The Cliburn Report 9: It's getting very near the end

[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

Alessandro Taverna

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The preliminary round of the competition is just drawing to a close (the final recital will end today at 5:30 central USA time; just a half-hour away as this is being written) but it’s already apparent what some of the prizes will be. As reported today in the Waco Tribune, the Cliburn gold medalist will play a concert with the Waco Symphony on April 10, 2014. It’s just part of the gold medalist package, which includes three years of tours, recordings, and concert management.

Gregory Isaacs’s coverage for TheatreJones continues. His favorites from the first, second, and third Wednesday sessions were:

• Alessandro Taverna (29, Italy) – “He did a remarkable job and should get extra credit for programming music by composers of our own time.”
• Alessandro Deljavan (26, Italy) – “Originality is at a premium in today’s prepackaged and predigested world. Deljavan is a refreshing—and infuriating—example. Would that there were more like him.”
• Jayson Gillham (26, Australia/UK) – “Gillham appeared to be enjoying the entire experience, and that translated to the audience through the music-making.”

Alessandro Deljavan

Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News singled out only one contestant for uniform praise in his morning, afternoon, and evening reviews: Alessandro Deljavan. Mr. Cantrell described him as “the rare contestant who actually seems to enjoy himself.” All the others got notices that were, at best, mixed.