Chu-Fang Huang

A 23-year-old pianist, Chu-Fang Huang, has become the first Chinese citizen to win the Cleveland International Piano Competition in the USA (worth US$ 50,000, plus a recital in New York's Alice Tully Hall, a Naxos recording and two years of management services), winning also the Chopin Prize and the Beethoven Prize (each worth an additional $2,000).

Other winners were Sergey Kuznetsov from Russia, aged 27 (second prize, $25,000), Stanislav Khristenko (Russia, aged 21, 3rd prize, $15,000) and Spencer Myer (USA, aged 26, 4th prize, $10,000). Spencer Myer also won the American Prize ($1,500) and the Contemporary Prize ($1,500). Grace Fong (USA, aged 26) won the Baroque Prize ($2,000) and Hong Xu (China, aged 21) won the Mozart Prize ($1,500).

The competition ran from 27 July through to 6 August 2005, at the Cleveland Play House, and is held every other year. The final rounds were held at Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Jahja Ling.

Information: www.clevelandpiano.org

Posted: 7 August 2005

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