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By Ben Mattison
06 Jun 2005
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| Alexander Kobrin (right) performs with James Conlon and the Fort Worth Symphony during the finals of the Van Cliburn Competition. |
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| photo by Rodger Mallison |
Alexander Kobrin, a 25-year-old pianist from Russia, won the gold medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, yesterday.
Kobrin wins a cash award of $25,000, engagements in the United States and around the world, three years of career management, and the opportunity to record on the Harmonia Mundi label, as well as concert clothing and airline travel. He also won the competition's first-ever Internet audience prize, selected by 3,000 online listeners from around the world, for which he received an iPod digital music player.
A graduate student at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kobrin won first prize the Busoni Competition in 1999 and second prize at the Hamamatsu Competition in 2003.
Nineteen-year-old Joyce Yang of South Korea, the youngest finalist, won the silver medal; Sa Chen, 24, of China won the crystal award for third place. Both will receive $20,000, engagements in the United States, career management, and a Harmonia Mundi recording.
The remaining finalists—Davide Cabassi of Italy, Chu-Fang Huang of China, and Roberto Plano of Italy—each receive $10,000, American engagements, and career management,
Yang also won awards for best performance of a new work and best chamber music performance, which carry prizes of $5,000 and $6,000, respectively. The jury presented Maria Mazo, 22, of Russia via Germany, a $4,000 discretionary award.
Kobrin, Yang, and Sa Chen will make their first appearances as Van Cliburn medalists on Friday, June 10, performing with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as part of its outdoor Concerts in the Garden series.
The prestigious quadrennial competition was founded in 1962 in honor of Van Cliburn's victory at the first Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. It is held in the pianist's hometown. Previous winners include Radu Lupu, Jon Nakamatsu, and Olga Kern.
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