Eighth Competition, April 1995

Prizewinners of the 8th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master
Competition, from right to left: Ohad Ben-Ari - 3rd Prize, Alexander
Korsantia - 1st Prize, Sergei Tarasov - 2nd Prize, Aleksandar Serdar - 4th
prize, Igor Roma - 5th prize, Shai Wosner - Best performance of a
Beethoven Sonata

International Jury
Sulamita Aronovsky (Great Britain); Lazar Berman (Italy); Andre Hadju (Israel); Jerome Lowenthal (USA); Pnina Salzman (Israel); Mikhail Voskressensky (Russia); Guangren Zhou (China); Joachim Kaiser, Vice-Chairman (Germany); Alexis Weissenberg, Vice-Chairman (Switzerland); Arie Vardi, Chairman (Israel)

Laureates

First Prize

Alexander Korsantia, Georgia - The Arthur Rubinstein Award, Gold Medal and $10,000.; "Audience Favourite" Prize $ 2,500 - sponsored by "Yediot Aharonot" (daily press). Best performance of an Israeli Composition - $ 3,000

Programme performed

Scarlatti - Three Sonatas: E Major, K 380; D Minor, K 213; A Major, K 322
Avni - Tryptich (1993)
Prokofiev - Sonata no.8 in B flat Major, op.84
Beethoven - Sonata in E flat Major, op.7
Chopin - Ballade no.4 in F Minor, op.52
Moussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition
Brahms - Sonata for piano and violin in D Minor, op.108
Mozart - Concerto in B flat Major, K.595
Rachmaninoff - Concerto no.3 in D Minor, op.30

Second Prize
Sergei Tarasov, Russia - Gold Medal and $5,000

Third Prize
Ohad Ben-Ari, Israel - Gold Medal and $3,000; Best Performance of Chamber Music $3,000; Outstanding Israeli Competitor - $3,000

Fourth Prize
Aleksandar Serdar, Yugoslavia - $1,000

Fifth Prize
Igor Roma, Italy - $1,000

Sixth Prize
Cedric Tiberghien, France - $1,000

The Yamaha Company Prize - an upright "silent" piano - for the best performance of a sonata by Beethoven was awarded to Shai Wosner from Israel.

The prize for the best performance of a large Chopin work $4,000 sponsored by the Fryderyck Chopin Society (Warsaw) was awarded to Alan Gampel from USA.

The initial announcement in 1993 of the Eighth Competition was followed by enquiries from 900 pianists from 48 countries; Of these, 184 from 34 countries completed official application forms. The Screening Committee selected 52 pianists from 22 countries, specifically recommended by prominent international figures in music.

Surpassing the average "Podiumreife," the competitors who reached Stage III (Chamber Music and Concerto) were lauded by a wealth of judges, critics, reporters and audiences for their demonstration of consistently professional and superior standards of performance.

The Israel Chamber Orchestra accompanied the contestants at the Semifinal Stage of the Competition. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the laureates at the Final Stage as well as at the Gala Concert and Award Ceremony. Maestro Mendi Rodan conducted the orchestras on both occasions.

The Competition was transmitted live on "Voice of Music" and was closely followed by the TV and general media.

Kawai Company with its customary goodwill ensured individual practice facilities for the competitors, each of whom, through the generous services of Kawai’s Tel Aviv representatives, found an upright piano in his hotel room.

Consistent with their long-standing tradition, the world renowned piano manufacturers, Steinway and Sons, Yamaha Corporation, and Kawai Company provided superior concert grands along with expert maintenance teams throughout all stages of the contest.

Alexander Korsantia's concert roster
since his 1st prize victory in the
Eighth Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, 1995

The Israel Festival - June 1995

International Colmar Music Festival - July 1995
Radio France Festival in Montpellier - July 1995
The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra - September 1995 & June 1996
Rimini Festival - 1995 & 1996
Fundacion Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional - Santo Domingo - November 15th , 1995

1996

January 4 - 12 Moscow Virtuosi, Spivakov - Shostakovitch Concerto no.1 - Israel
February 21 - 25 Recitals - Israel
February 29 Recital - Hercules Hall, Munich
May 30 Czech Philarmonic Orchestra - Beethoven "Emperor"
June 4 Georgian National Symphony Orchestra - Tchaikovsky Concerto no.1
June 8 Recital - Tbilisi, Georgia
June 16 Recital - Sintra Festival, Portugal
June 29 Prokofiev Marathon Concert - White Nights
July 3 Recital - Mikkeli Festival, Finland
July 12 Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Prokofiev Concerto no. 3, Ravinia
August 3 Orquesta Sinfonica de Mendoza - Chopin Concerto no. 2, Argentina
August 9 Orquesta Sinfonica de Cordoba - Chopin Concerto no. 2, Argentina
August 14 Recital - Santiago de Chile
August 17 - 18 Chile National Orchestra - Chopin Concerto no. 2
September 20 - 28 Rotterdam Festival - Prokofiev Marathon
October 1 - 3 Recital - Israel Camerata Jerusalem under Avner Biron, Mozart Concerto no. 27, Festival Hommage a Rubinstein, Geneva
November 3 Recital - Joliet, Chicago
November 21 Bartok Music for two Pianos and Percussion - Sweden Radio Festival Orchestra with A. Toradze, Stockholm

1997

January 16 - 25 Mozart Concerto no. 9 and recitals - Israel
March 2 - 6 Puerto Rico - Recital/Masterclass
March 15 Elkhart Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven "Emperor"
May 15 North - West Indiana Symphony Orchestra - Tchaikovsky Concerto no. 1
May 25 - June 7 Chile National Symphony Orchestra - Tchaikovsky Concerto no. 1 - recitals
August 4 Recital - Dinard Piano Festival, France
August 15 - 20 Recitals - Edinburgh Festival
August 20 - 30 Chile National Symphony Orchestra, Santiago, Prokofiev
September 1 Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Festival, Tchaikovsky
September 2 - 3 Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky Concerto no. 1, Newark U.S.A.
September 27 - October 14 Tbilisi, Georgia, Tchaikovsky Concerto no. 1, recital, Piano Competition
October 14 - 20 Recitals- Italy
October 25 Recital - Israel
November 19 Moscow Virtuosi, Spivakov - Saussone Concerto for Violin, piano and chamber orchestra, U.S.A.
End of November Recital - Salle Gaveau, Paris
December 13 Recital - Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra series - Jerusalem

1998

March 15 Recital - Serrata Musicale, Fazzari, Milano
March 17 - 31 Israel Philarmonic Orchestra, Prokofiev no. 2 (6 concerts), Israel.
April 5 - 10 CD recording with Israel Camerata Jerusalem - Arts Center, Jerusalem
April 14 - May 11 USA tour with Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
October 1 - 5 New World Symphony - Hommage a Rubinstein Festival - Miami
November 16 - 21 Jerusalem Symphony - Concerts, Israel

Engagements in Holland; Finnish Radio Orchestra; Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra (98 - 99 season).