Competition celebrates music, showmanship Liberace loved

Heather Cory

Kevin Meng, 10, practices recently at the Liberace Museum. He is one of 11 people participating Sunday in the Liberace Piano Competition.

By Joe Brown

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Liberace

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As the highest paid entertainer in 1955 making $50,000 a week at the Riviera, Liberace paved the way for a generation of marquee entertainers who would draw thousands of people to the Strip with just a mere flashing of their names in lights.

Here they are, Las Vegas, your finalists in the 2008 Liberace Piano Competition. It may be a stretch to call the 15-year-old contest the “American Idol” for pianists, but there’s no doubt it’s been closely watched around town — a majority of the competitors are students and entertainers from the Vegas area, and their numbers have been winnowed during the monthlong process from an initial 27 to the final 11.

The pianists, ages 6 to 68, will perform Sunday afternoon at the Community Lutheran auditorium before a paying audience and a competition jury headed by Philip Fortenberry, associate music director for the Las Vegas production of “Jersey Boys.” Judges include Min Kim, piano educator and soloist; Joey Singer, pianist for “Mamma Mia!” at Mandalay Bay; Moonlight Tran, Las Vegas Philharmonic cellist and pianist; and Hal Weller, founding music director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Competitors will be judged on a point system ranking technical skill, artistic impression (appropriateness of musical selection to age and current musical development) and audience appeal. The showmanship division competitors — who are encouraged to dress in costume — will perform two selections, one classical and one reflecting Liberace’s spirit of showmanship and entertainment ability.

At stake: Scholarships worth $500 and $1,000 and, for the showmanship winner, a $1,000 cash prize. Liberace himself studied classical music for 17 years at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and received a scholarship for his studies. The Liberace Foundation has provided more than $5 million in scholarship grants to more than 2,200 students at 110 colleges and universities.

Showmanship Division (amateur and professional performers of all ages)

Name: Melissa Alcazar

Age: 26

Hometown: Los Angeles

Fun fact: Ditched piano for three years to become a professional snowboarder

Performing: Lecuona: “Malaguena”; Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6

Name: Christopher-Joel Carter

Age: 26

Hometown: Huntsville, Ala.

Fun facts: Received his first Liberace cassette at age 9; enjoys bourbon and making himself laugh

Performing: “Alabama Jubilee”; Liszt: Un Suspiro

Name: Hector Montes de Oca Ruiz

Age: 68

Hometown: Tepic Nayarit, Mexico

Fun fact: Born in Mexico City, the senior showman of the competition is an honorary citizen of Lubbock, Texas.

Performing: Delibes: Mazurka from “Coppelia”

Classical Open Division (enrolled in accredited higher education music program)

Name: Otto Ehling

Age: 20

Hometown: Los Angeles

Fun fact: Brazilian-American UNLV music major; performed in the orchestra for “The Producers” at Paris Las Vegas

Performing: Liszt: “Mephisto Waltz”

Name: Ashlee Young

Age: 21

Hometown: Billings, Mont.

Fun fact: Earned her begged-for piano lessons at age 4 after picking out the “Free Willy” theme by ear

Performing: Liszt: Tarantella

Classical Senior Division (ages 11-17)

Name: Grace Kim

Age: 14

Hometown: Las Vegas

Fun facts: Became interested in the instrument because she thought pianists were really pretty; majors in piano at Las Vegas Academy

Performing: Chopin: Ballade Op. 23 No. 1

Name: Carmen Lai

Age: 17

Hometown: Las Vegas

Fun fact: Founded Piano Club at Clark High School, which gives annual concerts that have raised more than $1,000 for charity

Performing: Debussy: “Feux d’artifice (Fireworks)”

Name: Seth Thompson

Age: 16

Hometown: Henderson

Fun facts: Math whiz and magician; founded the Underground Ping-Pong Federation at Coronado High School

Performing: Prokofiev: Sonata No. 6, fourth movement

Classical Junior Division (12 years and under)

Name: Tiffany Koo

Age: 6

Hometown: South Pasadena, Calif.

Fun facts: Hello Kitty fan; playing since age 4; look her up on YouTube

Performing: Mozart’s Rondo in D major and Chopin’s Nocturne in C# minor

Name: Kevin Meng

Age: 10

Hometown: Las Vegas

Fun facts: Has been playing piano for half his life; took first place in the Silver State Music Competition; also plays violin and soccer

Performing: Liszt: Etude Op. 1 No. 4 in D minor

Name: Abigail Varghese

Age: 8

Hometown: Henderson

Fun facts: Declared, at age 6, that piano is “better than chocolate”; won first place at Silver State for an original composition

Performing: Rossi: “Diamonds on the Water”; Barden: Etude Toccata