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CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK, NY – First Prize Winner of the 2013 Cleveland International Piano Competition, 29-year-old Ukrainian-born pianist Stanislav Khristenko performs at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall on May 19, 2014 at 7:30 pm. Selected from a field of 28 pianists from 15 countries, Mr. Khristenko has received more than 50 worldwide engagements, four years of management services and a recording by Steinway & Sons, in addition to a cash prize of $50,000. He is the first winner under the direction of the CIPC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Pierre van der Westhuizen. Mr. Khristenko’s program includes works by Chopin, Prokofiev, Bartók, Liszt, Zemlinsky and Ernst Krenek. He opens with Bartók’s Piano Sonata, Sz. 80, followed by Zemlinsky’s Fantasies on Poems by Richard Dehmel, the composer’s most imposing piano work. In this series of miniature tone-poems, Zemlinsky sonically encapsulates verse by Dehmel, the most prominent of Viennese Secessionist poets. Krenek’s dramatic twelve-tone piece, Piano Sonata No. 3, was composed during his move to the United States from Nazi-infiltrated Vienna during World War II. Liszt’s Rhapsodie espagnole closes the first half of the program. Chopin’s Fantasy in F Minor begins the second half, and the concert concludes with Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7. Known as the “Stalingrad” sonata, this composition won Prokofiev his first Stalin Prize in 1943. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has described Mr. Khristenko’s playing as a “tour-de-force of technical, musical and stylistic mastery” and The Washington Post wrote, “his pacing was mature and unhurried… his fingers exhibited power and sensitivity.” Mr. Khristenko has appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Belgium, among others. His solo highlights include recitals in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall and performances with orchestra in Grosser Hall of Berlin Philharmonie, Severance Hall in Cleveland, and Moscow Conservatory Great Hall. Mr. Khristenko has won top prizes worldwide. In 2013 alone he won First Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, First Prize at the Maria Canals International Music Competition, and was named Fourth Laureate at the Queen Elisabeth Competition. STANISLAV KHRISTENKO, PIANO BARTÓK: Piano Sonata, Sz. 80 ZEMLINSKY: Fantasies on Poems by Richard Dehmel, Op. 9 ERNST KRENEK: Adagio from Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 92, No. 4 LISZT: Rhapsodie espagnole, S. 254 Intermission CHOPIN: Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49 PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat Major, Op. 83 “Stalingrad” Admission: $35/$45, $10 for students. About Stanislav Khristenko Stanislav Khristenko’s performances have captivated audiences on four continents since his first solo recital at the age of eleven. A “poet” and “an architect of great forms” (Le Soir), Mr. Khristenko has been praised in the media around the globe. The Washington Post wrote, “it was clear that Khristenko knows how to spin a story; his pacing was mature and unhurried, the dynamic range wide, and his fingers exhibited power and sensitivity.” Of his Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall solo recital New York Concert Review wrote, “[he] has the poise and intellect of a seasoned performer.” Mr. Khristenko has appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Belgium, The Cleveland Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, Berliner Musikfreunde Orchestra, Takamatsu Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony and Moscow Conservatory Orchestra, among others. His performance highlights include solo recitals in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Schubertsaal in Vienna, Phillips Collection in Washington; and performances with orchestra in Grosser Hall of Berlin Philharmonie, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Moscow Conservatory Great Hall and Hong Kong City Hall. Mr. Khristenko has won top prizes at some of the most prestigious piano competitions worldwide. In 2013 alone he won First Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, First Prize at the Maria Canals International Music Competition, and was named Fourth Laureate at the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Mr. Khristenko also was a recipient of the Emil Gilels Award of the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation and a Russian Performance Art Foundation Award. Following Mr. Khristenko’s performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 with The Cleveland Orchestra in the final round of the Cleveland Competition, The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Zachary Lewis praised his performance for its “shimmering filigree and phrases of exquisite tenderness, in which every note mattered.” Born in Ukraine, Mr. Khristenko is a graduate of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He received an Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2010 where he studied as a full scholarship student with Sergei Babayan. About the Cleveland International Piano Competition The Cleveland International Piano Competition is a triennial, twelve-day extravaganza celebrating the piano and those who dedicate their lives to mastering its art. Since 1975 it has attracted top-tier candidates, ages 18-30, who compete before a multi-national jury and enthusiastic audiences for top honors and special performance prizes. For the audiences, the CIPC offers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an endless variety of musical styles and techniques, all while being caught up in the spirit of cheering for favorite contestants and meeting new friends from around the world. A highlight of every Competition is the final round, where the winner is chosen after performances by the four finalists with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. A grand opening ceremony, a black-tie gala, entertaining social events, educational programming, master classes, and recitals offer audiences an array of activities that create a vibrant, festival experience. With the top honor comes a cash award of $75,000 (raised from $50,000 in 2013), presented by Mr. and Mrs. A. Malachi Mixon III, four years of concert management services, and more than 50 U.S. engagements. After having spent years in training at conservatories around the world, a CIPC winner has won more than first prize – he has won a career. The CIPC is recognized worldwide for the quality of its programming, fairness of judging, outstanding organization, and warm, welcoming environment for the contestants. This recognition is proven by the CIPC’s membership in the World Federation of International Music Competitions, a highly selective organization that thoroughly vets every competition to which it grants membership. Of the 2,000 music competitions in the world, only 120 have been granted membership in this prestigious organization, and only five in the U.S. One of those is the Cleveland International Piano Competition. MEDIA LINKS # # # |
