American Pianists Association
The American Pianists Association is a performing arts organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, that holds two national, quadrennial piano competitions in alternating 2-year cycles: the Classical Fellowship Awards and the Jazz Fellowship Awards. Only American citizens ages 18–30 are eligible to compete. The organization hosts a recital series in non-competition years. The Fellowship Awards are among the most lucrative piano prizes in the world, valued at over $100,000.[1]
| Formation | 1979 by Victor Borge, Tony Habig, and Julius Bloom |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Discover, promote and advance the careers of young, American, world-class jazz and classical pianists |
| Headquarters | 4603 Clarendon Road, Suite 030, Indianapolis, IN 46208 |
| Location |
|
Region served | United States |
President & CEO/Artistic Director | Joel Harrison |
Current Classical Fellow | Drew Petersen |
Current Jazz Fellow | Emmet Cohen |
Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | www |
History
The association was "born" in New York City in 1979 as the Beethoven Foundation, conceived by the late Victor Borge, Tony Habig of Kimball International and Julius Bloom, former general manager of Carnegie Hall. Their original intent was to help identify and groom young American pianists to compete in international piano competitions by offering fellowships over a three-year period that included cash awards, concerts and media coverage.[2] It changed its name to The American Pianists Association in 1989 and added a jazz competition in 1992.
In 1982, the Beethoven Foundation moved its national headquarters to Indianapolis, partly because of geographical ties by two of its founders, Habig and Borge. Now the executive offices are a part of the Arts Collaborative housed in Lilly Hall at Butler University. In 1989, the name was changed to American Pianists Association to reflect a broader scope that included jazz pianists, and the mission also has broadened beyond the original purpose.[2]
From 2003 through 2008, the American Pianists Association produced Indy Jazz Fest.[3]
APA has collaborated with the Cultural Programs Division of the U.S. Department of State, which has sponsored Classical and Jazz Fellows, as well as Harrison, in international tours since 2003. All total, they have together or separately visited 10 countries worldwide.[4]
Competitions
Finalists compete through a series of adjudicated public recitals. The classical competition includes solo piano, chamber music, collaborative vocal, and concerto performances and ends with each finalist performing a concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The jazz competition includes repertoire for solo piano, jazz trio, vocal jazz, and jazz orchestra.[5]
American Pianists Awards winners
| Year | Fellow | Fellow | Fellow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Jazz | Emmet Cohen | ||
| 2017 Classical | Drew Petersen | ||
| 2015 Jazz | Sullivan Fortner | ||
| 2013 Classical | Sean Chen | ||
| 2011 Jazz | Aaron Diehl | ||
| 2009 Classical | Grace Fong | Adam Golka | |
| 2007 Jazz | Dan Tepfer | ||
| 2006 Classical | Stephen Beus | Spencer Myer | |
| 2004 Jazz | Adam Birnbaum | ||
| 2003 Classical | Thomas Rosenkranz | Michael Sheppard | |
| 2001 Jazz | Aaron Parks | ||
| 2000 Classical | Christopher Taylor | Ning An | |
| 1998 Jazz | Jesse Green | ||
| 1997 Classical | Derison Duarte | Hiroko Kunitake | Peter Miyamoto |
| 1996 Jazz | Rick Germanson | ||
| 1995 Classical | James Giles | Anthony Molinaro | J.Y. Song |
| 1994 Jazz | Kevin Bales | ||
| 1993 Classical | Adam Kent | Nicholas Roth | Lori Sims |
| 1992 Jazz | Jim Pryor | ||
| 1991 Classical | Timothy Bozarth | Anthony Padilla | Daniel Shapiro |
| 1989 Classical | Jonathan Bass | Brian Ganz | Stephen Prutsman |
| 1987 Classical | Diane Hidy | Philip Hosford | Nelson Padgett |
| 1985 Classical | Frederic Chiu | R. Clipper Erickson | Dmitry Rachmanov |
| 1983 Classical | Phillip Bush | John Salmon | Michael Lewin |
| 1981 Classical | David Buechner | Glenn Sales | Jonathan Shames |
Source:[6]
References
- Harvey, Jay. "Florida native Sean Chen named DeHaan Classical Fellow". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
- "Fellows of the American Pianists Association". American Music Teacher. 54 (4): 39–42. 2005.
- "APA History". Retrieved 2013-08-15.
- "Making Great Music Together". American Music Teacher. 59 (3): 20–23. 2009.
- "Competitions". Archived from the original on 2013-04-28. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
- "Former Fellows Page". Archived from the original on 2013-08-31. Retrieved 2013-08-15.