Rubato International Piano Competition
The Rubato International Piano Competition is a piano competition held annually at the Oxford Performing Arts Center[1] in Oxford, Alabama, beginning in 2022.[2] [3] [4] The competition is the first international piano competition in Alabama, attracting contenders from many countries [5] in part due to its unique integration of the categories of classical and jazz music in a single competition.[6] As a portion of the competition, semi-finalists engage in master classes with the judges.[7] The founder, Julio Barreto,[8][9] is an Argentinian pianist; [10] his intention for the competition is to "build an international relationship for the city, county and state."[11] The Rubato is supported by the city of Oxford,[12] the Oxford Performing Arts Center, and is underwritten by several donors; the competition features pianos from Steinway Piano.[7] [13] [14] The semi-final and final rounds of the competition are performed live in front of an audience at the Arts Center[15] and is streamed online.[16][17] It awards $24,000 in prize money, with a first prize of $5,000, second prize of $2,500, and audience favorite prize of $500. An Honorable Mention prize was added at the competition.[18] The competition is divided into three categories: Classical Division Level A, for pianists 12–18 years of age; Classical Division Level B, for pianists 19–26 years of age; and Jazz Division, for pianists 12–26 years of age.
The judges for the inaugural classical piano competition were Yakov Kasman of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Van Cliburn Piano Competition medalist; Luis Sanchez of Texas A&M and the Frances Clark Center for Piano Pedagogy, and Janet Landreth, professor emerita of Colorado State University and a Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame inductee. The judges for the inaugural jazz piano competition were James Weidman of the University of Georgia, Jeremy Siskind of Fullerton College, and Leonardo Blanco of the Berklee College of Music.
Prize winners
[edit]Classical Piano division for 12–18 years
[edit]| Year | 1st Prize | 2nd Prize | Audience Favorite | Honorable Mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |  Harrison Benford
|
Michelle Nieto
|
Raditya Muljadi
|
Matthew Liu
|
Classical Piano division for 19–26 years
[edit]| Year | 1st Prize | 2nd Prize | Audience Favorite | Honorable Mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022[20][21] |  Shangru Du[22]
|
Kun Ding
|
 Anna Li
|
Zhengyi Huang
|
Jazz Piano division for 12–26 years
[edit]| Year | 1st Prize | 2nd Prize | Audience Favorite | Honorable Mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022[20][21] |  Warit Techakanont[23]
|
Bromme "Bix" Cole II
|
 Simon Martinez
|
Beck Vontver
|
References
[edit]- ^ Center, Oxford Performing Arts. "Rubato Piano Competition | Oxford Performing Arts Center". www.oxfordpac.org. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ Graves, Brian. "Oxford to host international piano competition". The Anniston Star.
- ^ "The Rubato International Piano Competition Brings International Prestige to Oxford". Calhoun County Journal. 7 August 2022.
- ^ Graves, Brian (23 July 2022). "OPAC announces semi-finalists for international piano competition". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Gomez, Maddison (22 August 2022). "Alabama Pianist Finds Rubato in His Own Backyard". Local Today, Alabama. Retrieved 23 August 2022.[dead link] Alt URL
- ^ "Rubato". RUBATO Piano.
- ^ a b Graves, Brian (11 August 2022). "Rubato competition in Oxford includes pianists from 10 countries". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022. Alt URL
- ^ "Julio Barreto's American Dream". issuu. Oxford Access 2022 Vol. 6 Issue 2. City of Oxford. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Julio Barreto". The Anniston Star. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Fulsom, Hervey (12 February 2022). "Piano competition, student art show bring inspiration to Oxford". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ Huber, Diana (10 June 2022). "Barreto brings music to Oxford with a passion". Premiere News. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Evancho, Lee (24 August 2022). "Keep Oxford Beautiful Shares Check for Recycling Efforts At City Council Meeting". Calhoun Journal. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Bill (4 August 2022). "Pianos arrive at OPAC for international competition". The Anniston Star. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ Graves, Brian (6 August 2022). "Classic keyboards take the stage for OPAC's piano competition". The Anniston Star. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Graves, Brian (13 August 2022). "REVIEW: Rubato semifinal night is pitch perfect". The Anniston Star. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Graves, Brian (17 August 2022). "OHS Jacket Media lauded for international livestream". The Anniston Star. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Graves, Brian (12 August 2022). "Oxford High School to livestream Rubato". The Anniston Star. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Graves, Brian (17 August 2022). "Audience, judges, sponsors applaud Rubato competition". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022. Alt URL
- ^ Foster, CJ (17 August 2022). "Piano Players". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ a b c Graves, Brian (14 August 2022). "Rubato announces winners after finals Saturday night". The Anniston Star. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ a b c "Rubato announces winners after finals Saturday night". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Tchaikovsky's Fourth". Boulder Symphony. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Warit Techakanont on Apple Music". Retrieved 23 August 2022.