Ukrainian pianist will return to Fort Worth to compete at the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition this summer.
Choni was the sole Ukrainian who performed at PepsiCo Recital Hall and is one of to advance from this year鈥檚 screening auditions.
The pianists range in age from 18 to 31 and span 14 countries 鈥� including six competitors from Russia, five from China, and three from the United States.
In a written statement, Cliburn president and CEO Jacques Marquis said, 鈥淭he hearts of the people of the Cliburn are with the valiant Ukrainians as they courageously defend their homeland from the Russian regime. What is happening goes against everything that humankind should stand for.鈥�
But ultimately, he notes, the pianists were chosen 鈥渟olely on their artistry.鈥�
鈥淭he Cliburn must and will remain true to its mission as an artist-supporting cultural institution, and we are dedicated to the power of this artform to transcend boundaries. We make no distinction between non-political artists based on their nationality, gender, or ethnicity. We stand firmly with the music community around the globe in its commitment to these ideals.鈥�
This year the competition had a record-breaking , but only were invited to perform at the screening auditions.
From there, a whittled the pool down to 30 performers.
One of the jurors, , noted that all of the pianists vying for a spot during the auditions were extremely talented at their craft. As an accomplished pianist herself and a semifinalist in the , Cheng knows what it鈥檚 like to be on both sides of these decisions.
Over the phone, she expressed sympathy for the pianists who weren鈥檛 selected.
鈥淲hen you put your heart and soul into your playing, it can feel like they鈥檙e rejecting not just your performance, but you. I really, really hope that each person who didn鈥檛 get through has a support system that can help them realize that it鈥檚 just one of many steps in one鈥檚 journey,鈥� Cheng said. 鈥淓ven though the jury didn鈥檛 select them this time, it doesn鈥檛 mean that they鈥檙e not good. This was just five people鈥檚 opinions.鈥�
For those who were selected to move forward, Cheng advises the pianists to think of their performances more as a concert than a competition and to focus on interpreting the meaning of the music.
Put simply, Cheng said, 鈥淧lay your heart out.鈥�
This story was originally published by .
Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
