Sioux City Journal, IA
March 7 2008
Pianists excited to perform in annual Iowa Piano Competition
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer
Julia Siciliano had a grin on her face the size of a Cheshire cat.
"It’s genuine," she said, pointing to her smile. "The smiles are
real."
Siciliano had just finished performing her piece, among the first in
the recital round for the 11 pianists in the 2008 Iowa Piano
Competition.
Waiting in a practice room in the Orpheum building was Cathal
Breslin, who would be performing in the afternoon.
"No nail biting," he said when asked. While Siciliano continued
beaming, he more seriously added, "That’s not the way I get rid of my
nervousness."
The 11 competitors performed 30-minute solo pieces from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Thursday at the Orpheum Theatre.
Siciliano, 24, and Breslin, 30, both students at the University of
Michigan, left Detroit Wednesday in a timely manner. They got as far
as Minneapolis before weather delayed their trip to Sioux City by
three hours.
"I was off coffee, except for yesterday," confessed Breslin, a native
of Northern Ireland. "I had been drinking excessive amounts of coffee
and had kicked the habit until yesterday."
Finally in Sioux City, the competitors came to the Orpheum building
to take turns practicing on the piano that would be used for the
competition and "to raid the hospitality suite for food," Breslin
added.
Once they were fed, the pianists took advantage of the practice
rooms.
Thursday they were transported from their accommodations at the
Marina Inn back to the Orpheum for their solo presentations. Both had
routines to prepare for the performance.
"I take deep breaths and try to get everything out of my mind but the
notes and the music," Breslin said.
"No rituals," Siciliano said. "But unlike Cathal, I like to move
around to keep my nerves at bay."
This is a return trip for Breslin to the competition. He felt that
last year his performance was not his best due to a car accident and
some pain medication. He took fourth place (and $1,000) with "a pinch
of salt."
"I wasn’t disappointed with the place," he stressed. "I don’t think
you should put your life on one competition and if you don’t do well,
then all hope is gone."
Siciliano, the only U.S. native competing, said being selected for
the Iowa Piano Competition was "the biggest one I’ve ever been chosen
for" and admitted it was unexpected.
"I sent in a lot of recordings for competitions, but when I got the
announcement that I was chosen, it was the same week I won another,"
she said. "I think that was the best week of my life."
Siciliano, performing at 10:20 a.m. was thrilled with the crowd.
"I thought there would be the judges and a few others, but I looked
out and there was a good-sized crowd in the auditorium," she said.
"That really energizes you. It’s why you (perform) — to communicate
music to an audience."
Meet the violinist and cellist
The six piano competition semi-finalists will perform trio literature
at 7 tonight with violinist Euhno Kim and cellist Katya Janpoladyan.
Kim, originally from Seoul, South Korea, is concertmaster for the
Sioux City Symphony. Since moving to Iowa in August 2005, Kim has
been teaching in Morningside College, Northwestern College, and Dordt
College, and is the assistant concertmaster of South Dakota Symphony.
Janpoladyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia where she graduated from
Yerevan State Conservatory in 2001. Currently Janpoladyan is
pursuing a doctoral of musical arts degree at the University of
Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. She is holding a position
as a cellist in the Baur String Quartet, the fellowship quartet in
residence in the conservatory.