Piano Judges – José Iturbi Foundation

DANIEL POLLACK, Piano Judge - Chairman 2007-2010

"Daniel Pollack is one of the remaining pianists today with a sublime link to the golden age of piano" The New York Times Daniel Pollack is returning for his fourth year as Chairman of the Piano Jury. His career as a concert pianist has taken Mr. Pollack was recently featured in a profile in the New York Times headlined “Piano Man, Winning Russian Hearts and Minds” in which it was quoted by a recording executive, “he is now a legend in Russia.” Another profile featured in the International Herald Tribune, headlined, “A Musical ‘love affair’ with Russia.” Recent highlights include appearances as soloist with conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra in St. Petersburg, Russia and as soloist with such major philharmonics as London’s Royal, Seoul, Korea, Hong Kong, Kiev, Ukraine, Bogota, Colombia, Montevideo, and in the United States, as soloist with the philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, San Francisco, Minnesota, among numerous others. Additionally, Mr. Pollack has performed solo recitals in such major music centers of the world as London’s Royal Festival Hall, Vienna’s Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colon, Seoul’s Arts Center, Moscow’s Bolshoi Zal, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. Mr. Pollack has participated on major international competition juries such as the Tchaikovsky in Moscow; Queen Elizabeth in Brussels; Vladimir Horowitz, Kiev, Ukraine; Leeds, England; Maria Callas, Athens, Greece; Jose Iturbi, Los Angeles, California; and the Rachmaninoff in Moscow, among others. His CDs include a recent release on Classical Records; ‘COLORS’, on RCM, a Grammy-nominated CD for Naxos of Samuel Barber, an all-Chopin CD released by Sony, and two “crossover” CDs of popular romantic works for Four Winds, and more. Mr. Pollack has held several artist faculty positions including The Juilliard School, Columbia University and Yale’s School of Music and is now on the faculty of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School from the class of the legendary Rosina Lhevinne.

EDUARDO DELGADO, Piano Judge - 2008, 2009

Vitaly Margulis, Piano Judge - 2007

Vitaly Margulis (also known as Vitalij Margulis) was born in the city of Kharkiv in the Ukraine. He took his first piano lessons from his father, whose teacher studied with the composer Alexander Scriabin. Margulis continued studies at the Leningrad Conservatory, where from 1958 until his emigration to the west in 1974, he taught piano. In 1975, Margulis became a full Professor at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, Germany. In 1994, he became Professor of Piano at the University of California in Los Angeles. In addition, he also gave piano master classes around the world.

JORGE MESTER, Piano Judge - 2010

Jorge Mester is recognized throughout the world as a preeminent conductor who brings excellence and prominence to Mr. Mester was director of Juilliard’s conducting department, led concerts and operas at the USC Thornton School of Music and directed many high-profile conducting workshops around the country, including an advanced-level conducting workshop in Naples. Generations of conductors have looked to Mr. Mester for instruction, including James Conlon, Dennis Russell Davies, Andreas Delfs, JoAnn Falletta and John Nelson. Mr, Mester has mentored such internationally acclaimed artists as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Midori, Renee Fleming, Cho-Liang Lin, Aprille Milo and Robert McDuffie. During his 21-year affiliation with the Aspen Music Festival, Mr. Mester helped solidify the organization’s reputation for recognizing and nurturing emerging world-class musicians. every organization he leads. This is his sixth season as music director of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Mester is conductor laureate of the Aspen Music Festival, and former artistic director of Mexico City’s leading orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de la Ciudad de Mexico. His passion for opera has also made him a sought-after conductor in opera houses around the world. He has conducted numerous productions for the New York City Opera, the Sydney Opera, the Spoleto Festival and the Washington Opera. He led a staged operatic production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in November, 2006 in Naples. Maestro Mester has also made numerous recordings, including 72 with the Louisville Orchestra. He is in his 24th year as music director of the Pasadena Symphony. He also serves as music director of the Louisville Orchestra. Mr. Mester has worked with many gifted composers, presenting over 75 world premieres. In 1985, he received Columbia University’s prestigious Ditson Conductor’s Award for the advancement of American music. Other Ditson Awards recipients include Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy and Leopold Stokowski. Mr. Mester, of Hungarian descent, was born and raised in Mexico City. An accomplished violist, he performed with the Beaux-Arts Quartet for several years before focusing exclusively on conducting.

LALO SCHIFRIN, Piano Judge - 2010

Lalo Schifrin is a true Renaissance man. As a pianist, composer and conductor, he is equally at home conducting a symphony orchestra, performing at an international jazz festival, scoring a film or television show, or creating works for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and even The Sultan of Oman. It is Mr. Schifrin’s ability to switch musical gears which makes him so unique in the music world. As a jazz musician he has performed and recorded with great personalities such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Count Basie, Jon Faddis, James Moody, Louie Bellson, and Kenny Burrell. In the classical composition field, he has more than 60 works. Among Mr. Schifrin’s conducting credits are the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Paris Philharmonic Orchestra, for which he was appointed Musical Director for 5 years, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic, the Mexico Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Mexico City Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Saint Luke (New York City), the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Lincoln Center Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Schifrin has written more than 100 scores for film and television and is recognized as being one of the most talented and significant contributors to film music throughout the past 40 years. Among the classic scores are “Mission Impossible,” “Mannix,” “The Fox,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Bullitt,” “Dirty Harry,” “The Cincinnati Kid,” and “Amityville Horror.” Recent film scores include “Tango,” “Rush Hour,” “Rush Hour 2,” “Rush Hour 3,” “Bringing Down The House,” “The Bridge of San Luis Rey,” “After the Sunset,” and “Abominable.” To date, Mr. Schifrin has won four GRAMMY ® Awards, one Cable Ace Award, and has received six Oscar nominations. In addition to current commissions and film scoring activities, Mr. Schifrin tours extensively conducting symphony orchestras particularly featuring his GRAMMY-nominated repertoire of “Jazz Meets Symphony,” a series in which Mr. Schifrin’s longtime involvement in both the jazz and symphonic worlds come together.

Bruce Sutherland, Piano Judge - 2007-2009

"You [Bruce Sutherland] are a musician!" Gian Francesco Malipiero, twentieth century master composer Bruce SutherlandBruce Sutherland, noted American musician, first gained world recognition as a composer in the International Gottschalk Competition in New Orleans. José Iturbi, conducting the Bridgeport Symphony in a 25th Anniversary Concert with David Bar-Illan as piano soloist, presented the world premiere of Sutherland’s prizewinning score, Allegro Fanfara for orchestra. Twentieth century master composers, including Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Dallapiccola, Petrassi, and Malipiero, contributed words of praise (perhaps best summed up by Malipiero’s succinct evaluation: “You are a musician!”) to those of the critics for Sutherland’s “compelling music”. Sutherland’s debut as piano soloist was radio broadcast with James Sample conducting the KFI Symphony in a performance of Nights In The Gardens Of Spain by de Falla, a work currently available in a definitive and recently released CD recording by Amparo Iturbi with José Iturbi conducting the Orchestre Colonne (Paris). This repertoire pinpoints a link to Sutherland’s pianistic background and studies with two world famous women pianists of the century: Amparo Iturbi and Ethel Leginska. With both teachers the de Falla served as a work for study and performance. José Iturbi once asked Sutherland what teachers, if any, preceded his sister, Amparo. Upon hearing Leginska’s name, José smiled and said, “Ah, the great pianist.” Wide musical interests led Sutherland later to concertize and also tour as harpsichord soloist with the Telemann Trio. This love of the harpsichord preceded association with the Iturbis but was reinforced by their love of the instrument, where Pleyel harpsichords were very much in evidence in their homes. Sutherland has gained particular recognition as the teacher and mentor of numerous young pianists and musicians who have become international prizewinners. Among them are those whose compositions and performances have been acclaimed in recordings (including two Grand Prix du Disque awards), as well as at Music Festivals in this country, such as Marlboro, Ravinia, Aspen, La Jolla, Santa Fe, and Tanglewood and in prestigious European Festivals as well. In addition, his students have been prominent in major concert halls around the world, including Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fischer Hall, Carnegie Hall, 92d Street Y (New York City), Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), Ambassador, Disney Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Hollywood Bowl, Royce Hall (Los Angeles), Theatre des Champs-Elysees (Paris) Barbicon Hall, Wigmore Hall (London), as well as most other major concert halls in Europe, Asia, and the world. Sutherland has received recognition six times from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and was honored in the nation’s capitol by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars as a “Distinguished Teacher”. He is listed in the following major reference works: American Keyboard Artists, International Who’s Who in Music, Who’s Who in American Music, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World, among others. In 1997, Sutherland founded AMRON (Artist Musician Recital Opportunity Network) as a means of providing support for current and future musical talent through the channels of the foundation as well as a tribute to his pianist mother, using the letters of her first name, Norma, in retrogade as a logo. AMRON’s innaugural event presented the 1997 winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition, Max Levinson, in his Los Angeles debut recital and first California appearance following the competition. The sold-out house included the Los Angeles Times press and a distinguished audience at the Skirball Cultural Center’s Magnin Auditorium.

Mark Swed, Piano Judge - 2010

Mark Swed has been chief classical music critic of the Los Angeles Times since 1996. He has also covered music for The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and 7 Days in New York and has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Economist, Musical America, Opera News, BBC Music, Gramophone, Stagebill, Schwann-Opus, and many other national and international publications. Swed has contributed liner notes for recordings, program notes for concerts and catalogue essays for the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. From 1992 to 2000, he was 20th-century music editor of The Musical Quarterly and is currently writing a biographical study of John Cage. Swed has received awards in criticism from the Los Angeles Music Center, ASCAP, the American Music Center and the Los Angeles Press Club. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2007.

Vladimir Viardo, Piano Judge - 2008, 2009

“Conducting allows me to have a better understanding of the symphonic mentality and instrumental timbre that lies within all piano creations.” Vladimir Viardo Vladimir ViardoRenowned pianist Vladimir Viardo, highly acclaimed for his masterful interpretations of composers from all eras, was born in the Caucasus Mountains near the Black Sea. As a young aspiring artist he moved to Moscow to study with Professor Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory, where he was taught the methods of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus. Within six years of study, he received his doctorate degree and was appointed Associate Professor to Naumov. That same year he was tenured as a soloist by the Moscow Philharmonia. Viardo was first brought to international acclaim in 1971 after winning the “Grand Prix” and “Prix du Prince Rainier” in the Maguerite Long/Jacques Thibaud Competition held in Paris. In 1973, he was the top prizewinner of the Van Cliburn Competition, where he also won a special prize for Rachmaninoff and Contemporary Works and subsequently received concert contracts for over seventy recitals and appearances with symphony orchestras in major U.S. cities. But after having his travel visa revoked, Maestro Viardo was prevented from carrying on his musical career outside the USSR for fourteen years. During his confinement he expanded the foundation of his musical knowledge and enlarged his repertoire to include 37 concerti. It wasn’t until the new era of “Glastnost” and “Perestroika” that the distinguished pianist was able to bring his music to the rest of the world. Since resuming his international career, Vladimir Viardo has met with extremely enthusiastic reviews and has become one of the most sought-after pianists in the world, performing in such major venues as Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, and the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. He has appeared as soloist with the conductors Mehta, Maazel, Penderecki, Mata, Kondrashin, Comissiona, and Krivine, among many others. Immediately after concertizing with the Dallas Symphony, Maestro Viardo was offered the position of Professor – Artist in Residence at the University of North Texas, where he is dedicated to developing a selective class of artistically gifted students from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Portugal, Finland, and the USA, who include laureates of the world’s major competitions. He is the founder of the Viardo Foundation, committed to providing financial assistance to his promising students during their years of collegiate study, and he is listed among “The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the U.S.A.” Viardo’s recordings include the Third Concerto of Rachmaninoff and solo works of Rachmaninoff, Medtner, Karamanov, Shostakovich, Liszt, and Debussy. He has also taken great interest in conducting, stating, “Conducting allows me to have a better understanding of the symphonic mentality and instrumental timbre that lies within all piano creations.” He recently conducted his orchestration of Shostakovich’s Second Piano Sonata with the Kiev Philharmonic.

Oxana Yablonskaya, Piano Judge - 2008, 2009

"Yablonskaya is the sort of pianist who accomplishes with ease and naturalness what others struggle for a lifetime to achieve.” The Daily Telegraph Oxana YablonskayaOxana Yablonskaya was born in Moscow. As an adolescent she attended The Moscow Central School for the Gifted under the tutelage of Anaida Sumbatyan (who also taught Vladimir Ashkenazy) with whom she worked until the age of 16. She later studied at the Conservatory of Moscow with the legendary Aleksandre Goldenweiser. At 22, she began a professional relationship with Tatiana Nikolayeva in the Doctorate Program, later acting as her assistant at the Moscow Conservatory. Following graduation with high honors, she was introduced to the Western World in Paris at the Jacques Long- Thibaud Competition in 1963, the Rio de Janeiro Competition in 1965, and the Vienna Beethoven Competition in 1969. She won top prizes in all three competitions, and received numerous invitations for return engagements. While still in the USSR, Ms. Yablonskaya performed Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Moscow Philharmonic under conductor Y. Simonov at the Composers Jubilee Concert in the Kremlin. She recorded for the Melodya label and earned the prestigious title of Soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic. The title put her in the company of elite artists such as Gilels, Richter, Rostropovich, Oistrakh and Kogan. Outstanding solo performances with the Bolshoi Orchestra, the Moscow Stars series, and the Shostokovich 65th Birthday Celebration Concert were confirmations of her remarkable talent. In 1975, distressed over constant restraints on her personal and artistic freedom, she applied for a U.S. visa. After 2 years she was allowed to leave the country with her father and young son due to the diligence and petitioning by over 45 famous writers, musicians, senators, and actors. Ms. Yablonskaya arrived in New York in 1977. She made her first New York appearance in a recital at the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center only four months later, and received laudatory acclaim from the press. Her Carnegie Hall debut recital the following October was attended by a capacity crowd.. Once considered ‘The best kept secret of the Soviet Union,’ Ms. Yablonskaya has now performed in more than 40 countries. An extraordinary recitalist, she is equally renowned for solo performances with orchestras such as: BBC Philharmonic, Bolshoi Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony, Sinfonia Brasileira, Royal Concertgebouw, Singapore Symphony, Hong Kong Symphony, State Orchestra of the USSR, Sydney Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Moscow Symphony, Vienna Radio Symphony, Warsaw Radio Symphony, Taipei City Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra S. Africa, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. Ms. Yablonskaya has collaborated in performances with celebrated conductors such as: A. Anissimov, Y. Aronovitch, R. Barshai, H. Bloomstaadt, B. Brott, A. Chavez, S. Comissiona, F. P. Decker, A. Dmitriev, L. Foster, Y. Forst, P. Gamba, F. Gluschenko, Inbal, A. Katz, A. Kersies, Dmitry Kitaenko, Eric Klaas, Kirill Kondrashin, U. Maier, Fuat Mansurov, Nathan Rakhlin, M. Rostropovitch, G. Rozhdestvensky, Y. Simonov, S. Skrowachevsky, P. Sorokin, Y. Svetlanov, Y.Turowsky, V. Yampolsky. In addition to her success as a concert pianist and recording artist, Ms. Yablonskaya has held the position of Professor of Piano at The Julliard School in New York City since 1983. Dr.Yablonskaya is a Co- Founder of Puigcerda Musica Clasica International Festival in Spain since 1998. Ms. Yablonskaya also serves on the jury of many international piano competitions. Among her numerous recordings, Ms. Yablonskaya’s Liszt/Schubert CD won the Grand Prix du Disque from the International Liszt Society in Budapest.