Eastman students show competitive edge

tudents from the Eastman School of Music have won or are competing in some of the world's most prestigious instrumental music competitions this spring.

Thomas Rosenkranz, a 26-year-old doctoral student, was named one of the two winners of the Indianapolis-based American Pianists Association 2003 Classical Fellowship Awards in April. Rosenkranz receives $15,000 and career assistance including an international tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Also in April, 25-year-old So Yoon Lee, a first-year doctoral student from South Korea, took first prize and a $2,000 award in the 22nd Kingsville (Texas) International Competition's solo piano category. Lee competed against a field of 30 pianists from 18 countries.

Violinist Grace Lee '06, a student from Singapore, has been accepted to enter the renowned Walter W. Naumburg International Violin Competition, June 12-18, in New York City. Lee is one of the youngest entrants in the international competition that has been described by The New York Times as "in its quiet way, the most prestigious of them all." First prize is a cash award of $10,000, two fully subsidized recitals at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, various recitals and concerto appearances, a recording with Musical Heritage Records, and the premiere of a new work for solo violin commissioned by composer Donald Martino.

At the distinguished Prague International Competition in May, Japanese student Ko Taniguchi '06 competed against 47 other violinists in three rounds of solo and concerto performances with the Czech Philharmonic.

And not to be outdone by its soloist counterparts, Destino Winds, a young wind quintet comprised of five freshmen--Hilary Abigana, flute; Jeffrey Stephenson, oboe; Amy Chung, clarinet; Rachel Young, bassoon; and Donna Yoo, French horn--made its way this spring into two prestigious national competitions: the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition.

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