Dallas Chamber Symphony Launches International Piano Competition March 14-16, 2013

March 7, 2013 - PRLog -- Eighteen young pianists from all over the globe will come to Dallas March 14-16, 2013 to participate in the first annual DCS International Piano Competition. The event will consist of three rounds of competition before a distinguished international jury panel, as well as expert training and career-building guidance from renowned SMU faculty. Winners also receive cash prizes.

The First Prize Winner will perform a piano concerto with the Dallas Chamber Symphony on April 30, 2013 at City Performance Hall in downtown Dallas, bringing widespread recognition to launch the career of an aspiring artist. The event is a community partnership between the Dallas Chamber Symphony and the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University.

It is the Dallas Chamber Symphony’s hope that this competition will help further solidify North Texas’ reputation as a premier destination to showcase young pianistic talent. “Without question, the fact that our community is able to support another piano competition is a testament to Van Cliburn’s contribution to performing arts,” says Richard McKay, Artistic Director of the Dallas Chamber Symphony.

The DCS International Piano Competition will place an emphasis on education and the responsible development of young pianistic talent. While the competition engages some of the most promising musicians from around the world, it also offers a forum where these pianists — including those who do not advance in the competition rounds — can receive advice from experts on how to further their careers.

All competition rounds, the Winners’ Recital of solo repertoire, and a masterclass, taught by Dr. Carol Leone, are free and open to the public at Caruth Auditorium located on the SMU campus. Audience members can expect to see contestants interact with jury members, who may interrupt the competition rounds to request to hear different passages of each contestant’s solo and concerto repertoire, in accordance with the competition rules and regulations. Judges score the contestants by ballot, and results are announced after each round. Final results are announced before the Winners’ Recital on March 16.

The event’s jury panel includes Andrey Ponochevny, Bronze Medal Winner of the 2002 International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow; Dr. Young-Hyun Cho, Assistant Professor of Piano for The University of Texas at Arlington and international master instructor; and Dr. Pamela Mia Paul, Regents Professor of Piano at the University of North Texas and critically acclaimed Steinway artist. Dr. Paul will serve as the Jury Chair of the competition.

For additional event details and schedules, visit www.dcspianocompetition.org

ABOUT DALLAS CHAMBER SYMPHONY
Launched in September 2012, the Dallas Chamber Symphony is the newest professional performance ensemble in North Texas. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Richard McKay, it is comprised of close to 40 musicians, all dedicated to building a chamber orchestra whose mission is to perform a balance of programs that include underrepresented and standard repertory, contemporary music, staged works, and pieces with extra-musical elements, such as film, actors, dancers, and narrators. The DCS performs at the state-of-the-art Dallas City Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District. The DCS also provides educational and community programming, including an International Piano Competition at SMU, a free Program Book App available for iOS devices on the App Store, and free pre-concert conversations. For more information, visit www.DallasChamberSymphony.org.

About the Meadows School of the Arts
The Division of Music in the Meadows School of the Arts is a professional, comprehensive master’s institution devoted to the advancement of music performance and scholarship, to the preparation of the next generation of music professionals, and to service in the artistic life of our community, our nation, and the world.

The approximately 300 students in the Meadows Division of Music pursue a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degree options, including the Bachelor of Music degree (professional focus), the Bachelor of Music Education degree (teacher preparation focus), the Bachelor of Arts degree (liberal arts focus), the Master of Music degree (professional focus, advanced studies), the Performers Diploma and Artist Diploma (elite performance focus). All degrees and diplomas offered by the Division of Music are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. www.smu.edu/meadows