Alumni Spotlight 2019: Ella Kollett
ELLA KOLLETT Teacher: Karali Hunter Special kudos to Ella Kollett, age 15, who won SIX first place prizes in the 2019 festival! • BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE OR BAROQUE PERIOD WORK• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY MARJORIE BURGESS• ARTIST PIANIST AWARD• CREATIVE STYLISTIC…
Alumni Spotlight 2019: James Algermissen
JAMES ALGERMISSEN Teacher: Kellie Johannik Special kudos to James Algermissen, age 13, who won EIGHT first prizes in the 2019 festival! • BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK WRITTEN, ARRANGED OR EDITED BY JOHN SALMON• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK WRITTEN, ARRANGED OR EDITED BY KEVIN OLSON• PIANO ENSEMBLE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK…
Alumni Spotlight 2018: Julianne McCollough
JULIANNE MCCOLLOUGH Teacher: Janet Ali Julianne McCollough won a total of SEVEN first place prizes in the 2018 festival! • BEST PERFORMANCE OF A COMPOSITION IN ANY STYLE BY MARJORIE BURGESS ($200)• MOST VERSATILE PIANIST ($100)• BEST DEMONSTRATION OF GENUINELY SPONTANEOUS IMPROV (SOLO PIANO) ($50) Julianne McCollough pictured with Arthur Houle, Evan Mazunik, Wynn-Anne Rossi,…
Alumni Spotlight 2018: Claire McCollough
CLAIRE MCCOLLOUGH Teacher: Janet Ali Claire McCollough won a total of FOUR first place prizes in the 2018 festival! • BEST PIANIST STUDYING WITH A CMTA MEMBER ($50)• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK WRITTEN OR EDITED BY KEVIN OLSON ($50)• BEST PERFORMANCE OF CLEMENTI OP. 36 (HOULE EDITION) ($50)• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A LYRICAL AND…
Alumni Spotlight 2017: James Algermissen
JAMES ALGERMISSEN Teacher: Kellie Johannik Special kudos to James Algermissen, age 11, who won a total of FOUR first place prizes in the 2017 festival! • BEST DEMONSTRATION OF GENUINELY SPONTANEOUS IMPROVISATION IN ANY STYLE (PIANO ENSEMBLE)• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A WORK FOR 4 OR MORE HANDS• MOST VERSATILE PIANIST• BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR…
Alumni Spotlight 2017: Samantha Ng
SAMANTHA NG Teacher: Valerie Mishek Special kudos to Samantha Ng, age 13, who won a total of FOUR first place prizes in the 2017 festival! • ARTIST PIANIST AWARD• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE OR BAROQUE PERIOD WORK• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONTEMPORARY WORK• BEST PIANIST STUDYING WITH A DAMTA MEMBER Samantha Ng being congratulated…
Alumni Spotlight 2016: Maria Ali
MARIA ALI Teacher: Unlisted Standout contestant Maria Ali won a total of FOUR prizes in the 2016 festival! • BEST DEMONSTRATION OF EMBELLISHING AND/OR IMPROVISING OR ORIGINAL CADENZA• FINALIST: BEST ORIGINAL WRITTEN COMPOSITION• BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION JAZZ, POP, GOSPEL OR RAG• BEST PIANIST STUDYING WITH A CMTA MEMBER In 2019, she was one…
Alumni Spotlight 2016: Desi Silverman-Joseph
DESI SILVERMAN-JOSEPH Teachers: Joan Garver & Joyce Li (Joyce & Desi on YouTube) At the young age of 11, Desi Silverman-Joseph won a total of SEVEN prizes in the 2016 festival, thereby shattering all previous prize-garnering records since the festival began in 2001. • ARTIST PIANIST AWARD• BEST PERFORMANCE OF PRE-BAROQUE, BAROQUE WORK OR CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK• BEST COMPOSITION…
Alumni Spotlight 2015: Andrew Vargas
ANDREW VARGAS Teacher: Unlisted Andrew Vargas won a total of FOUR first place prize awards in the 2015 Festival for Creative Pianists—a record for that year’s festival! • ARTIST PIANIST AWARD • BEST PERFORMANCE OF A PRE-BAROQUE, BAROQUE WORK OF CLASSICAL PERIOD WORK• BEST PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC PERIOD WORK• BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN IMPRESSIONISTIC OR…
Brief History of and Raison D’être for the Festival for Creative Pianists
(This post was written in 2018 by Dr. Arthur Houle, Colorado Mesa University) Pianists from anywhere in the world up to the age of 19 who are looking for a different kind of competitionexperience are invited to participate in the Festival for Creative Pianists, a unique and highly innovative event held annually in early June…