I recently participated in the 2014 Thousand Islands International Piano Competition in Cape Vincent, New York, sponsored by the Cape Vincent Arts Council.
The Thousand Islands International Piano competition is celebrating its 12th year along the beautiful St. Lawrence River. The primary focus of this event is to provide a venue for exceptional young pianists to perform and share their music in the nurturing and confidence-building atmosphere provided in this St. Lawrence community. In return these budding young artists bring the joy of live classical music to the Thousand Islands. Each year a special bond is created between community residents and performers.”
(Visit the official site! – Cape Vincent Arts Council)
I thoroughly enjoyed the organization and atmosphere of the competition. The actual performances took place in a partly enclosed outdoor tent along the St. Lawrence River. This was arranged on the beautiful property of Bruce and Lynn Taylor. Inside the tent, there were plenty of seats open to public, as well as a 9-foot Steinway grand piano on an elevated platform.
The competition included three rounds and required a variety of different repertoire from numerous genres. This particular competition also featured specific Chopin requirements, so I was able to perform a couple preludes, an etude, and the third scherzo. Below is a copy of my complete program.
Round 1
Haydn Sonata in E minor, HobXVI-34, Presto
Lutoslawski Etude No. 2
Ravel Sonatine – Modéré, Mouvement de menuet, Animé
Round 2
Bach French Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 – Allemande, Courante, Air
Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 12
Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 3
Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 24
Round 3
The organization of the competition into three rounds created a very immersive experience for the competitors. Each day, we interacted with other community members and fellow competitors, sharing stories about music and our own lives. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to communicate with the audience on stage. In addition to introducing repertoire, competitors answered questions about their interests and goals at the start of the performance. This helped to engage the audience and focus attention to the atmosphere of performance rather than strict competition.
In addition to the two pianos in the Maple Grove Estate, The Cape Vincent Arts Council also provided access to several pianos throughout the town, and some host houses even included pianos. Since the competition was spread out over three days, it was a great challenge to decide what to practice and refine in limited amounts of time. I feel that the consistency of the performances helped to increase my practice efficiency! This was a very enriching experience for me!
I had such a wonderful weekend sharing in the joy of music with others at Cape Vincent. The Thousand Islands Competition is a perfect reminder of the power of music to bring together people from all parts of the world. Thank You to Liz Brennan, the Taylors, and my wonderful host family – Mr. and Mrs. Hirschey, for making the event so successful. I really appreciate your support and attention to detail, and I hope to make a trip back to Cape Vincent in the near future!
