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Department of Fine Arts · Music Program
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The 6th Annual Piano Concerto Competition 2005 Winners' Bios |
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Junior Division Las Vegas Music Teacher Association (LVMTA) Award First Place |
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Ruta Kuzmickas was born nine years ago in Park City, Utah. Her parents came from Lithuania, a country she really loves and spends summers there every year. From an early age Ruta was fascinated by musical sound and rhythm, which she would often combine with her own poetry into simple compositions. First music was reflected in her dance, songs and small plays; piano came later. Ruta started playing piano and to study music more seriously a few years ago with Katia Melkamini. Besides that she takes voice lessons and enjoys singing duets with her older sister, Rusne. In her free time, Ruta likes to write and illustrate her own stories and poems. She is also taking classical ballet at the Nevada Ballet Theater. Last, but not least, comes a passion for horses and nature. |
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| Second Place | |||
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Kyle O'Neil is a native of Las Vegas. He has been taking piano lessons since he was four years old with Michele Le. Two months after that first lesson, he performed his first recital and soon realized that he loves to be on stage. In 2003 he competed in the First International Piano Teams Competition, as a team member of 'Circle of Fifth." It was the youngest team competing and won second place in the junior division. The following year he entered the National Federation Junior Festival 2004 and received Honorable Mention and a rating of Superior. He also participated in the Silver State Competition 2004 to take First place in the Social Ensemble of the Junior Division. Kyle is a fun-loving big brother, who loves pizza, collecting Yu-Gi-Oh cards, playing kickball and swimming competitively. Some of his personal goals are to run faster, swim faster and practice piano more. When asked how the world could be a better place, he answered verbatim, "First, we should help people. Next, we should play with people. Finally, we should joke with people." |
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| Second Place | |||
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Tussah Shah was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1995. In few weeks after her birth, she moved to US. She spent six years (age 3 to 9) in London, England and moved to Las Vegas last year. Tussah has "self learned" piano with encouragement from her mother. Early in 2004, she started lessons with Irma Botan; she is now receiving lessons from Polya Bankova. Besides piano she enjoys playing cello and singing. She has sung in charity events and family weddings. Apart from music, Tussah has deep interests in art, literature and "all living things". At the age of five she won 1st prize in The London Times-Summer Drawing Competition. She is also passionate about writing poems and prose. Presently, Tussah is home schooled for 4th grade. |
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Intermediate Division
Janice & Edward Hohman Award First Place |
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Steven Kim, a 5th grade student at Cornerstone Christian Academy, has been playing the piano for five years and is currently studying under Jie Bu. He has won many competitions including 1st place in the 2003 Silver State Competition, 1st place in the 2004 Bolognini Competition, and of course 1st place in this years 2005 Concerto Competition in the Intermediate Division. Steven is also an excellent student and athlete. He won 1st place in this years ACSI Regional Math Olympics and 3rd place in the ACSI Regional Spelling Bee. He will be competing in the ACSI National Spelling Bee on May 14 in Washington D.C. Steven enjoys playing basketball and tennis and is a member of the Nevada Tennis Association. As a representative for his 5th grade class, Steven enjoys being a leader and helping out his classmates. "I am so thankful for my God-given hands, not only for being able to play the piano so beautifully, but also being able to help others who are in need or in trouble," says Steven. |
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| Second Place | |||
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Ekaterina (Katia) Brim was born in Russia, March 1994. When Katia was three, her family moved to Berlin, Germany and in 1998 they moved to the United States. At the age of six, her mother started to give her regular piano lessons and soon, when Katia began home schooling, her mother became her mentor in all other subjects. Katia has a great interest for languges. Her native Russian was the first language she learned to read and write at age five. She still remembers German and now also speaks English. Besides music, Katia has a talent for dancing and is a student of Nevada Academy of Ballet. Her father, one of the leading contemporary mimes in the world, is teaching her how to use her body on stage. Recently, she became one of the winners of the annual "Search for Talent" auditions for her performance. Katia is a past winner of the CSN Concerto Competition 2003 in the Junior Division |
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| Runner-Up | |||
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Dominique Jackson is 14 years old and a 9th grade student at Silverado High School. She has been a student of the Nevada School of the Arts since 1997, studying piano with Martha Sparks and cello with Moonlight Tren for the past two years. At the moment she studies cello with Robin Reinarz. Dominique has participated in three of the CSN Piano Concerto Competitions, receiving Honorable Mention twice and a 2nd place. In 2003, Dominique won the NSA Dean's Honors Performance Scholarship in the Middle School Category and is currently a Merit and Liberace Scholarship recipient from NSA. Playing piano as a member of the NSA's Trio Musicale, Dominique has won 1st place at Bolognini Competitions in both the Junior and Senior Divisions in the Chamber Music Category. She also received Honorable Mention for cello this year. At Silver State this year, Dominique placed 2nd in piano and received Honorable Mention in strings. She received a Superior rating in Cello at the CCSD 2005 High School Solo and Ensemble Festival and an Excellent rating at the State Solo and Ensemble Festival. Dominique played cello for three years at Cannon Junior High. This year Dominique is the Cello Section Leader in the Silverado High Scholl advanced orchestra. Dominique has played cello in the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras for three years, the Las Vegas Honors Orchestra for two years and was a member of this year's Nevada High School Allstate Orchestra. |
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Senior Division
Southern Nevada Music Award First Place |
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Christina Hummel was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1987. She began her piano studies with Janet Ty at age 10. At the Interlochen Arts Camp, she studied with Anne Morton and Dr. Gustavo Cardinal in the summers of 2000-2002. For the past three years she has been a student of pianist Dr. Victor Hugo Alvarez. Christina has received Superior rankings in the Clark County and Nevada All-State Solo and Ensemble competitions. She also won the CSN Piano Concerto Competition Intermediate Division, Nevada Chamber Symphony "Invitation to Play' Competition (2003), and Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic Concerto Competition (2004). She has been invited to solo with three orchestras as a result of these successes.
Christina also studies the viola. Previously, she was a member of the CSN Symphony Orchestra and the Las Vegas Youth Symphony. She currently plays in the Nevada All-State Orchestra and was invited to play as a student member of the Nevada Chamber Symphony this past April. In 2003 she performed as a featured soloist with the University Children's Chorale in its winter concert series. She is principal of her section in the Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic. Christina is a senior at the Meadows School where she is Valedictorian of her class. She is a National Merit Scholar, a National AP Scholar, and a recipient of the Harvard Prize Book. In the fall, she will be attending Princeton University where she is considering majoring in chemical engineering or neuropharmacology. |
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| Second Place | |||
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Kevin Wu is a senior at Green Valley High School and has been playing the piano since the age of six, currently under the tuition of Michelle Le. Kevin has garnered many years of experience and competed in competitions such as the Bolognini Scholarship Competition, Silver State Competition, and even in the first ever International Pianoteams Competition, where he and his teammates captured 1st place. His awards include 2nd place and Honorable Mention at past Bolognini Competitions. In the 2001 and 2002 Silver State Competitions, he received Honorable Mention and was awarded 15t place in 2003. Kevin is also actively involved in his school band and orchestra programs, where he plays the flute. In addition, he devotes his Thursdays to the Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic, in which he has been a member for three years. He is debating between studying piano or flute as a music major in college, although he has not yet decided which university to attend. |
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Honorable Mentions
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Arianne Lakra Mina Chang Travis Lohmann
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Piano Competition Winners
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 | |||
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For more information and entry forms contact: Dr. Victor Hugo Alvarez, piano coordinator, CSN Music Program Phone: (702) 651-4659 Email: victor.alvarez@csn.edu For a printable Competition Entry Form please see: 2008 Competition Entry Form |
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back to the Piano Competition Page |
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