Three students of piano faculty member Galina Gertsenson heard for themselves the splendor of the acoustics in New York City’s Carnegie Hall when they performed in two separate programs there in January.
They were taking part in the 2013 Crescendo International Piano Competition at the prestigious concert house after qualifying in a piano competition in the Fall 2012 semester.
The three who performed are: Sean Uliasz of Southwick, a senior with a music education concentration, who placed first in the qualifying event; Lewis Pacheco of Worcester, a junior with both music education and performance concentrations, who placed second; and Christina Richard of Monson, a sophomore studying general music, who also placed second.
Richard performed “Clair de Lune” from Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy, a difficult piece requiring masterful timbre and dynamic color.
Pacheco performed “Prelude in C-sharp Minor,” Op. 3 no. 2 by Serge Rachmaninoff, a well-known, challenging piece with full range of emotions.
Uliasz played “Mardi Gras,” a piece by contemporary American composer Richard Danielpour. The beauty of this piece is a challenging combination of classical and jazz styles. It is difficult to execute, with changing rhythms, tempos, and harmonies.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for these young musicians,” Gertsenson said. “This proves with determination, hard work and a good piano teacher, Carnegie Hall just may become more than a dream, but a reality. The Crescendo International Piano Competition gives young musicians all over the world the chance to make this dream come true.”
