Mays Wins Cliburn Amateur Piano Competition

Drew Mays — who placed second in last year's Rocky Mountain Amateur Piano Competition — won the fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™ on Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. (I am not making up the part about the ™.) The Cliburn is the most prestigious amateur piano competition in the country: Its contestants come from all over the world, and many are a technicality away from being professional. It's also the largest, with 75 contestants in the preliminary round, 25 semi-finalists, and six finalists.

This gives an idea of the quality of the pianists who come to the Rocky Mountain Amateur Piano Competition, which will take place this year from August 7-12. In addition to Mays, there were several other Rocky Mountain alumni in this year's Cliburn, including 2004 winner Thomas Maurice, who made the semi-finals.

And, as a special bonus to Colorado Springs, Mays is scheduled to perform here this month. The concert will be 2:30 p.m., Sunday, June 24, 2007, at First Christian Church. Check the Amateur Pianists International site for more details.

More info about the Cliburn here and at the Cliburn blog.