THE DYNAMIC
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF
THE INTERNATIONAL KEYBOARD
ODYSSIAD® & FESTIVAL, U.S.A.
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MISSION
Dedicated to promoting new generations
of young keyboard artists through an internationally linked competition and festival.
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Overcoming All Odds
2013 IKOF Gold Medalist Abigail Varghese
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Abigail’s passion for the piano began at age five. In the following years, she took first prize in local and international competitions, soloed with orchestras, and recorded an album of her own hymn arrangements. In 2013, she was a gold medalist in the International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival, U.S.A. Several months later she was diagnosed with a rare bone disorder that left her virtually incapacitated. As much as her health allowed, she continued playing, but diminished strength limited her lessons and practice sessions. In 2017, extensive reconstructive surgery was successful, but she still faces challenges. Practicing piano with her dog Pierre by her side serves as welcome therapy.
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Takako Tokuda, 2014 Odyssiad® Gold Medalist, will be performing the Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Sapporo, Japan in May 2021. Congratulations, Takako!
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And the Award Goes to . . .
The kykNET Fiëstas awards in South Africa honor outstanding performances in the performing arts. Congratulations to Bryan Wallick, assistant professor of piano at Colorado State University & IKOF board member, Frank Stadler, and Peter Martens on winning Best Achievement in Classical Music for their performance of the Beethoven Triple Concerto!
This was a virtual collaboration between three artists on three continents who recorded the trio version of Beethoven's Triple Concerto during the COVID lockdown in July 2020.
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Zlata Chochieva's New CD Presents Piano Transcriptions by Pianists and Composers, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Friedman |
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"I’m really looking forward to being able to share my new CD which I was lucky enough to be able to record during 2020, the year when life for us musicians felt so uncertain, lonely, silent… and we became even more nostalgic, fragile and sensitive than we ever were before. This all made me want to share my inner voice through the program which became very personal to me. There is a form which builds a bridge between two composers, between two different musical worlds and epochs, making it sound as a unity which doesn’t destroy but brings together – this form is a “transcription”." |
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Zlata Chochieva's new album ‘(re)creations released worldwide on 12 February 2021 by Accentus Label |
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A MUSICAL ODYSSEY
Up Next - Takako Tokuda
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Takako Tokuda, 2014 IKOF Gold Medalist, performs in IKOF's new video series, A Musical Odyssey.
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A Musical Odyssey aims to maintain the Odyssiad® Festival's presence this year with a series of informal videos produced by previous IKOF guest artists and Odyssiad® winners from 2012 — when IKOF was founded — to 2021 when we celebrate our tenth anniversary.
Many thanks to our artists in the IKOF family who contributed voluntarily to this project from their homes and studios around the world, some with their pets or family members, some serious, some hilarious, all welcome and entertaining.
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A Musical Odyssey presents these informal videos approximately every two weeks throughout the year for your enjoyment in viewing our artists in an informal and more personal way. Videos are being shared via email and on our website.
This week we present Takako Tokuda, 2014 IKOF Gold Medalist, from her home in Japan.
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IKOF relies on the generosity of music lovers like you to continue its important artistic and educational mission and our community outreach program, IKOF in the Community. Your generous gift will immediately be put to work to finance three important initiatives:
· Developing digital content for virtual and archival performances, allowing IKOF productions to be enjoyed for years to come
· Enhancing guest artists' fees and awards for Odyssiad® Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalists
· Supporting production costs, including photography, videography, and facility rental
Donate directly on our website or shop at smile.amazon.com on behalf of the International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival, U.S.A.
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Questions? Comments?
Concerns?
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Thank you to our sponsors:
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