March 26, 2008

Piano Concert of the Winners of the Béla Bartók Competition of the Washington Music Teachers Association

The Washington Music Teachers Association’s (WMTA) Béla Bartók Competition was founded in 1964 by Hungarian born Ylda Novik, a renowned teacher of pre-college children in the Washington, DC area. Ylda’s family emigrated to the US from Hungary during her childhood. She was an enthusiastic promoter of the music of Béla Bartók, whom she met in 1943 when he played with the Cleveland Symphony during her student days at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Ms. Novik was especially interested in Bartók’s teaching material (e.g. Mikrokosmos or For Children), some of which she recorded for Bartók’s publisher, Boosey & Hawkes Co. From the beginning, Boosey & Hawkes sponsored the competition and donated prize money; in the early years a senior officer of the company traveled here from New York to present the awards at the winner's recital. There were often more than 100 students competing. In 1965 the competition was taped by Voice of America for distribution to their Hungarian audience, with commentary provided by Ylda Novik.

In 2006 the Embassy of Hungary extended its hospitality to Washington Music Teachers Association, and began what it is now a tradition of presenting the Béla Bartók Competition winners in recital at the Embassy. The WMTA and the Embassy of Hungary are privileged to present a program of this great composer’s piano music in the embassy of his country, in the company of his countrymen.

Winners of the 2008 Béla Bartók Competition of WMTA

Nineteen young winners of the 2008 Béla Bartók Competition of the WMTA gave a concert at the Embassy on March 25, which was the 127th anniversary of the birth Béla Bartók. The piano performance was followed by the presentation of the prize awards of Boosey & Hawkes, and a buffet reception.

The pianists and the pieces of the concert:

Rena Cai

In Yugoslav Mode (Mikrokosmos vol. II) and Play (For Children vol. I)

Isabella Chang

Pentatonic Tune and Winter Solstice Song (For Children vol. I)

Laura Chu

Allegro molto, Lento and Jest (For Children vol. I)

Bryan Ho

Rondo no. 1, Free Variations (Mikrokosmos vol. VI)

Max Hou

Jest (For Children vol. I), Rumanian Folk Dances: Maruntel

Elizabeth Hu

Round Dance and Winter Solstice Song (For Children vol. I)

Niki Hua

Rondo no. 1, Sketch no. 7, Suite Op. 14: Scherzo

Ryo Kaneko

Suite Op. 14: Scherzo, Sonata: movement III

Kazune Kitani

Rhapsody (For Children vol. II), Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm no. 4 (Mikrokosmos vol. VI)

Samuel Ong

Round Dance, Pillow Dance and Children’s Game (For Children vol. I)

Alex Peng

In Yugoslav Mode (Mikrokosmos vol. II)

Folk-Song, Minuet and Allegro Deciso (First Term at the Piano)

Cory Rivera

Rumanian Folk Dances: Buciumeana and Maruntel, Sonatina: Finale

Alexander Stabile

Suite Op. 14: Allegretto, Allegro molto and Sostenuto       

Antonia Stabile

Nine Little Pieces: Tambourine, Free Variations (Mikrokosmos vol. VI)

Virginia Sun

Variations, Scherzo, Merriment and Melody with Interruptions (Mikrokosmos vol. III)

Jenny Tan

In Yugoslav Mode (Mikrokosmos vol. II), Hungarian Folk Song

Lyric Yu

Evening in the Country, Pentatonic Tune (For Children vol. I)

Muli Yu

Bagpipe II (For Children vol. II), Variations (Mikrokosmos vol. III)

Valerie Zetts

Rhapsody (For Children vol. II), Rondo no. 3