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WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL PIANO ARTISTS COMPETITION
(Last Revision: May 27th, 2009) The 2009 Festival of Music and Washington International Piano Artists Competition forms are now available: 2009 WIPAC COMPETITION GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION FORM (PDF) 2009 WIPAC COMPETITION GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION FORM (DOC) **APPLICATION DEADLINE: MUST BE POSTMARKED OR EMAILED BY JULY 1, 2009 MIDNIGHT** Preliminary Rounds wil be held at First Presbyterian Church at 2401 Virginia Avenue ( 24th & G Sts. NW) Washington, DC, near GWU campus beginning 10 AM. Competitors must register at GWU Music Department at the WIPAC Desk near music department office. There are practice pianos there. No practice piano at the Church, which is a short walking distance from the GWU Music Department at 22nd and H. Coordinate arrivals earlier than Wednesday by email or phone with WIPAC. Special $250 awards for each of the following: Best Performance of a Polish, Mexican, and/or American Composer not Gershwin, are being offered this year. This is in addition to other awards normally offered by the competition and mentioned in the rules and guidelines. Please note that as of 2009 we will not be accepting student pianists currently in conservatory, university or college music programs working on an advanced performance degree.
The competition guidelines contain a list of many different awards offered each year at the WIPAC competition. The first prize award includes $1,000, a solo concert during WIPAC's Fall Season at The Anderson House Museum in Washington, DC, and an invitation to perform in the annual "WINNERS GRAND PRIX" concert, held annually in April. WIPAC's award structure is designed to maximize benefits to as many participants as possible and to reward various areas of artistic excellence. But there are several other awards, and these may be added to or changed in some ways to accomodate the changing needs of our organization, the various embassies in Washington DC which might indicate discretionary awards, and the jury of the competition. The Polish Embassy continues to offer an award in 2009 to a competitor for the best performance of any Polish Composer. Keep in mind that 2010 is the 200th Birthyear Anniversary of Chopin and that all of us should look forward to celebrating that year in a special way with music of Chopin. For detailed information on event locations, maps, and other travel information, please click on the following link and keep in mind that you can expect this file to be updated periodically as precise venues are determined: COMPETITION LOCATIONS AND TRAVEL INFORMATION The public is cordially invited to all rounds of the competition. Most events are free and open to the public. The WIPAC Celebratory Dinner following the last day of competition requires advanced reservation and payment, and certain masterclass events require an audit fee at the door. There is an event order form included with the APPLICATION FORM above. Please contact WIPAC@COX.NET for more details or to make changes in your reservations prior to the deadline. WIPAC solicits membership donations in support of its mission and relies heavily on public support to achieve its mission. Your donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. The competition in 2008 was sponsored in cooperation with The George Washington University Music Department, the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC, the Mexican Cultural Institute, and the French Embassy in Washington, DC.. A Piano Marathon event was hosted by the Arts Club of Washington, DC. The response of the public and the competitors to all events was outstanding. The festival of music ended with a piano concert of Polish Composers at the Polish Embassy, performed by one of the jurors of the competition, Janice Weber, from Boston Conservatory. The competition in 2008 was held in cooperation with Russian Cultural Centre, George Washington University, the Mexican Cultural Institute, the French Embassy, and The Arts Club of Washington. Locations for 2009 are in preparation and WIPAC will keep applicants informed of details closer to the time of the competition. Each pianist competitor is required to send in a fully completed application form with current photo (passport size or larger) and a tape or CD recording of no less than 25 minutes to an hour of performances of classical piano music. If you plan to participate, we would appreciate your notifcation as soon as you are able to inform us. The competition is always juried by a panel of professional pianists. The chair of the jury is chosen from the diplomatic corps in Washington, DC. The chair's function is to moderate jury discussion and enforce the rules of adjudication, and to cast a tie-breaking vote only if that would be absolutely necessary. There is also a press jury award and an audience award for best pianist in the final round. and several other special prizes offered which are not limited to finalists, but may be chosen from amongst any one of the competitors participating, and based on performances in any round of the competition. All awards offer cash prizes. The final round of the 2005 WIPAC Festival of Music was reviewed by Tim Page, Pulitzer Prize winning editor of the “Style Section” of The Washington Post. The winning pianist is awarded a Debut Recital at The Anderson House Museum in Washington, DC, and is also invited to perform in the next annual WIPAC "Winner's Grand Prix" Concert, held in April each year. That event hosts winners of up to four international piano competitions from amongst those organizations that host similar competitions around the world, including Van Cliburn (Fort Worth), Rocky Mountan (Colorado Springs), Boston, Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Warsaw. More details regarding awards can be found in the WIPAC Competition Guidelines and Application Form (see above). The atmosphere of the WIPAC Festival of Music is congenial, and attendees will have an opportunity to enjoy many wonderful social events as well as many opportunites to learn more about their performances both from jurors and by their interaction with other competitors. Candidates and their guests will meet with diplomats, career pianists and other luminaries in the Capital City. Traditionally, we begin in grand fashion with a Welcome Reception, hosted by a foreign ambassador either at his embassy or residence. Washington, DC is a wonderful city to visit in the summer months. Tourism is at its height; museums and galleries are open to the public and are located close to The George Washington University, which is our central meeting place for the duration of the competition. Workshops, piano marathons and master classes are offered to participating pianists and open to the public as well, during the festival. In 2006, we added a "free critique" by a professional pianist to those who participated in the piano marathon session. Those pianists not advancing from the preliminary round took part in the marathon session, which provided an opportunity for useful feedback and informal commentary on performances. David Witten, a juror from Montclain State University, and Raymond Jackson from Howard University have been the pianists' favorite commentators at these events. In 2009 our aim is to provide each competitor with a CD of their performance in the Preliminary Round. This will be included as a part of the application fee. Complimentary cocktail receptions are held after early rounds of the competition. After the final round, a fabulous Celebratory sit-down buffet for all candidates, friends, and patrons is offered for a nominal fee at La Mason Francaise, the French Embassy. A grand piano is normally available for this event. Competitors register upon arrival at The George Washington University Music Department, Phillips Hall, Office: B-144. Competitors will find practice rooms, congregate and perform for each other both informally and in master classes at the music department. PAST WINNERS OF THE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL PIANO ARTISTS COMPETITION ARE AS FOLLOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM JULY 16-21, 2008
FULL SIZED PHOTO (click here) OF ORGANIZERS & FINALISTS: (left to right) (additional materials will be added soon: last update August 15, 2008) ____________________________ HIGHLIGHTS FROM JULY 18-22, 2007 (LAST UPDATE: 16-MARCH-2008) Press Review of 2007 WIPAC piano competition: click here: PRESS CORNER PHOTO OF 5 FINALISTS WITH MARIUSZ BRYMORA, CHAIR OF JURY AND CHATEAU GARDECKI, PRESIDENT OF WIPAC (Left to Right: Gala Gurinovich, Monika Mockovcakova, Mariusz Brymora-Jury Chair, Robert Finley, Jee-Ean Kim, Chateau Gardecki-President of WIPAC, Jelena Vladikovic)
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