By Mark Ambrogi
Cheryl Everett has watched proudly as the Young Hoosier State Piano Competition keep growing.
“In 2001, it took us about two hours to hear everyone,” said Everett, the state piano competition coordinator. “Last year we had over 500 students all around Indiana and it took us the entire month of June. They played over 1,200 pieces.”
Carmel-based Piano Solutions has helped run the competition since 2001. Everett is the director of music outreach at Piano Solutions and a
“The Star Fair sponsors the competition, and Piano Solutions provides instruments and support from the program,” Everett said. “Years ago there was a small competition, then it went doormat. Then Piano Solutions picked up the support. I judged the first year and then was hired to develop the competition.”
The deadline to register for the 2016 competition is May 16.
“Every year we pick two composers to feature and this year is Beethoven and Debussy,” Everett said.
The age divisions are youth (5-6), primary (7-8), elementary (9-10) junior (11-12), mid-teen (13-15), Sr. Teen (16-18) and collegiate (18-22).
“We bring in collegiate judges,” Everett said. “They give them a critique and the student who score high enough advance to the State Fair.”
The preliminary audition dates at Piano Solutions are June 1, June 3 to 18 and 27 to 30. There also are auditions at Wabash in Crawfordsville, West Lafayette and Columbus. The final round dates are at the Indiana State Fair Aug. 6-21.
The new classes (formerly called categories) are Indiana Bicentennial (any patriotic piece) and Music from Video Games (any piece from video game soundtrack). The other classes are Classical, Non-Classical Sonatina, Sonata, Ragtime, Jazz/Blues & Boogie, Original Composition, American Songbook, International Music, and Ensemble.
“We have to move five to six grand pianos down to the Fair so you can certainly so it’s a labor of love for (Piano Solutions),” Everett said.
The registration fee is $75 and $5 per class. For more, visit pianosolutions.net/media/wysiwyg/Piano_Competition_brochure_002_.pdf.
