Wideman International Piano Competition announces 2021winners

Meredith G. White, Shreveport Times
·2 min read

On Sunday Dec. 5 the 70th annual Wideman International Piano Competition took place at Centenary College. Six nationally recognized pianists competed for the prestigious gold medal and the prizes that came with it.

Taking home the gold, the $3,000 cash prize and the William Peyton Shehee and Virginia Kilpatrick Shehee Memorial Award is Zheyu (Crystal) Jiang from China.

Jiang played the Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, op.23. As part of her winnings, Jiang will have the opportunity to perform with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Salon de Virtuosi Concert Series in New York, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago and other engagements to be announced.

Gold Medal recipient Zheyu (Crystal) Jiang from China played the Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, op.23.
Gold Medal recipient Zheyu (Crystal) Jiang from China played the Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, op.23.

Winner of the silver medal which included a $2,000 cash prize and the John and Alice Frazier Award in Memory of Genevieve and Carlton Frazier and the Lynn and Wayne Homza Award in Memory of Dr. Norman Fisher is Edward Leung from the United States. He performed Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, op. 23. As a part of his win, he will also have concert dates to be announced.

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The bronze medal recipient is Xu Zi from China who played Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, op. 11 with a $1,000 cash prize.

Honorable mentions who received a $500 cash prize belong to Jieun Lee from South Korea who played Ravel, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D minor. This award was given in honor of Wideman Executive Director Emeritus, Lester Senter Wilson. Jung-eun Kim from South Korea also received the $500 cash prize honorable mention playing Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op.43.

Prudence Poon from Hong Kong was the recipient of the Audience Award of $700 that was in memory of Richard B. Wilson, Jr. She played Prokifiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C-major, op. 26.

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Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Wideman International Piano Competition announces 2021 winners