For the past week, young pianists have gathered in Milwaukee to vie for the title in the 2012 Piano Arts Competition. Since 1999, the biennial competition has launched the careers of numerous national and international performers. And it is one of the few competitions of its kind in the country.
Tonight, the top three competitors will perform with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center in Brookfield, under the direction of Andrew Sill. And the winner will receive a cash prize of 10-thousand dollars. But to get to the top three places, all the competitors had a series of elimination rounds in front of various panels of judges.
The semifinal and final rounds are judged this year by three internationally known pianists and teachers, including Pavlina Dokovska. In addition to her concert career, Dokovska is also on the faculty at the Mannes College of Music in New York. She and Piano Arts founder Sue Medford joined Bonnie North in the studio to explain what they’re looking for in a young pianist.
