The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music news: Two Madison teenagers are competing this week in the International Piano Arts Competition in Milwaukee.

By Jacob Stockinger

Madison has two very talented teenagers competing in the International Piano Arts Competition that is held every two years and that starts later this week.

Ariela Bohrod (below top) and Garrick Olsen (below bottom) will perform solo recitals, chamber music and concertos as part of the competition to be held from June 7 through June 12.

I have heard both of these talented teenagers play more than once, and I have spoken to or interviewed both of them. Personally, I would be hard put to rank one above the other. Both have a lot of promise in a very competitive field or profession.

You may have heard both of them play with the Madison Symphony Orchestra during the Final Forte concerto competition, which they won in different years. I don’t think they have competed against each before, but I could be mistaken.

Here is an interview Ariela Bohrod did for the blog:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/classical-music-previewing-the-madison-symphony-orchestras-final-forte-teen-concerto-concert-this-wednesday-night-part-2/

And here is a review I wrote of a short recital by Garrick Olsen:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/classical-music-analysis-young-and-old-meet-through-music/

Here is some more information about the Piano Arts Competition, including repertoire requirements (J.S. Bach‘s Well-Tempered Clavier, a Chopin Nocturne and post-1940 work are among the many selections):

http://www.pianoarts.org/competition.html

Prizes include concert engagements. Cash prizes are $10,000, $6,000 and $4,000 with special awards for certain performances.

Here is a link to a story about the Madison contestants:

http://www.examiner.com/article/international-piano-competition-milwaukee-includes-two-madison-youths

And here is a link to the home page for the entire competition, with information about attending and schedules of events, and about the jurors:

http://www.pianoarts.org/

Here is a link to all the competitors with their biographies, information about their teachers and the repertoire selections they will perform.

http://www.pianoarts.org/competitors.html