April 22, 2005 – Cleveland, Ohio

Think of it as American Idol for the highbrow set.  With maybe a touch of Survivor thrown in for good measure.  Regardless, there will be one last man (or woman) standing on the stage of Cleveland’s Severance Hall on August 7 – and in his pocket will be a check for $50,000, a list of guaranteed, worldwide concert engagements, a Lincoln Center debut, and a recording contract.  His ears will be ringing with riotous applause and enthusiastic shouts of bravo! following his triumphant, winning performance with The Cleveland Orchestra.  Over the course of the preceding 10 days he will have endured a grueling schedule of endless practice and frequent performances to beat out 34 others who came from around the world for the chance to be standing in his shoes.  And he (or she!) will be young – somewhere between 19 and 29.

Welcome to the world of international piano competitions.  A world where young classical pianists travel around the globe, competing against the best of the best for top honors and, some say, a sure path to an acclaimed career as a concert pianist.  Sure, they have a warm bed to sleep in and plenty of food to eat – but the stakes are probably considerably higher than any reality show you may have seen.  Certainly, the judges are much more discreet and impartial.

The Cleveland International Piano Competition has been part of this world for 30 years.  There are other competitions, but this one ranks as one of the most coveted. It’s the only one that has an orchestra of such stature to perform with the final four candidates.  (Show me a musician that hasn’t dreamed of performing with The Cleveland Orchestra and I’ll show you a musician that hasn’t dreamed.)  And it offers the largest cash award of any classical music competition in the world.

Anyone planning to be in Cleveland between July 27 and August 7 can see this marathon of vituosity at The Cleveland Play House and Severance Hall.  The early rounds offer the opportunity to catch a performance from each of the 35 invited contestants.  After that, the eliminations begin until that last man (or woman) is soaking up the applause at Severance Hall.  Schedule and ticket information are at www.clevelandpiano.org.