LOS ANGELES, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Jose Iturbi Foundation) - The recipients of cash prizes totaling $268,000 for the First Annual Jose Iturbi International
Music Competition at UCLA - the biggest cash bounty of any classical piano and singing competition worldwide - were announced today (piano) and yesterday (vocal) at Schoenberg Hall.
The winners of the piano competition were:
$50,000 First Prize - Rufus Choi, USA, Age 30
$25,000 Second Prize - Anastasia Markina, Russia/USA, Age 29
$15,000 Third Prize - Evgheny Brakhman, Russia, Age 26
$10,000 Spanish Prize - Angel Cabrera, Spain, Age 29
$10,000 People's Choice - Rufus Choi, USA, Age 30
The winners of the vocal competition were:
$50,000 First Prize - Karen Slack, USA, Age 31
$25,000 Second Prize - David Lomeli, Mexico, Age 26
$15,000 Third Prize - Jamie Chamberlin, USA, Age 28
$10,000 Spanish Prize - Michael Todd Simpson, USA, Age 29
$10,000 People's Choice - David Lomeli, Mexico, Age 26
Photos and biographies of the cash prize recipients, finalists, semi-finalists and judges can be viewed at www.joseiturbifoundation.org. Representatives from 15 countries were selected to compete.
"We were delighted that Los Angeles embraced this new world-class competition, and the public filled Schoenberg Hall to applaud the work of some of the world's most talented classical pianists and singers," said Donelle Dadigan, President of the Jose Iturbi Foundation. "The feedback and support from the community has been overwhelming. We are already at work planning next summer's competition."
The six finalists in each category received cash stipends of $2,000. The 12 semi-finalists in each category received cash stipends of $1,000.
The following is a list of the 12 semi-finalists in each category (finalists have *):
Piano:
Ran Dank, Israel, 26
Rufus Choi, USA, 30 *
Jie Chen, China, 21
Cathal Breslin, Northern Ireland, 29
Angel Cabrera, Spain, 29 *
Michelle Yelin Nam, South Korea, 22
Jie Yuan, China, 21
Claire Huangei, USA, 17 *
Tommaso Cogato, Italy, 26 *
Alexey Koltakov, Ukraine, 28
Evgheny Brakhman, Russia, 26 *
Anastasia Markina, Russia, 29 *
Vocal:
Karen Vuong, USA, 23
Brian Cali, Italy, 24
Kalil Wilson, USA, 25 *
Michael Todd Simpson, USA, 29 *
David Lomeli, Mexico, 26 *
Karen Slack, USA, 31 *
Christopher Bolduc, USA, 27
Jamie Chamberlin, USA, 28 *
Christin Wismann, USA, 23
Alison Cambridge, USA, 28 *
Rebecca Ringle, USA, 27
Erica Strauss, USA, 31
Created in 1985 by Marion Seabury and Donelle Dadigan, The Jose Iturbi Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to continuing the legacy of Jose Iturbi, to fulfill his wish to make classical music accessible and enjoyable to people of all ages and walks of life, and to fulfill his desire of bringing to the public's attention today's greatest emerging vocal talents and musicians. The foundation's goal is to globally expand the passion for classical music through dynamic competition and compelling live performance.
One of the greatest concert pianists of his time, Jose Iturbi was a composer, conductor and performer of international acclaim who starred as himself in seven MGM musicals including "Anchors Away" (1945) starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. He was the first classical musician to receive a Gold Record representing record sales in excess of one million and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
