30pm. Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)
12/13 Kurashiki, Okayam. 11am & 2pm. Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)
12/14 Omiya, Saitama. 10:30am Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)
12/20 Atsugi, Kanagawa. 2pm Deu"or (Yoshie & Takashi)
12/23 Ginza, Tokyo. 2pm Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)
12/26 Chiba, Chiba. 4pm Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)
www.yoshie-takashi.com
2010
United States
1/3 - Kravitz Center, Palm Beach. Charles Wadsworth and Friends. www.kravis.org
Canada
Grand Junction Theatre, Calgary:
1/ 7th, 7:30pm
1/ 8th, 7pm and 9:30pm
1/8th, 9.30pm
1/9th, 2pm and 8pm
1/ 10th, 2pm and 6pm
All performances on four grand pianos by Elizabeth Bergmann, Marcel Bergmann, Jeroen van Veen and the new Honens Piano Competition winner. Before the intermission, they perform Canto Ostinato by Simeon ten Holt. Tubular Bells will be performed with the Alberta Ballet.
Russia
1/ St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Big Hall, Maestro Leif Segerstam. Duo Maxim Mogilevsky and Svetlana Smolina.
1/ Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic, Maestro Alexander Skulsky. Duo Maxim Mogilevsly and Svetlana Smolina.
Israel
1/ Red Sea Festival, Eilat. Mariinsky Orchestra, Maestro Valery Gergiev. Duo Maxim Mogilevsky and Svetlana Smolina.
Germany
1/2 Barockkonzertsaal, Rostock. 7pm. Olha Chipak & Oleksiy Kushnir.
Denmark
1/18 Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus. Olha Chipak & Oleksiy Kushnir.
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REPERTOIRE FOR TWO PIANOS
by Charles Wadsworth
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Surely one of the richest and most beautiful chamber works we have is the sensitive and sonorous original version of Robert Schumann's Andante and Variations Op 46 for Two Pianos, Two Cellos and French Horn. Schumann wrote this piece during a burst of writing chamber music, but abandoned the original version for two pianos, Cellos and French Horn; on the recommendation of Felix Mendelsohn revised it for two pianos only. Doing so, he shortened it considerably by eliminating some of the episodes that feature the other three instruments. It would have remained lost except for the perseverance of one man - Johannes Brahms. A half century after it was composed, Brahms convinced Schumann's widow Clara to allow him to edit and publish the original version. The two piano version has entered the repertoire of many of the great two piano teams of the past, but the atmosphere and expressive warmth of the original version is a "whole different ballgame"; I am writing this on the day of the 6th game of the 2009 World Series, hence my timely and expressive phraseology! During my 20 years as founding Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, I presented the work several times. It is rather unique in the 2 piano repertoire as Schumann often has extensive virtuoso solos for one player alone, and then the same material is handed to the other pianist for his solo turn. And then, when all five artists play together, it is magical. My partner at the society was a very young Richard Goode. It was a delicious musical moment in my life. Charles Wadsworth was the founding Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In addition, he co-founded the Spoletto.
Mr. Wadsworth and his wife Susan, who is the founding Director of Young Concert Artists, are on the Artistic Advisory Board of The Dranoff.
This article appeared in the New York Times upon his retirement: Chamber's Master, Leaving the Buidling
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THE COMPETITION
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Our next, the 12th, international competition takes place in May of 2011 in Miami. This section will keep you updated.
The official cycle starts in January 2010, with a formal announcement to over 300 conservatories worldwide. In the meantime, we are so very pleased to announce as Artistic Advisors to the 12th Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in 2011 the Duo Genova & Dimitrov, winners of the 1997 competition. They will bring to the competition a deep understanding of the artistic integrity and standards we aspire to, and also the market realities that young competitors need to meet to succeed in their careers.
Both artists were born in Bulgaria, of Greek origin. They have been playing piano since the age of five, and made their orchestra debuts at the age of nine. They studied solo piano with Prof. Ganev at the Music Academy in Sofia
and since 1993 with Prof. Vladimir Krainev at the Hannover Music Academy. They recently took over the guidance of the new, specialized Piano Duo class at the Hanover State University of Music and Drama, Germany.
In 2005, the duo was awarded the German citizenship by the Federal Government for their exceptional artistic achievements. After having chosen their first two European artistic bases in Hanover, Germany and in Sofia,
Bulgaria, Aglika and Liuben have recently established their American home in Miami.
Liuben Dimitrov and Aglika Genova formed their duo in the city of Hanover in 1995, and began their international concert career with winning all the major piano duo competitions: the 1997 Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in Miami (then still called the Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition) as well as the ARD Music Competition in Munich, the Tokyo Piano Duo Competition and the Bellini Music Competition in Italy. Since then, the duo has performed to great public and critical acclaim at many of the major concert halls of Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.
Named "Artists of the Year 2001", Genova & Dimitrov have released eight CDs on cpo to critical acclaim from major international music magazines and radio stations.
Please find out more on their website: Genova & Dimitrov
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NEWS
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 Thomas Hecht and Sandra Shapiro were the winners of the first Dranoff International Two Piano Competition in 1987. Now, it was just announced by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory that the National University of Singapore has conferred its first music professorship to Dr. Thomas Hecht. Dr. Hecht immigrated to Singapore six years ago as one of the original pioneers of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, where he is the Head of Piano Department. Before that, he was head of the Piano Studies and Artist-In-Residence at the Victoria University in New Zealand, after having served for many years on the piano faculty of the Cleveland Institure of Music (USA). He is a Steinway Artist, and records for the Azica, Elysium and Atoll labels. The Conservatory offers a Graduate Diploma Course in Two Piano Studies. Yong Siew Toh ConservatoryThomas Hecht and Sandra Shapiro have gone on to solo careers. |
STORIES
by Maarten van Veen
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Tuesday night, 10pm, I get a phone call from Jeroen: "Be there tomorrow, an air-conducting competition".
A what? Well, after explaining, I thought why not, it is what we do always at home as a conductor, studying in front of a mirror, looking at the gestures and expression you have ( our bodies transmit communication). Midnight: I decide to do the last movement of the Rapsodie Espagnole by Maurice Ravel. Pretty spectacular, and I know the music by heart since I play the 4 hand version, both parts. Next morning, 7am, first train to The Hague. The competition starts at 9:30. Seven conductors are put on a platform, 150 feet high in the air (the definition of 'air-conducting' ) with enormous speakers, camera's are rolling, and the show gets started. There are 3 going into finale, I am suprised they take me also! Then the finale, we are put even higher up in the sky. Some of the people suffer from fear of height; I enjoy the view - I can see the dunes! Wait! The ocean, I can see the ocean, isn't that great...? Ravel starts, flutes violins harps etc...God, do I love that music! The platform is lowered down: "Ladies and gentleman, the first prize of the air-conducting competition is won by Maarten Van Veen" - wait, that is me! For one week every single newspaper in the Netherlands posted my name - tremendous prestige! Maarten van Veen and his brother Jeroen are winners of the Fifth Dranoff International Two Piano Competition, 1995. They each have careers in music too versatile to enumerate here. Lucky for us, they still concertize as the Pianoduo Vanveen.Duo Van Veen
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Duo Turgeon
Latin American Journey
Music by Piazzola, Pinto, Mignone, Guastavino and Lecuona
Music makes wonderful gifts for the Holidays, both as personal and as corporate gifts. Please visit our website to order CDs. For large orders, give us a little more time.Order CD's
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About The Dranoff
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The Dranoff was founded in 1987 with the mission to advance two piano music and its artists. Since then, we have contributed 11 new compositions to the literature, and have been a career stepping stone for dozens of piano duos worldwide.
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