WINNERS: The American Prize in Piano Performance (concerto), 2019-20: The Lorin Hollander Award

The American Prize wishes everyone safety and health during this difficult time.

Lorin Hollander

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is honored to announce the winners and runners-up of The American Prize in Piano Performance (concerto), 2019-20—The Lorin Hollander Award, in professional and college/university divisions. Congratulations!

Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blog. Please use the chronological tool in the right-hand column to find specific results.

Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com

The American Prize LORIN HOLLANDER AWARD celebrates the artistry of one of the greatest pianists of his generation. Lorin Hollander has appeared as guest soloist with virtually every major symphony orchestra in the world and is a veteran of over 2,500 performances across the globe. The American Prize is delighted to share the legacy of this legendary artist through the re-naming of the award for Piano Concerto Performance in his honor. For more about the extraordinary life and career of Lorin Hollander, please visit http://lorinhollander.com/

COVID EXTENSION: Because of the current national and international situation, many rules have been changed and requirements eased to make it easier to apply for The American Prize 2020-21. In addition, application deadlines have been extended. We will accept applications from COMPOSERS, CLASSICAL VOCALISTS, PIANISTS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES and INSTRUMENTAL SOLOISTS postmarked or emailed by Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Applications from CONDUCTORS, STAGE DIRECTORS, CONDUCTED ENSEMBLES, ARTS ADMINISTRATORS (arts marketing, arts education) and in the performance of American Music (BACON AWARD) will be accepted until Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Further extensions may be granted pending the most current information about the virus.Visit theamericanprize.org for complete contest information.

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The American Prize 
in Piano Performance (concerto), 2018-19—The Lorin Hollander Award
(professional division)

The American Prize winner:
Anna Dmytrenko    
Newark DE     
Prokofiev—Concerto No. 2 in G minor

Anna Dmytrenko    

Ukrainian-American pianist Anna Dmytrenko has performed extensively at such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center of Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, Auditorium Gaber, Paris Philharmonie, and Salle Cortot, among others.

Anna Dmytrenko has won prizes in many international piano competitions including Cantu International Piano Competition (First Prize), Olga Kern International Piano Competition (Second Prize, Audience Prize, Contemporary Piece Prize), Manhattan International Music Competition (First Prize), Dorothy MacKenzie Artist Recognition Competition (First Prize), Viardo International Piano Competition (First Prize), Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition (First Prize), and Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition (Third Prize).

Recent performances with orchestras include the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the New Mexico Philharmonic, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orquestra Simfonica del Valles.
Anna studied at the Juilliard School with Oxana Yablonskaya, the Royal Academy of Music in London with Christopher Elton, and the University of the Arts in Berlin with Pascal Devoyon.
www.annadmytrenko.com


2nd Place:
Susan Merdinger    
Highland Park IL      
Brahms—Piano Concerto No. 2

Susan Merdinger    

Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger has been internationally acclaimed in prestigious newspapers and journals for her stunning performances. Among her many honors, Merdinger is a two-time First Prize Winner of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in Professional Solo and Duo Piano, a two-time Gold Medalist of the Global Music Awards, Winner of Best Classical Album in the Clouzine international Music Awards, Winner of the Dewar’s Young Artists Award in Music, Winner of the Artists International Young Musicians Competition, and 2nd Prize Winner in the American Prize for Chamber Music. Performing her sold-out solo recital debut in Carnegie Recital Hall at age twenty-four, Merdinger has continued to grace the stages of some of the world’s best concert halls. She has appeared as soloist with professional orchestras such as the Chicago Philharmonic, the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, the Ridgewood Symphony, the Rockland Symphony and the Northbrook Symphony and has been a frequent Visiting Artist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series. Merdinger’s live performances and recordings have been broadcast worldwide on WQXR, WFMT, BRT-3 (Belgian National Radio), NPR and BBC Television. Merdinger received her formal education at Yale University, the Yale School of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. She is on the Faculty of Summit Music Festival in New York, Burgos Music Festival in Spain, and is Founder and Artistic Director of Sheridan Music Studio LLC, The Five Greene, Sheridan Solisti, and Pianissimo! Ensemble.


3rd Place:
Hyekyeong Hannah Cho 
Lacey   WA      
Stenhammar—Concerto No. 2 in D minor

Hyekyeong Hannah Cho 

South Korean-born pianist Hannah Cho is an active and versatile piano performer as a soloist and collaborative pianist.  She also actively involves piano pedagogy as a piano adjudicator of WSMTA and a jury member of many piano competitions.


     She holds the B.A. degree of Piano performance Dong-A University under Prof. HyeSun Park and Prof. YoungMoon Cho. She also earned Master Degree and “Konzertexamen” of Piano Performance from Pancho Vladigerov National Music Academy at Sofia, Bulgaria under Prof. Anton Dikov.

     She won several competitions including the Korea Music Association piano Competition, American Prize 2013 of piano solo division(2nd Prize) and at American Protégé International Competition in 2015(1stPirze).   She has been having numerous concerts as a soloist with several orchestras and as a chamber musician in Korea, Bulgaria, Japan and U.S at many venues includes Carnegie Weill Hall.

     Currently, she is working at St. Martin’s University as a piano faculty of Lacey, WA and as a worship pianist at Tacoma First Baptist Church of Tacoma, WA.  She is a performing member of Ladies Musical Club in Seattle, WA.


The American Prize 
in Piano Performance (concerto), 2018-19—The Lorin Hollander Award
(college/university division)

The American Prize winner:
Bogyeong  Lee 
North Liberty   IA        
Mozart—Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor

Bogyeong  Lee 

 Bogyeong Lee was born in South Korea. She was admitted to the Korean Educational Center for Gifted Children. Later on, she graduated the Incheon Arts School and Dankook University. Lee was proud to be admitted, and graduate, as a top fellowship student. She earned Master of Music Degree, studying with Emile Naoumoff, in Indiana University with Graduate Tuition Award and Artistic Excellence Fellowship. Currently, she is pursuing DMA under Ksenia Nosikova at the University of Iowa, while holding the position of Teaching Assistant and Pre-College Piano Conservatory. Lee is a winner of Concerto Competition at University of Iowa in 2018. Special Award for Contemporary Work from E-Piano Musik Fest in Minnesota in 2017. She achieved the 1st prizes of Carl Czerny National Music Competition. Korean Herald Music Competition, the classic music magazine “Edu-classic” Competition, The Superintendent Youth Music Competition, Seo-got Cultural Festival Competition, Central Music Daily competition, South Korea.



2nd Place:
Eunhae Choi
Savoy   Il     
Beethoven—Concerto No. 3  in C minor

Eunhae Choi

An active pianist and lifelong educator, Eunhae Choi is currently a Doctoral candidate for the Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Literature at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was awarded scholarships and fellowships while she was studying. Also, she holds a Master of Music degree at University of Texas at Austin, a Bachelor of Music degree at Hanyang University in South Korea. Her primary teachers include Prof. William Heiles, Gregory Allen, Young-In Lee, and Lilie Jang.


 As a dedicated teacher, Ms. Choi has studied Piano Pedagogy as her cognate minor while her doctoral studies and her teaching experience includes serving as the instructor from Piano Project program at the UT Austin and served as a President of the U of I Music Teachers National Association Collegiate chapter in 2016-2017. She was invited to present at the ISMTA conference in 2017 and now teaching at Piano Laboratory Program at Illinois. Also, she is a member of ensemble Seonmul which presents fusion of Korean traditional and western music.

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Congratulations!