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Department of Fine Arts · Music Program
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The 8th Annual Piano Concerto Competition 2007 Winners' Bios |
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Junior Division Mr. & Mrs. Capizzi Award First Place |
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Rachel Zhang, born on March 10, 2000 in Maryland, is a 7-year old first grader at John C. Vanderburg Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada. Rachel began playing the piano before turning age four, while living in Pennsylvania. She has been taking piano lessons from four teachers, and currently is under the guidance of Mrs. Damaris Alvarez. She has made numerous recital performances, usually as the youngest player in the group, and received many prizes and awards. She has attained a "Superior" rating by National Federation of Music Clubs at UNLV Junior Festival in both 2005 and 2006, and has won the Second Place at Silver State Piano Competition in 2006.
Besides music, Rachel loves reading, dancing, drawing, math, and science. Her science projects at Vanderburg Elementary School were selected to participate in the UNLV Science Fair in both 2006 and 2007, and she won the First Place in 2006 as a kindergartener. She is a member of Girl Scouts, and a member of the "Talent Team" dancing group. At this moment, Rachel is unsure about her future plans, although hoping to pursue a successful career. |
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Dr. & Mrs. Ed Miller Award Second Place |
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Victoria Young was born on February 22, 2000 in Las Vegas. She attends David Cox Elementary School. At age four she began to learn how to read music with her mother and took private lessons from Ms. Boon Tam Ooi for five months in Malaysia. Soon after, she came back to the United States and started to take piano lessons from pianist and pedagogue, Mrs. Damaris Alvarez. Under Mrs. Alvarez's guidance, Victoria's piano playing technique and musicianship improved amazingly. She was a second place winner at last year's CCSN Piano Concerto Competition and has received prizes at other competitions as well. Last fall she was invited to perform for Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman at the Annual NSA Gala Concert.
Victoria loves to compose her own songs which she calls 'master piece'. She comes from a family of artists. Her grandfather was a famous artist in Reno, and her dad used to play the violin. Besides music, Victoria has great talent in art. She was the Artist in Exhibition in the Nevada Housing Division's Arts Competition. She also writes and illustrates her own books, loves ballet, playing with friends, and dressing up like a princess. |
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Dr. & Mrs. Ed Miller Award Second Place |
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Richard Yee discovered his love for the piano at the age of six. Soon after the discovery, he began piano lessons with Jie Bu. Under the guidance of Mr. Bu, Richard has competed in numerous piano competitions, as well as many piano recitals. He has received many awards in the Silver State, and Bolognini Competitions.
He currently attends William V. Wright Elementary School as a fifth grader; he is a straight A student and is also a part of the G.A.T.E program. Aside from piano, he loves swimming, reading, and enjoying family time with his siblings. |
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Honorable Mention
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| Kyle O'Neil | |||
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Intermediate Division
Mr. & Mrs. Hohman Award First Place |
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Ruta Kuzmickas was born on February 25, 1996 in Park City, Utah. Ruta's parents came from Lithuania 14 years ago. From an early age she was introduced to music, art and nature which she liked to explore during many trips that her family took. By the age of 3, Ruta was singing her own melodies and improvising on the piano for her dolls and toy animals. When she was in the first grade, she began taking piano lessons with Ekaterina Melkamini, a truly dedicated teacher and friend from that day on.
Recently she took the first prize at Bolognini and Silver State piano competitions. Ruta has already decided to become a pianist and will follow her dreams until she reaches her star. |
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Piano Galleria of America Award Second Place |
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Brandon Kiss was born on June 1, 1993 in Redmond, Washington into a family of musicians going back many generations in Hungary. He began his piano studies with Janet Ty in Las Vegas at the age of seven. Since he was nine years old to the present, Brandon has been studying piano with Polya Bankova. He has performed at Silver State Competition in 2005 where he won the First Place in piano. In 2006 he achieved Honorable Mention at the Bolongini Competition. In March 2006, Brandon was accepted to participate in the Green Valley Chamber Festival to take place in the upcoming month of August.
Brandon's goal is to continue his music studies through college and to become a musician. Currently he studies under the guidance of Professor Enrico Elisi. |
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Senior Division
Southern Nevada Music Award First Place |
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Smiljana Savicic is 16 years old and was born in Yugoslavia, where she started piano lessons at the age of four. Her piano training began with simple pieces that her teacher taught her by ear and an informal instruction in composition. It was not until she moved to the United States in 1997 at 7 years old that she began to study theory and musical notation. She pursued her classical training as well as her interest in composition, entering and winning awards in numerous competitions such as the Jr. Piano Festival, Silver State, Bolognini, MTNA, and CCSN Concerto Competitions for solo piano, ensemble, and composition.
In her spare time she enjoys reading and spending time with her parents and always finds time to play piano, whether it be classical or something of her own creation. Currently under the direction of Jie Bu, she aspires to progress as much as possible and to participate in the state's many important competitions. Classical piano is a vital part of Smiljana's life; even if she decides to study something other than music, playing the piano is an activity she will never give up. |
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Southern Nevada Music Award Second Place |
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Saiko Nozawa was born in 1986 in Nagasaki, Japan. She began piano at a very young age and got Fourth Prize in the PITNA Piano Competition at age 5. In 2002 she entered the Kwasuii High School Music Course which helped her develop her talent and win the prize for Excellent Performance in the Japan Classic Competition in Kyusyu.
In 2003 and 2004 she won both Silver and Gold Prizes respectively at the Nagasaki High School Music Competition. In 2005 Ms. Saik entered Kunitachi Music University where she hopes to obtain a degree in Performing Arts with special training on keyboard instruments. Her teachers include Masahiro Saito and Jyunko Miyasaka. Currently she is in her junior year at Kunitachi University under the guidance of Kei Osano. |
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Honorable Mention
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| Zachary Zwahlen | |||
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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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Return to the Piano Competition Page |
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