Five middle school students and five high school students won prizes in the UTC Department of Music Thirteenth Annual Piano Arts Competition. The first-place winners in the middle school and high school category, Abigail Hinchman and Chunsoo Park, will present a recital on Sunday, June 14 at 3 p.m. in Cadek Recital Hall at the University. This free concert will showcase the two winners as they play their competition pieces and other selections.
The annual piano arts competition recognizes outstanding young pianists and encourages them to pursue further study. Thirty pianists competed in the middle school or high school level of the competition. They are required to play two classical pieces of contrasting style from memory before a jury of UTC Music Department faculty members and guest judges.
Hinchman won first prize ($100) in the middle school category, with Tyler Hyers as second prize ($75) and Wesley Carroll as third prize ($50) winner. Hinchman is a student of Tammy Benson, and lives in Chattanooga. Tyler Hyers is a student of Roland Schneller, and lives in Goodlettsville. Wesley Carroll is a student of Tammy Benson, and lives in Chattanooga. Erica Cyrul (Soddy-Daisy), a student of Andrea Exum, and Jonathan Lau (Chattanooga), a student of Deanne Irvine, received an honorable mention.
In the high school division, Park, from Nashville, a student of Roland Schneller, took first prize of $250. Yong Goo Kim (Brentwood), a student of Craig Nies, won second prize of $150 and Jonathan Dennis (Ooltewah), a student of Deanne Irvine, won third prize of $100. Isaac Hinchman (Chattanooga) and Kristen Tcherneshoff (Valley Head, AL) received an honorable mention.
The participating students were from Valley Head and Hartselle, Alabama, Flintstone and Ringgold, Georgia, and from Brentwood, Chattanooga, Goodlettsville, Hixson, McDonald, Nashville, Ooltewah, Signal Mountain, Soddy-Daisy, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee.
This year’s competition was judged by Janet Sump, Deanne Irvine, David Walters and guest judge Dr. Joe Chapman. The judges were not allowed to vote on students whom they had taught. Dr. Sin-Hsing Tsai was the non-voting competition chair.
