Portland Piano International

PRESENTING EXCELLENCE IN PIANO PERFORMANCE AND COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT AND EDUCATION THROUGH OUTREACH.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, PORTLAND PIANO INTERNATIONAL (PPI), FACED WITH EXCEPTIONAL CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF RESTRICTIONS ON ACTIVITIES DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NONETHELESS PRESENTED A VARIETY OF ACTIVE PROGRAMMING, ALBEIT WITHOUT LIVE, IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES, TO KEEP OUR AUDIENCES ENGAGED. IN LIEU OF LIVE PROGRAMMING, IN FACT, WE CREATED A SUITE OF VIRTUAL/LIVE-STREAMED RECITALS, ENHANCED ON-LINE RESOURCES, AND AN INFORMATIVE PAPER NEWSLETTER, ALL BUNDLED TOGETHER INTO A SUBSCRIPTION WE CALLED "THE SOUNDBOARD." THOSE RECITALS WERE GIVEN BY FOUR EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG PIANISTS, PART OF OUR LONG-TIME PROGRAM, "RISING STARS," FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF THE RISING GENERATION OF PIANO SOLOISTS. THOSE RISING STAR RECITALISTS WERE VARIOUSLY AMERICAN, JAPANESE, CHINESE-AMERICAN, AND UKRAINIAN.AS WELL, WE CONTINUED OUR UNIQUE PROGRAM OF TEACHER TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MID-CAREER PIANO TEACHERS FROM THROUGHOUT OREGON, THE THOLEN FELLOWSHIP, AND, IN FACT, INCREASED THE NUMBER OF FELLOWS TO 24 AND THE DIRECTING FACULTY TO FOUR. OF NECESSITY, THEIR STUDIES WERE ENTIRELY BY ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, BUT BOTH THE FELLOWS AND MENTORS REPORTED GREAT SATISFACTION IN THE PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, PPI AGAIN HELD A PIANO CONCERTO COMPETITION IN COOPERATION WITH THE PORTLAND YOUTH PHILHARMONIC, THE WINNER OF WHICH WILL PLAY A FULL CONCERTO WITH THAT ORCHESTRA AND THE RUNNER-UP WITH THEIR AFFILIATE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA.FINALLY, THE GUEST ARTISTIC CURATOR, VLADIMIR FELTSMAN, AND HIS ROSTER OF CHOSEN ARTISTS FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 2020-21 PRESENTING SEASON, HAVE BEEN "LEAP-FROGGED" TO OUR 2022-23 SEASON AND WILL BE PRESENTED THEN.