Steinway Gallery Hosts Piano Competition

The music of Chopin, Beethoven, Kabalevsky and more filled the Steinway & Sons Used Piano Gallery, as Long Island students put their abilities to the test in the Seventh-Annual Suffolk Piano Teachers Foundation Competition.

Students were placed in categories according to their age and skill. 

The Suffolk Piano Teachers Foundation is a non-profit organization of professional music educators. The organization works to provide recitals for performance opportunities for our students, such as the competition held at the Steinway gallery. 

Cassandra Ye, a fourth grader at Paumanok Elementary School took second place in the Late Intermediate Division for her playing of Le Petit Negre by C. Debussy.

The other winners were as follows:

Elementary Division:

First Place (tie): Julia D’Alto, South Setauket, 3rd grade, Arrowhead Elementary School, (Rondo in Classic Style by W. Gillock), and Cole Hempel, West Hampton, 5^th grade, West Hampton Beach Elementary School, (Petite Piece, Op. 6, No. 17 by A. Goedike)

Second Place: Albert Choi, East Setauket, 3^rd grade, Minnesauke Elementary School, (5 Variations on a Russian Folksong Op. 51 No. 1 by D. Kabalevsky)

Third Place: Alicia Heintzelman, East Setauket, 4^th grade, Nassakeag Elementary School, (Wild Ride by J. Wells)

Early Intermediate Division:

First Place: Maya Hasegawa, Middle Island, 4^th grade, West Middle Island Elementary School, (Polonaise in g minor by F. Chopin)

Second Place: Benjamin Dieujuste, Brentwood, 6^th grade, South Middle School, (Soldiers on Parade by D. Kabalevsky)

Third Place: Weslyn Cai, Kings Park, 3^rd grade, Parkview Elementary School, (La Tarentella, Op. 100 No. 20 by F. Burgmuller)

Late Intermediate Division:

First Place (tie):  Amy Chang, Port Jefferson, 5^th grade, Edna Louise Spear Elementary School  (Etude Allegro by Y. Nakada), and Charles Sun, East Setauket, 6^th grade, Nassakeag Elementary (Waltz in A-flat, Op. 39 No.15 by J. Brahms)

Second Place: Cassandra Ye, Dix Hills, 4^th grade, Paumanok Elementary School (Le Petit Negre by C. Debussy)

Third Place: Andrew Wong, Syosset, 10^th grade, Syosset High School(Solfeggietto by C.P.E. Bach)

Early Advanced Division:

First Place: Michael Rodriguez, Manorville, 9^th grade, St. Anthony’s High School (Sonata “Pathetique” in Cm, Op. 13 Mvt II by L. Beethoven)

Second Place: Leo Chen, Selden, 7^th grade, Selden Middle School, (Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 by F. Chopin 

Third Place: Christopher Ritter, Sag Harbor, 8^th grade, Pierson Middle School, (Pastoral No. 1 by A. Hovhaness)

Late Advanced Division:

First Place (tie): Eugene Iovine III, Lake Ronkonkoma, 10^th grade, Sachem East High School, (Prelude in C# minor, Op. 3 No. 2 by S. Rachmaninoff) and Michael Kearney, Mt. Sinai, 11^th grade, Home Schooled, (Un Sospiro by F. Liszt)

Second Place: Gabriel Downs, East Setauket, 9^th grade, Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School, (Prelude in C# minor, Op. 3 No. 2 by S. Rachmaninoff)

Third Place: Joshua Millings, Central Islip, 12^th grade, Home Schooled, (Jeux d’eau by M. Ravel)

First place winners will perform their music at one of two SPTF Honors Recitals to be held on Wednesday, June 6 at 5 and 7 p.m. Staller Center, Stony Brook University.

First, second and third place winners will be receiving medals and prizes at a special awards ceremony between both Honors Recitals. All first place winners will also receive cash prizes. 

For headshots of other winners and more information about SPTF, email suffolkpianoteachers@gmail.com or visit www.suffolkpianoteachers.org