Virginia Waring International Piano Competition: Top prize goes to man with Redlands roots
Nearly 20 young pianists vied for cash prizes and career-launching performance opportunities in an international piano competition held in Palm Desert this month, an event that culminated with a 26-year-old from the Inland Empire winning first place in a final category Monday night.
Jonathan Mamora, a pianist and educator originally from Redlands who now lives in Rochester, New York, took home the top award of $10,000. His performance, a concerto by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, earned a standing ovation.
Each of three finalists in the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition's last category Monday were tasked with playing a full concerto — a musical composition that averages roughly 30 minutes in length — with an accompanying orchestra. Other than Mamora, the two other concerto finalists included Christopher Richardson, who placed second, and Simon Karakulidi, in third.
Mamora also won the solo category in the 2022 competition, which evaluated pianists playing without an orchestra. That prize includes another $10,000, a recital at Weill Recital Hall within Carnegie Hall in New York City, and a private recording session with Yamaha Artist Services.
Contestant Simon Karakulidi came in second and Ilya Shmukler placed third.
Like nearly all other live music events in the California desert and around the country, the Waring competition was put on hold during the pandemic. This month's contest marked the first time the event has been held since 2019.
That long hiatus makes watching live music in the Coachella Valley even more meaningful, said the Waring's executive director, Ann Greer.
"It's really important; music unifies and music also relaxes," she said. "It's a way of de-stressing."
The Waring competition, first known as the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition, began in 1979 as part of a piano conference at the College of the Desert, with the goal of providing performance opportunities to young pianists. Since then, it's served as a stage for aspiring pianists from around the world and has launched many significant musical careers.
In the early 2000s, the competition was revitalized and renamed the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition in honor of the desert resident and respected pianist of the same name. Three age categories in the competition include junior (pianists up to age 12), intermediate (ages 13 to 17) and senior (ages 18 to 30); this year's iteration featured contestants solely from the eldest age group.
Aside from its main piano competition, the Waring organization hosts other community events in the Coachella Valley, including bringing competition winners and contestants to local schools to perform.
The Waring's chairman of the board, Peggy Cravens, who is credited with jumpstarting the competition alongside Virginia Waring two decades ago, was also given an award this week in recognition of her years of service.
"Finally, after three long years, this past week has seen some extraordinary musicianship at the highest artistic level," she said in opening remarks Monday.
The Desert Sun, among several other local organizations and companies, is a media sponsor of the Waring competition.
Amanda Ulrich writes for The Desert Sun as a Report for America corps member. Reach out on Twitter at @AmandaCUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Young pianists perform in Palm Desert competition
