第十一届VanCliburn钢琴演奏比赛.doc

02 第十一届Van Cliburn钢琴演奏比赛 Arts Culture Van Cliburn Competitors Bill Zeeble Fort Worth, Texas 7 Jun 2001 07:34 UTC Its a warm, pleasant evening on the vast lawn of this 1)mansion in Fort Worth, where about a hundred people have just enjoyed a 2)catered dinner under a huge white Tent. Now competition officials, reporters, and the young pianists 3)await the 4)ritual draw of numbers which will determine the 30 contestants order of appearance in the 5)preliminary rounds. Jean Yung Park ...one! ONE! announced John Giordano, head of the 6)jury. Having drawn the frightful first spot, the 26 year old quickly leaves the party to 7)rehearse. She was driven to her personal practice piano by Lee and Jim Hassensaul, her parents, for the 2.5 weeks. Each pianist stays with a volunteer host family, who essentially 8)adopts the young performer, becoming their loyal 9)cheerleaders, cooks and 10)chauffeurs. The Cliburn competition has housed its contestants this way for decades. Andrew Russo, one of only 2 Americans among the 30, said he prefers this arrangement to what hes experienced in other international competitions. You sort of have a surrogate family as opposed to being on your own, in a hotel in a strange city, where youre already uncomfortable because youre in a competition, Mr. Russo said. That can be unsettling. I like the host family, being in a home, to feel settled where youre playing. I think its a better situation. Mr. Russos host family will rush to get whatever he wants, feed him, take him where he needs to go even if its in the middle of the night say, to practice on the all-night rehearsal Steinway placed in a location not 11)disclosed to reporters. Because theres a waiting list for that single piano, otherwise competitors can use their hand-picked full-sized concert grands which are delivered to their hosts homes. Some might say the familys job is to spoil their guest on to victory. Andrew Russos host, Sandra Howeth and her husband wouldnt have it any other way. S