FINALS TO BE PERFORMED WITH THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA AT SEVERANCE HALL

The next Cleveland International Piano Competition will take place from July 30 through August 10, 2003. The first three rounds will be held at The Cleveland Institute of Music, and the final round and winners recital will take place at Severance Hall. For the first time, the orchestra for the final concerto rounds will be The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of guest conductor, Jahja Ling. The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2002 summer season at Blossom will mark Mr. Ling’s third year as Blossom Festival Director. Because of the engagement of The Cleveland Orchestra, the concertos will for the first time include large major works from the 19 ^th and 20 ^th centuries. The finals will take place on two consecutive nights—August 8 and August 9—with the winners being announced at the conclusion of the performance on August 9.

The Competition has been in existence since 1975. Until 1993 it was known as the Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition, changing its name to honor its host city in 1995. Many winners have gone on to enjoy successful careers, including Jean-Ives Thibaudet, Benedetto Lupo, Philippe Bianconi, Angela Hewitt, Sergei Babayan, Ilya Itin, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and the current winner, Roberto Plano. Contestants compete in three rounds before the finals—preliminary, quarter-final, and semi-final. The winner will receive a cash prize of $20,000, a New York debut, a compact disc recording, and concert engagements. It is expected that over 200 pianists will apply and 48 will be invited to compete.

The Chair of the Jury will be Yoheved Kaplinsky, of the USA and Israel. Ms. Kaplinsky, of the piano faculty of The Juilliard School, served with distinction on the jury in 1997 and as Chair in 1999. Other members of the jury will be announced soon.

Karen Knowlton, Executive Director, states that “By maintaining our longstanding relationship with The Cleveland Institute of Music and establishing a new relationship with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Competition stands at the beginning of a new era.”

The applications for the Competition are due on March 1, 2003. For further information, please contact the Competition office at 216-707-5397.