[NEohioPAL]Oberlin Conservatory of Music Press Release: Pianist Spencer Myer is a Finalist in the Cleveland International Piano Competition

[Marci Janas]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		Media Contact: Marci Janas
August 4, 2005					440-775-8328 or =
marci.janas at oberlin.edu


Pianist Spencer Myer =9200 is a Finalist in the Cleveland
International Piano Competition

OBERLIN, OHIO =97 Pianist Spencer Myer, a 2000 graduate of the Oberlin=20=

Conservatory of Music, is a finalist in the Cleveland International=20
Piano Competition, which offers the largest first-prize award in the=20
world =97 $50,000 =97 for a solo piano competition.

The 26-year-old musician, who studied at Oberlin with Professor of=20
Piano Peter Tak=E1cs,
will perform Beethoven=92s Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58 with the=20
Cleveland Orchestra, under the baton of Jahja Ling, on the first=20
evening of the finals round held on Friday, August 5, at 8 p.m. in=20
Severance Hall. Should Myer, who is one of four finalists, win the=20
first prize, he will receive, in addition to the cash award, a New York=20=

recital debut at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, an international=20
compact disc recording on the Naxos label, and two years of management=20=

services. The latter will help to coordinate more than 40 engagements=20
with arts series, music festivals, and symphony orchestras throughout=20
the country.

Tickets for the finals round are available by calling the Severance=20
Hall Box Office at
216-231-1111. The finals round will also be broadcast live on 104.9 FM,=20=

WCLV.

Donald Rosenberg, classical music critic of the Plain Dealer, wrote=20
enthusiastically about Myer=92s performance Tuesday in the semifinals=20
round: =93Spencer Myer (United States) once again lavished freshness and=20=

expressive logic on his program. =85 [H]e played Debussy=92s Images, =
Book=20
II =85 with an emphasis on animated motion, nuanced dynamics, and =
playful=20
seduction. The unbridled joy Myer invests in his music-making also was=20=

evident in Albeniz=92s Iberia, Book II, which had sensuousness,=20
fragrance, and something too often lacking on today=92s musical scene:=20=

charm. He delved into the 20th century with Samuel Barber=92s Sonata in=20=

E-flat minor, Op. 26, whose morose lyricism and hallucinatory waltz=20
lead to a brash, tangled fugue. Myer concocted a magnificent banquet=20
out of the score=92s dark brilliance and moodiness.=94

Cleveland is not the only Ohio city to bestow benevolent good fortune=20
on Myer; Cincinnati has also been kind. In July Myer won the silver=20
medal and $5,000 at the 2005 World Piano Competition at the Aronoff=20
Center for the Arts.

=93It's been such a pleasure to watch Spencer's growth in the last few=20=

years,=94 says Tak=E1cs. =93As a student he was a natural pianist and=20
musician, but to these qualities he has added a ravishing palette of=20
colors, stylistic sophistication, and the indefinable earmarks of a=20
true musical personality.  I believe he has the all the tools needed to=20=

reach the peak of his chosen profession."

Myer received his doctor of musical arts degree at Stony Brook=20
University in New York in June and a master of music degree at the=20
Juilliard School. He will be the only contestant representing the=20
United States in the 2005 Busoni International Piano Competition to be=20=

held in Bolzano, Italy, from August 24 through September 3. He is also=20=

one of five finalists in the American Pianists Association=92s 2006=20
Classical Fellowship Awards Competition, which takes place in various=20
Indianapolis venues in late 2005 and early 2006.

The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, founded in 1865 and situated within=20=

the intellectual vitality of Oberlin College since 1867, is the oldest=20=

continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Renowned=20
internationally as a professional music school of the highest caliber=20
and pronounced a =93national treasure=94 by the Washington Post, =
Oberlin=92s=20
alumni have gone on to achieve illustrious careers in all aspects of=20
the serious music world. Its students and alumni have won top prizes in=20=

numerous international piano competitions, including the Van Cliburn,=20
the Fryderyk Chopin, the Queen Elisabeth, the Arthur Rubinstein, the=20
Walter W. Naumberg, the Unisa International Piano Competition (South=20
Africa), the American Pianists Association Classical Fellowship=20
competition, the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, and=20
the Busoni Competition. The Conservatory=92s collection of 1,700 period=20=

and modern musical instruments includes 199 Steinway grand pianos.=20
Oberlin, an All-Steinway School, is Steinway & Sons=92 oldest continuous=20=

client; their relationship dates back more than 125 years.

# # #

Media Contact Only:
Marci Janas


Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH  44074
www.oberlin.edu/con
(P) 440-775-8328
(F) 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu
Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH  44074
www.oberlin.edu/con
(P) 440-775-8328
(F) 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu=

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<underline>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</underline>		<underline>Media
Contact: Marci Janas

</underline>August 4, 2005					=
440-775-8328 or marci.janas at oberlin.edu<bigger>

<bold>


</bold></bigger><center><bold><bigger><bigger><bigger>Pianist Spencer
Myer =9200 is a Finalist in the Cleveland

International Piano Competition</bigger></bigger>

</bigger></bold></center><bold>

</bold>OBERLIN, OHIO =97 Pianist Spencer Myer, a 2000 graduate of the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, is a finalist in the Cleveland
International Piano Competition, which offers the largest first-prize
award in the world =97 $50,000 =97 for a solo piano competition.


The 26-year-old musician, who studied at Oberlin with Professor of
Piano Peter Tak=E1cs,=20

will perform Beethoven=92s <italic>Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58</italic>
with the Cleveland Orchestra, under the baton of Jahja Ling, on the
first evening of the finals round held on Friday, August 5, at 8 p.m.
in Severance Hall. Should Myer, who is one of four finalists, win the
first prize, he will receive, in addition to the cash award, a New
York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, an
international compact disc recording on the Naxos label, and two years
of management services. The latter will help to coordinate more than
40 engagements with arts series, music festivals, and symphony
orchestras throughout the country.=20


Tickets for the finals round are available by calling the Severance
Hall Box Office at=20

216-231-1111. The finals round will also be broadcast live on 104.9
FM, WCLV.


Donald Rosenberg, classical music critic of the <italic>Plain
Dealer</italic>, wrote enthusiastically about Myer=92s performance
Tuesday in the semifinals round: =93Spencer Myer (United States) once
again lavished freshness and expressive logic on his program. =85 [H]e
played Debussy=92s <italic>Images, Book II</italic> =85 with an emphasis
on animated motion, nuanced dynamics, and playful seduction. The
unbridled joy Myer invests in his music-making also was evident in
Albeniz=92s <italic>Iberia, Book II</italic>, which had sensuousness,
fragrance, and something too often lacking on today=92s musical scene:
charm. He delved into the 20th century with Samuel Barber=92s
<italic>Sonata in E-flat minor, Op. 26</italic>, whose morose lyricism
and hallucinatory waltz lead to a brash, tangled fugue. Myer concocted
a magnificent banquet out of the score=92s dark brilliance and
moodiness.=94


Cleveland is not the only Ohio city to bestow benevolent good fortune
on Myer; Cincinnati has also been kind. In July Myer won the silver
medal and $5,000 at the 2005 World Piano Competition at the Aronoff
Center for the Arts.=20


<fontfamily><param>Times New Roman</param>=93It's been such a pleasure
to watch Spencer's growth in the last few years,=94 says Tak=E1cs. =93As =
a
student he was a natural pianist and musician, but to these qualities
he has added a ravishing palette of colors, stylistic sophistication,
and the indefinable earmarks of a true musical personality.  I believe
he has the all the tools needed to reach the peak of his chosen
profession."


</fontfamily>Myer received his doctor of musical arts degree at Stony
Brook University in New York in June and a master of music degree at
the Juilliard School. He will be the only contestant representing the
United States in the 2005 Busoni International Piano Competition to be
held in Bolzano, Italy, from August 24 through September 3. He is also
one of five finalists in the American Pianists Association=92s 2006
Classical Fellowship Awards Competition, which takes place in various
Indianapolis venues in late 2005 and early 2006.


<bold>The Oberlin Conservatory of Music</bold>, founded in 1865 and
situated within the intellectual vitality of Oberlin College since
1867, is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United
States. Renowned internationally as a professional music school of the
highest caliber and pronounced a =93national treasure=94 by the
<italic>Washington Post,</italic> Oberlin=92s alumni have gone on to
achieve illustrious careers in all aspects of the serious music world.
Its students and alumni have won top prizes in numerous international
piano competitions, including the Van Cliburn, the Fryderyk Chopin,
the Queen Elisabeth, the Arthur Rubinstein, the Walter W. Naumberg,
the Unisa International Piano Competition (South Africa), the American
Pianists Association Classical Fellowship competition, the Kosciuszko
Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, and the Busoni Competition. The
Conservatory=92s collection of 1,700 period and modern musical
instruments includes 199 Steinway grand pianos. Oberlin, an
All-Steinway School, is Steinway & Sons=92 oldest continuous client;
their relationship dates back more than 125 years.


<center># # #


</center>Media Contact Only:

Marci Janas



Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH  44074

www.oberlin.edu/con

(P) 440-775-8328

(F) 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu

Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH  44074

www.oberlin.edu/con

(P) 440-775-8328

(F) 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu=

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