Saetbyeol Serena Kim Wins 2015 Dallas International Piano Competition

Dallas, TEXAS, March 19, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Nineteen young pianists from nine different countries came to Dallas this past weekend to compete in the third-annual Dallas International Piano Competition hosted by the Dallas Chamber Symphony. Saetbyeol Serena Kim from South Korea was the Grand Prize Winner, receiving a cash prize of $1,500 and a concert engagement with the Dallas Chamber Symphony during its 2015-16 season. Ms. Kim performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Kristyan Benitez from Venezuela claimed the Second Prize of $1,000 for his performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. Israeli-pianist Anna Arazi took Third Prize, and will receive a cash award of $500 for her performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Flat Major. Arazi performed on a Steinbuhler alternate-size keyboard, making her the first person ever to win an international piano competition while performing an alternate size action.

Finalists Nathan Ryland from the United States and Inyoung Kim from South Korea both received Honorable Mentions for their performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2, respectively. Both will receive a cash prize of $400. 

The Dallas International Piano Competition is presented in partnership between the Dallas Chamber Symphony and Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts. This year’s event was held in three rounds on March 11-14, 2015 at SMU’s Caruth Auditorium. Jurors David Korevaar, Marina Lomazov and Ran Dank adjudicated the competition.

Quarter-finalists of the competition took advantage of opportunities to participate in master classes taught by Alessio Bax, Joaquin Achucarro and Dr. Carol Leone. All master classes and competition rounds were open to the public.

This year marked several new milestones for the Dallas International Piano Competition. According to Richard McKay, Artistic Director for the Dallas Chamber Symphony, the four-day event attracted a record number of applicants and audiences, both by significant margin. Additionally, the event was sponsored by Yamaha and Metroplex Piano Warehouse, providing top-of-the-line, hand-built, Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Pianos for the competition rounds.  

Please visit dallasipc.org for a recap of the event, as well as participant and judges’ bios.

About the Winner

Saetbyeol Serena Kim began her musical studies at the age of five. Ten years later she began taking part in several piano competitions in her home country, including the 40th Educational Competition (1st prize), the 1st Liszt competition in Seoul and the Daegu 10th TBC Broadcast competition. After a successful debut with the Pohang Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of sixteen, she received the Talented Teenagers National Award in 2005.

She has also participated in a number of festivals including the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (2013), Tong-Yeong International Music Festival (2011) and the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy (2010). She also won the 2012 Rochester Philharmonic Concerto Competition and had two concerts with Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. She was invited as the guest artist to perform a solo recital at ‘Rising Star Concert’ at Texas State International Piano Festival (2014).

 Saetbyeol completed her Master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music, where she held an accompanying assistantship and served as the teaching assistant Enrico Elisi. Saetbyeol is currently pursuing her Artist Diploma at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory under Professor Marietta Orlov.

ABOUT DALLAS CHAMBER SYMPHONY

Named Best of Big D 2014 by D Magazine, and Best Classical Music Addition 2013 by the Dallas Observer, the Dallas Chamber Symphony is one of the most exciting and innovative professional performance ensembles in North Texas. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Richard McKay, it is comprised of 40 musicians, all dedicated to performing a balance of programs that include underrepresented and standard repertory, contemporary music, staged works, and pieces with extra-musical elements, such as film, actors, and dancers.

The DCS performs at the gorgeous new City Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District, and provides educational and community programming, including an annual International Piano Competition at SMU, field-trip concerts for area school districts, and Sight of Sound, an annual International Film Competition. For more information, visit dcsymphony.org