The 11th Van Cliburn Piano Competition is going on currently; the final
winner will be announced Sunday evening (10 June 2001).

Archived performances by many of the contestants can be heard by going to

   http://www.webcasting.com/vc/semifinal.htm

My own favorite - a student at the conservatory in Kansas City - is
Stanislav Ioudenitch (you-DYEN-eech), originally from Uzbekistan, who is,
I believe, the only US resident to make the final six pianists.  He played
a gangbusters 'Three Movements from Petrouchka' at the end of his semifinal
recital.  And his poetic Franck Piano Quintet (with the magnificent Takacs
Quartet) is worth a listen, too.

I've also been impressed by the Italian, Antonio Pompa-Baldi.

Go give them a listen!

Scott Morrison,
Prairie Village, KS
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