The prestigious Dennis Alexander Piano Competition was held for the eighth consecutive year in Albuquerque, March 10.

 

This year’s competition attracted 35 young pianists from throughout the state of New Mexico. Nationally, less than half-of-one percent of all students studying piano ever prepare for a competition. However, a total of seven outstanding young Los Alamos pianists entered the event, where each of the four levels are delineated according to age.

 

Altai Prechtel (of Ojo Caliente, but studying piano in Los Alamos) was the youngest entrant in the 7-8 year old Level I. Henry Gans, John Kang and Emily Xu, all age 9, performed in Level II; Philippa Fung and Betty Kang, age 12, performed in Level III; and Lenny Svyatsky, age 13, was entered in the highest Level IV for those who are 13-15 years of age.

 

The competition requires that each student prepare her/his own chosen repertoire from any period of music (Baroque, Classic, Romantic, or Modern), but each entrant also is required to perform a work by competition namesake, composer Dennis Alexander, from a prescribed list of his solos, specifically designated for each of the four levels.

 

Dennis Alexander is a renown pianist and composer of more than 1,200 solo works for piano. Dr. Alexander performs and presents piano pedagogy workshops and master classes throughout the world. As he tells each participant, “Every single student is already a Winner just by entering this challenging competition.”

 

After relocating to Albuquerque from California, Dr. Alexander founded the annual competition in 2011 in conjunction with co-founder, Dr. Tatiana Vertrinkskaya, head of the New Mexico School of Music, an Albuquerque music academy that serves more than 500 students.

 

At the conclusion of each Level of competition, every entrant is presented with a large certificate, a Medal, and very uniquely, each participant receives a personally autographed copy of a solo work by Dr. Alexander, presented by the composer himself. Following an award ceremony for students at each level, the final winners of that category are announced and presented with trophies, with cash prizes.

 

Three Los Alamos students were awarded the Silver Medal Prize (Second), each in different levels. Emily Xu, was awarded her prize in Level II for her performance of the set of pieces Sketches in Color by late 20th c. composer, Robert Starer. Xu’s parents are Ming Chen and Chonggang Xu. Her chosen work by Dr. Alexander was his lyrical Valse Romantique.

 

The Second Prize trophy in Level III was awarded to Philippa Fung, for her performance of the vibrant and virtuosic Six Variations on Nel Cor piu non mi Sento, WoO 70, by Beethoven. She paired her Beethoven with Dr. Alexander’s Sarabande Elegante. Her parents are Elizabeth-Sharon and Jimmy Fung. The final Second Prize Trophy went to Lenny Svyatsky in Level IV for his elegant performance of Chopin’s Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1. Svyatsky paired this with the fiery, virtuosic Toccata Chromatica, a recent work by Dr. Alexander.

 

Another competition distinction was awarded to Betty Kang, for the Best Performance of a Dr. Alexander work for her playing of his Black and White, a personal favorite of the composer’s. Kang also received an Honorable Mention trophy in her Level III for performance of two Debussy’s Preludes from Book I, Girl with the Flaxen Hair and Minstrels. Her brother, John Kang, was also awarded the Honorable Mention Trophy in Level II for his performance of Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances and Dr. Alexander’s challenging and witty You Gotta Toccata. Parents of both students are Ning Tao and Quinjun Kang.

 

Among the other Los Alamos entrants, Henry Gans and Altai Prechtel did not receive trophies, but performed interesting and rarely heard works. Gans presented a set of American Composer Elie Siegmeister’s An American Kaleidoscope for his first entry in the competition. Whereas, Prechtel presented three pieces from the Petizada of Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos. Their parents, respectively, are Normal Pawley and Jason Gans; and Hanna Keller and Martín Prechtel (of Ojo Caliente).

 

Three distinguished judges from three states adjudicated the contest and provided every contestant with valuable written comments. This year’s judges were pianist and pedagogue Craig Sale of Tucson, Ariz.; Dr. Johan Botes, pianist on the faculty of Marshall University in Huntington, WV; and pianist Ronald Grinage of Santa Fe.

 

All the Los Alamos competition entrants study with Dr. Madeline Williamson, sole proprietor of the Los Alamos Piano Studio.