Bluffton piano guild auditions draw 43 participants

The annual Bluffton Ohio Center Piano Guild auditions were held recently at the studio of Kathleen Price. Forty-three students participated, playing memorized programs of two to 15 pieces and musicianship phases of sight-reading, transposition, scales and ear-training. The auditions establish yearly goals in a noncompetitive setting. Special recognition goes to Ethan Zhang and Bryan Li, both students of Laura Melton, who successfully played high school diploma programs of 10 pieces and five musicianship phases. Jarah Smith will receive the Paderewski Gold Medal for 10 years of 10-piece national programs, and Claire Flake will be recognized for five years of 10-piece national programs. Their pictures and names will be printed next spring in the guild magazine, Piano Guild Notes. Students who played national programs, 10 memorized pieces, included senior Alexis Jackson, Akari Watanabe, Ivy Huang, Athira Karthik, Evan Clark, Elyse Clark, Bethany Wappelhorst, Brooklyn Smith, Jada Smith, Wyatt Smith, Emi Kawamura, Miki Kawamura, David Chen, Ian Luo, Elizabeth Smiraldo, Major Stevens, Yana Rao, Peter Vance, Alan Woodall and Nigel Woodall. Teachers are Kathleen Price, Joan Benedict, Melanie Rader and Laura Melton. This year's adjudicator was Annette Hoverman of Van Wert.