2015 Photos

We’ve finally caught up on some sleep, so it’s now time to share all the fantastic photos that were taken during the competition! Many thanks to the talented David Rafie for these. Make your way over to cincinnatiwpc.org to see many more!

2015 Results

It has been a week to remember for fans of the Cincinnati World Piano Competition.

A huge congratulations to Artem Yasynskyy, winner of $20,000 and a debut recital in New York City.

Fine performances by all three finalists, including Nino Bakradze (silver) and Mei Rui (bronze).

This year, we were fortunate to be covered by several news outlets, and it’s clear that the Cincinnati World Piano Competition puts on events that are not to miss. The world’s best come to Cincinnati.

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Did you see this article that made viral waves earlier this week? We assure you Rui Urayama is just fine!

Meet Artem Yasynskyy!

Professional Training
University of Arts Bremen
Donetsk State Prokofiev Musical Academy

Competitions & Awards
2014: Gina Bachauer International Artist Competition, Third Prize
2013: Sendai International Music Competition, Third Prize and Audience Prize
2013: German Piano Competition of Polish Music, Hofmann prize
2011: Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition (Italy), Third Prize
2007, 2001: International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz (Ukraine), Sixth and Third Prizes

Biography
Ukrainian pianist Artem Yasynskyy has appeared on many international stages. He has won prizes at major international piano competitions such as the Gina Bachauer Piano Artist Competition, the Sendai and Gian Battista Viotti Music competitions, as well as the Horowitz and First German competitions.

Mr. Yasynskyy has appeared at festivals such as the Bremer Musikfest, the Maggio Piano Festival Vercelli, the Summer Night Music Festival of Kiev, the Festival “Days of Slavic Culture” in Rome and the Polish Music Festival in Hamburg.

Meet Alice Chenyang Xu!

Professional Training
The New England Conservatory
Roosevelt University
The Curtis Institute of Music

Competitions & Awards
2004: Southern Missouri International Piano Competition, Second Prize
2002: Seiler International Piano Competition (Germany), Third Prize

Biography
Chinese pianist Alice Chenyang Xu has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the US, Canada, Germany, and throughout China. Ms. Xu has taken prizes at the Southern Missouri International and SEILER International piano competitions. She has collaborated with Chicago Chamber Musicians, and her concert performances have been broadcasted through WFMT. Most recently, she has appeared at the Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Orchestra Hall at Chicago Symphony Center, Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center, and Jordan Hall in Boston.

Meet Rui Urayama!

Professional Training
The Boston Conservatory
Kyoto City University of Arts

Competitions & Awards
2014: Maiji Yasuda Quality of Life Cultural Foundation Grant (Tokyo)
2014: St. Botolph Club Emerging Artist Awards (USA)
2013: PTNA Piano Competition (Japan), Grand Prix Winner (Yomiuri Newspaper Company Award, Tokyo City Philharmonic Award, and Minister of Arts and Culture Award)
2012: International Chopin Piano Competition (USA), Second Prize
2011: The Boston Conservatory Concerto Competition, Finalist
2010: Kyoto Musical Association Award
2010: Kyoto City University of Arts Concerto Competition, First Prize
2010: Kyoto City University of Arts Recital Competition, First Prize
2006: PTNA Piano Competition, Finalist (Top Grade Category)
2004: “Mainichi Newspaper Company” Piano Competition (Japan), Finalist
2003: National Chopin Competition (Japan), Silver Medal

Biography
Rui Urayama was born in 1988 and began her piano studies at the age of 4. Her gifts were recognized at an early age, winning the Silver Medal in the Chopin Competition at the age of 12. Her orchestral performances include the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, Perugia Music Festival Orchestra, Lublin Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tokyo New City Orchestra.

She is an active chamber musician and performs widely with the JEMUR Piano Trio. They have performed throughout Boston, New England, and Europe. Their performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio with the Boston Conservatory Dance Theatre, specially choreographed by Boston Ballet’s Daniel Pelzig, received great praise in the Boston Globe.

She is currently pursuing her Artist Diploma at the Boston Conservatory as the first pianist in three years to be accepted into this prestigious program.

Meet Jun Sung!

Professional Training
Manhattan School of Music
The Juilliard School

Competitions & Awards
2014: Geneva International Piano Competition, Second Round Stage Prize
2013: Young Concert Artists International Audition Competition, Second Prize
2012: William Kapell International Piano Competition, Special Prize
2012: Crescendo International Music Competition, First Prize
2010: China International Piano Competition, Sixth Prize

Biography
Pianist Jun Sun is a prizewinner of many international and national piano competitions including the Shanghai Conservatory Mozart Concerto Competition, the China International, the Crescendo International, the Hilton Head, and the William Kapell International piano competitions. Mr. Sun recently took second prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

In 2013, Mr. Sun performed Brahms’s first piano concerto under the baton of Leon Fleisher, and has performed Mozart K. 503 with Fou T’song.

Meet Dmitry Tyurin!

Professional Training
M. Balakirev Music College
Cleveland Institute of Music

Competitions & Awards
2009: International Competition for Young Pianists named after V. Yu. Villuan (Russia), Grand Prix
2008: International Russian Rotary Children’s Music Competition, Third Prize
2005: International Competition for Young Pianists after A. Artobolevskaya (Russia), Third Prize
2004: International T. Nikolayeva Competition for Young Pianists (Russia), Third Prize
2004: Nutcracker International Television Contest for Young Musicians (Moscow), Diploma Winner
2003: International Competition for Young Pianists named after V. Yu. Villuan, First Prize

Biography
Russian pianist Dmitry Tyurin began playing piano at the age of 5. He has attended several prestigious schools in Russia including the Villuan Music School in Nizhny, and the Music College of Balakirev. In 2012 he emigrated to the United States.

Mr. Tyurin took the Grand-Prix at the V. Villuan competition in 2009, and has won awards at the “Nutcracker”, Nikolaeva, Artobolevskaya, and “Rotary” competitions.

Meet Mei Rui!

Professional Training
Stony Brook University
Yale School of Music

Competitions & Awards
2012: San Antonio International Piano Competition, Best performance of a Classical Work
2009: Stony Brook Concerto Competition 2009, Winner
2003: William Waite Concerto Competition 2003, Winner
2000: Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition, Winner
2000: Chopin Kosciuszko Foundation Competition, Third Prize

Biography
Pianist Mei Rui’s playing has been praised as “riveting,” full of “dramatic tension and lucidity” by the Boston Globe. Dr. Rui graduated from Yale, and holds degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry and music. While pursuing her D.M.A., she taught as Visiting Professor of Organic and General Chemistry at the City University of New York.

In September 2013, Dr. Rui played to a sold-out audience with violinist Xiang Yu at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. She has appeared at Yellowbarn, Taos, and Norfolk, and has collaborated with Itzhak Perlman, George Manahan, Shinik Hahm, Paul Katz, and Roger Tapping.

At age 11, she made her orchestral debut soloing with the Beijing Radio Symphony and has since played with the Beijing Radio Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Yale Philharmonic. Recently she recorded Eric Nathan’s solo works to be released by Albany Records in 2015.

Meet Oleksandr Poliykov!

Professional Training
Boston Conservatory
National Music Academy of Ukraine

Competitions & Awards
2011: Liszt Competition, Third Prize
2009: Liszt Competition (Weimar-Bayreuth), Second Prize
2008: Steinway Society Competition, First Prize
2007: International Piano Competition in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz (Ukraine), Third Prize

Biography
Ukrainian pianist Oleksandr Poliykov was awarded the MacKenzie Prize at the 2012 International keyboard Institute & Festival in New York, and has medaled at competitions such as the Franz Liszt and Steinway Society (Boston) competitions, the Cliburn Competition, as well as the International Piano Competition in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz.

Mr. Poliykov is deeply interested in conducting as well as performing, and in 2013/14 he performed and recorded Beethoven’s fifth and Liszt’s second concerti conducting from the keyboard. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in the U.S. and Europe, and has been on faculty at the National Music Academy of Ukraine since 2010.

Meet Osip Nikiforov!

Professional Training
University of Minnesota

Competitions & Awards
2014: Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, Participant
2014: MTNA Young Artist Competition, First Prize
2013: Schubert Club Competition, First Prize
2011: International Adilia Alieva Piano Competition (France), Prix Jeune Espoir
2008: International Piano-e-Competition (USA), Third Prize
2007: International Gavrilin Piano Competition (Russia), First Prize

Biography
Siberian pianist Osip Nikiforov has won numerous awards in national and international competitions including the 1st annual e-Piano Junior, the Music Teacher National Association, the Hamamatsu International, and the Schubert Club National piano competitions.

 Mr. Nikiforov emigrated to the United States in 2010. Recently, he performed Beethoven’s third concerto with the Minnesota Orchestra, and has been heard on Minnesota public radio and appeared in the Star Tribune. He has traveled back to Russia several times since 2010, most recently to perform Prokofiev’s second concerto.