A recent North American piano competition has thrown the spotlight on two local musicians who placed first in their respective categories.
A recent North American piano competition has thrown the spotlight on two local musicians who placed first in their respective categories.
Louisa Lu, 16, and Adam Boeker, 18, both of Edmonton, each won an upright piano in the Search for the Best competition sponsored by Hailun Piano Company.
The piano presentation was held on Monday at Don's Piano Showroom, a dealer for the high-end Chinese-built pianos.
“When I heard, I was pretty much in shock. I didn't believe it at first,” said Lu, who was sitting in the car with her mother when she initially received the call.
“I'd entered this contest for a piano lamp and I thought I'd won the lamp, not a whole piano,” Lu said with a laugh.
And for Boeker, the win also came as a bolt from the blue.
“I was so surprised and overwhelmed,” said Boeker, a student of Edmonton Youth Orchestra conductor Michael Massey.
He outfoxed the competition, performing Aleksander Scriabin's Piano Sonata No. 5, a feverish concentration of music that the composer called “a great poem for the piano.”
A peacock at the keys, Boeker had the opportunity to tickle the ivories during the presentation.
“I like the action. I like the sound. I like the general high standards Hailun set for themselves. The piano has a very open sound.”
Unfortunately, the young musician won't have much time to test out his new Hailun before carving out his own niche at Rostok, Germany's Hochschule fĂĽr Musik this fall.
On the other hand, Lu, an Old Scona High academic student plans to fit the upright into her bedroom.
She rehearses on a Yamaha grand piano and a Baldwin upright. But after caressing the Hailun's keys with Claude Debussy's evocative and delicate Clair de Lune at the presentation, she's can't wait to get the piano home.
“It felt a lot more rich. Yamaha is pretty bright, but a Hailun is richer.”
Don Vaugeois, founder of Don's Piano Showroom, is ecstatic that the competition buzz gives pianists a chance to be noticed as well as providing a personal boost of confidence.
“Initially I was not certain how this was going to play out,” said Vaugeois, who was excited to be involved in the annual Hailun promotion.
“I was certain we had a shot this year. I thought one could win. But to get two winners is mind-boggling. I don't think it can ever be repeated.”
The competition was limited to three age categories: six to 11 years, 12 to 16, and 17 to 21. Participants' performances were filmed in a series of round robin eliminations.
Finalists' tapes were sent to Cincinnati where pianists competed against more than 50 North American dealerships from such varied areas such as New York, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas to name a few.
Vaugeois concluded by saying, “This speaks to the quality of teaching and the good players we have here.”
