• Award of the Marshal of the Lower Silesian Province for the President of TiFL

Rafal Jurkowlaniec, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Province, awarded Juliusz Adamowski, President of TiFL, for special achievements in the field of culture.

• Further successes of the participants of the 16th International Master Course for Pianists.

Marta Czech won the 1st prize and special prizes for best performance of F. Chopin's piece and best performance of a French composer's piece at the 3rd International Piano Competition „CHOPIN +” in Budapest (11-15 March 2010) in age category up to 12.
The 2nd prize in the age category up to 15 was awarded to Karolina Czech.
For the first time in the history of this competition, there was a prize for best student preparation. This prize was awarded to Maria Serafin, who prepared both laureates for the competition. Maria Serafin (a senior lecturer at the Music Academy in Katowice), since 1994 has been interpreting classes of Alexei Orlovetsky during the annual international master courses for pianists in Wroclaw.

• Successes of the participants of the 16th International Master Course for Pianists in 2009.

Every year some of our course participants achieve significant artistic successes. For example, following the last edition (August 2009) Grzegorz Niemczuk won the 43rd Nationwide F. Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and was awarded with a prize for best performance of R. Schumann's piece, became a laureate of the Dias of the Young at the 43rd Festival of Polish Piano-Playing in Slupsk and a semi-finalist at the Southern Highlands Piano Competition in Borwal (Australia. Successfully performed in Belgium, Finland, France (standing ovations) and in Poland. Marta Czech, Karolina Czech and Tamara Niekludow won, in their age categories, the Polish-German Piano Tournament in Zgorzelec-Görlitz. Moreover, Marta Czech, as the only competitor, acquired maximum score and won a prize for best performance of a classical piece, and Tamara Niekludow – analogous prize for F. Chopin's piece. Marta Czech also won 2nd prize at the International Mozart Piano Competition ''Amadeus'' in Brno.
Brigitta Taraszova and Krisztina Taraszova successfully performed at the opening concert of the 17th International Festival of Young Laureates of Music Competitions in Katowice.

• AMERICAN LISZT SOCIETY 2011 BICENTENNIAL FESTIVAL

IThe American Liszt Society 2011 Bicentennial Festival is scheduled for Feb. 17-19, 2011 at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. The Festival theme is "Liszt and the Future." In addition to presenting concerts of music by Liszt and his pupils and presenting lectures on recent Liszt research, the ALS Bicentennial Festival will offer these special events:
1) the world premiere of an ALS commissioned work by Pulitzer Prize winner William Bolcom titled " New Petrarch Sonnets" for baritone and piano, with Mr. Bolcom in attendance. The distinguished American baritone Thomas Hampson will sing the premiere. (Bolcom's last song cycle was premiered by Placido Domingo in 2006,
2) the world premiere of the prize-winning solo piano composition of the ALS Bicentennial Composition Competition, open to composers worldwide aged 25- 40. The $4000 prize is donated by Steinway & Sons,
3) The presentation of the ALS Bicentennial Alan Walker Book Award, bestowed by Dr. Walker,
4) an exhibition in the University of Georgia School of Art gallery of Liszt- related materials assembled from museums and private collections.

Richard Zimdars, Despy Karlas Professor of Piano
Artistic Director, 2011 American Liszt Society
Bicentennial Festival
Contributing Editor, Clavier Companion
Hugh Hodgson School of Music
University of Georgia
250 River Road
Athens, GA 30602-7287
Office phone: 706/542-2704
www.uga.edu/music