The Cliburn Amateurs: Marisa Haines at the 2004 Competition

pianoPhil1968 Says:

Jul 13, 2007 - i wonder what kind of training those 'without' music degrees have had? my betting is most of them had tuition at some stage from private tutors. Barenboim's only piano teacher was his father so he wasn't institute trained, at least not on the piano - so is he an amateur?!?

PianoRon Says:

Jul 15, 2007 - Barenboim is an aberration. Please name other professional pianist without a formal schooling in piano of some sort.

nikpiano Says:

Jul 16, 2007 - Alfred Brendel is largely self-taught. No formal schooling, only a few occasional lessons and masterclasses. Jon Nakamatsu is another example.

cdpiano27 Says:

Sep 11, 2007 - Well, I think that it is good that they are letting high-calibre pianists with a chance to play. I would be classified as "amateur" even though I went to a top 5 music school for two years, won the concerto competition at the conservatory, and had a teacher of a few Van Cliburn Competition Professional finalists (in 1989 and 1993). But I just decided not to do it, and I never got a bachelors in music from that particular school.

speedotorpedo26 Says:

Sep 23, 2007 - I dont get it, were their cuts in the tape, or did she have slips or just omitted? Folowing along score in hand she skipped measures and at times, lines. Typical for a "amatuer" competition, or just another excuse modern music works in competition at times, most juries dont know the piece and smile and nod. Not a bad pianist, but perhaps her true talent lies not within the keyboard, but anyone who can grow hair that long deserves to be recongized.

NordicHealer Says:

Sep 27, 2007 - Jon Nakamatsu studied with only one teacher, Marina Derryberry. His father only concerned with his ability to be financially solvent Made him get a degree in German from Stanford University. After earning his degree there he taught high school for a number of years while still practicing on the side.

NordicHealer Says:

Sep 27, 2007 - Continuing Jons story: He tried out for the Cliburn in an earlier competition and was thrown out in round One. He was so despondant that he was ready to give up. Marina, his teacher somehow convinced him to try one more time when the competition came around again. This time he won the gold, which then changed his life. Unfortunately his father and uncle still Manage ALL his money. All he does is play. He owns basically nothing.

NordicHealer Says:

Sep 27, 2007 - Leopold Godowsky was also pretty much completely Self Taught. He was going to study with Liszt, but just shortly before he arrived in Weimar, he learned that Franz Liszt had recently died. He developed one of the greatest techniques of Any pianist in history. Talent is more the Natural Unfolding of that which lies Within, rather than a Forced "stuffing in" via artificial education techniques, of what you never had in the first place.

NordicHealer Says:

Sep 27, 2007 - While Not a pianist, world renowned classical quitarist Andre Segovia had "NO" teachers at all. He was COMPLETELY self taught and is considered by many to be the greatest guitarist of all time. There are quite a few other examples like this as well.

ric55 Says:

Nov 17, 2007 - So, PianoRon, do we assume according to your posts that you think that Busoni and Godowsky would have been better pianists with more all-encompassing techniques if they had been to some damned 'Academy' ? I would suggest that they were great pianists precisely because they did not go.

tdenusa Says:

Jan 8, 2008 - Give me a hammer and chisel and I can compose a modern symphony.

102938z Says:

Feb 9, 2008 - BEETHOVEN!He was trained as an organist in Bonn, but was largely self-taught as a pianist.

102938z Says:

Feb 9, 2008 - And I almost forgot. Richter.

PianoRon Says:

Feb 9, 2008 - You are missing the point here. Of course, there are people who can play piano very well without having a music degree or going to a music school. But those who obtained music degrees or went to a music degree were professionally trained musicians. These competition are for amateurs who may be as good as those professionally trained musicians, but what is the proportion here? You can see from the result of every single amateur competition, the winners are generally have music degrees.

xalamac Says:

Apr 2, 2008 - This woman is flat-out MARVELOUS!

yupSAMiam Says:

Apr 13, 2008 - really?! ive seen jon nakamatsu perform live a couple times...he's great! i had no idea he had so little formal training! thats incredible :D

SiouxPianist Says:

Jun 20, 2008 - Way kewl

frenchmusician12 Says:

Nov 7, 2008 - Martha Argerich would be proud of this!. Love the passion and freedom.

FDCRX Says:

Dec 9, 2008 - Very good and original! What's the name of the first piece and its composer's name? Thank you very much!

TheSolidGloryisJesus Says:

Jan 18, 2009 - Stupendous! I love how playful she is with the piano on the first piece! Overall, one can tell she completely loves the piano, oh! She really wraps around the instrument. Had no idea there was recognition at this calibre for "amateurs". What an answer to prayer!

filsuf Says:

Apr 16, 2009 - Ok guys ... playing an instrument SUPERBLY doesnt mean you can SELL YOURSELF PROFESSIONALLY. Most of those 'amateurs' just couldnt find the right broker to sell their talent back then.But anyway, I myself would NOT want to be a "professional instrumentalist". Check it out yourself, the life style is brutal! You must practice all the time for sure. But the WORST of all, for me, is when I must perform although my mood feels like just wanting to rip off my guitar (my instrument).

cocopuffin Says:

Jun 5, 2009 - how can two years of comments not provide the names of the pieces?

PishtaNagybacsi Says:

Jul 2, 2009 - John Giordano announced both pieces before she played. The first is 'Toccata' by Emma Lou Diemer (a great composer whose music isn't heard enough) and the second is the second mvt. of the Brahms Sonata in C Major Op. 1. Impressive performance, but the hair flipping drove me crazy. May I suggest a rubber band?

shzlolrus Says:

Sep 13, 2009 - She is my music theory teacher :O

MrVeronica1663 Says:

Feb 22, 2011 - veramente affascinante!!!