International pianists at the Kennedy Center

The hands and arms of Jinseon Lee of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017.  According to program notes, Ms. Lee played Etudes No. 3 and No. 4 by E. Wild (1915-2010)/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

Young pianists from Korea, Italy, and China were on the program last week at the Ninth Annual Washington International Piano Festival held at the Kennedy Center and the Catholic University of America. Faculty members at CUA, Nikita Fitenko and Ivo Kaitchev, founded the Festival in 2009.

Benedetta Conte of Italy at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017, playing Musica ricercata, No. 8 by Ligeti (1923-2006)/Photo by Patricia Leslie 

The Festival's goal is "to provide the best learning experience for everyone by combining an intensive educational program with an outstanding concert series presented by world-class pianists."  More than 50 teachers, pianists, and guest artists participate every year in the week-long festival which offers paying students private lessons, master classes, lectures, workshops, concerts, and receptions.

(Please pardon the poor quality of these photographs, but the Kennedy Center usher made me stand behind the ropes to take pictures, and the distance to the subjects is one reason for the unsatisfactory output.) 

 Subin Hwang of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing Appassionata and I, Allegro assai by Beethoven (1770-1827)/Photo by Patricia Leslie 

 Ruiqing Liu of China at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing "Choi was chasing the moon" by J. Wang (b. 1933), the piece which matched the delicate stature of the player/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

Jialin Song of China at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Pathetique, III. Rondo: Allegro by Beethoven/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Haeun Yim of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing Preludes Op. 28/1 and 8 by Chopin (1810-1849), the best selection of the event/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Jae Hu Kim of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing Arabesque No. 2 by Debussy (1862-1918) /Photo by Patricia Leslie

Jinseon Lee of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017, playing, according to the program, Etudes No. 3 and No. 4 by E. Wild (1915-2010).  It sounded like she played chords from "The Man I Love" by Ira Gershwin (1896-1983), the most appealing piece to me/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The hands and arms of Jinseon Lee of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

The hands and arms of Jinseon Lee of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

The hands and arms of Jinseon Lee of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

 Laehyung Woo of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 by Beethoven and Sonata Sz. 80 by Bartok (1881-1945) which seemed the most technically difficult/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The hands and arms of Laehyung Woo of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

The arms of Laehyung Woo of Korea at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017)/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

 Yifu Xu of China at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017), playing Four Pieces from Eight Memories in Watercolor by T. Dun (b. 1957) and Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39 by Chopin/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Yifu Xu of China at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017, playing Four Pieces from Eight Memories in Watercolor by T. Dun (b. 1957) and Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39 by Chopin, the most beautiful selection of the evening, at least to me/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen with its black lines

 The contestants at the Ninth Annual International Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center, July 31, 2017/Photo by Patricia Leslie of the enlargement on the large screen
with its black lines

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