Khristenko Wins Wideman Piano Competition

Stanislav Khristenko of the Cleveland Institute of Music, performs Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini during the finals of the Wideman Piano Competition Sunday, December 7. Khristenko was awarded first place from a field of 48 contestants. _{(photo by Rick DelaHaya)}

Stanislav Khristenko

SHREVEPORT, La.— Stanislav Khristenko won the top prize Sunday in the 2008 Wideman Piano Competition held here on the Centenary College campus.

Khristenko, of the Cleveland Institute of Music, started out as one of 48 contestants when the annual competition began with preliminary rounds Friday and Saturday. Contestants represented schools from all over the United States as well as 16 other countries.

The contest was whittled down to seven, including Khristenko, who continued on to the final rounds.

The other six finalists included: Anna Bulkina (Turkmenistan) from Texas Christian University; Sara Kim Doan from North Texas University; ZhaoLei Xie (China) from TCU; Minjung Kim (Korea) from Oberlin Conservatory of Music; Andrei Nicolae Licaret (Romania) from Peabody Conservatory of Music; and Anastasiya Naplekova (Ukraine) from University of Florida.

As gold medal winner, Khristenko receives the $5,000 William Peyton Shehee and Virginia Kilpatrick Shehee Award and a chance to perform with the Shreveport Symphony at the 2009 opening concert, the Bell Concert Series at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, the Phillips Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the South Arkansas Symphony in El Dorado, Ark.

Other competition award winners include:

Andrei Nicolae Licaret, of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, was presented the silver medal and the $2,500 F. Thomas Siskron III Family Award.
ZhaoLei Xie, of Texas Christian University, received the bronze medal and the $1,500 Martha Jones Rice Award given by Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Carl Rice.
Anna Bulkina, of TCU, received an honorable mention, $1,000 Dr. Jack E. and Carroll Bright Carlisle Award given by Mr. and Mrs. Jack E. Carlisle Jr., Dr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Carlisle, Mr. and Mrs. William Hancock.

There were two special award winners of the $1,000 Raymond Morris Award: Minjung Kim of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Sara Kim Doan of the University of North Texas. There were no winners of the $500 Glenda Lee Harrison Award given by Stephen Harrison, or the $500 Lester Senter Wilson/Marcille Young Award.

Anastasiya Naplekova won the Dr. And Mrs. Fred Payne Award for $500.

Khristenko, Licaret, Xie and Bulkina will all play a recital at the Phillips Gallery in Washington, D.C.

About Centenary College of Louisiana

Centenary College is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Centenary is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South and is regularly rated as one of the top colleges in the South. In 2008 Centenary College celebrates 100 years in Shreveport and Bossier City.