(November 30, 2011)
Nena Wideman Piano Competition December 2-4 at Centenary
SHREVEPORT, LA — The 61st Annual Shreveport Symphony Nena Wideman International Piano Competition will take place Friday, December 2, through Sunday, December 4, in the Anderson Auditorium of the Hurley School of Music, located on the Centenary College campus. The event is free and open to the public with donations accepted at the door.
Forty-three contestants, ranging in age from 18 to 28, will travel from across the globe to compete. The competition will be judged by nationally and internationally known conductors and pianists.
Preliminary rounds begin Friday at 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., and 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday's competition begins at 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. and again from 2:30 until 6:15 p.m. Every contestant will play for 15 minutes in each of the preliminary rounds. On Sunday from 1:00 until 6:00 p.m., each finalist will perform a complete concerto.
The top three finalists will perform with the Shreveport Symphony on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be made available through the Shreveport Symphony.
The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to perform with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra; South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra; the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago; Phillips Collection Sunday Concert Series in Washington, D.C.; the Chamber Concert with the West Edge String Quartet in Shreveport; and the Mississippi Chorus in Jackson. Other competition awards include the Gold Medal, $5,000; the Silver Medal, $2,500; the Bronze Medal, $1,500; Honorable Mentions (5), $200; and Audience Favorite, $500.
The Nena Wideman Piano Competition, which began in 1950, has been held annually the first weekend of December at Centenary College-Hurley School of Music. The annual competition was named after the late Nena Wideman, a former member of the Centenary College piano faculty, for her contributions to the contest.
For more information, call the Hurley School of Music at 318.869.5235.