Chicago, IL (PRWEB) October 31, 2013 -- The Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation and WFMT Radio Network announced today that a new documentary about the 12th Dranoff International 2 Piano Competition is in production and will be released this fall for worldwide syndication. The program will be available for broadcast beginning November 1, 2013. The Power of Two will premiere on November 3rd in Miami on Classical South Florida and air every Sunday in November. The 4-part, 8 hour series, titled The Power of Two, highlights the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation and its 2013 competition by following the eight top professional semifinalist piano teams from seven countries. Spending the week in Miami from May 11th through the 16th, 2013, the teams competed for more than $70,000 in cash prizes and international touring contracts. The competition culminated in the announcement of the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards going to Duo Yamamoto of Japan, Duo Yoo and Kim of South Korea and Duo ImPuls of Germany, respectively.
The 8 hour series is produced by Jesse McQuarters and David Polk for the WFMT Radio Network
and features performance highlights from the competition, including duo pianos’ most dynamic and engaging works of the great Classical composers along with the Dranoff commission by Gabriele Lena Frank, Seis cantos de los campos, Jerome Moross’s The Last Judgement, and Shelly Berg’s Mary and Martha Meditation. Orchestral works heard in the broadcast, conducted by the Minnesota Orchestra’s Sarah Hicks and the Dranoff Festival Orchestra, are Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra in D minor, and Victor Babin’s Concerto No. 2 for 2 Pianos and Orchestra, Op. 22.
The Power of Two is the exponential power of having two pianos, two artists engaged in a dialogue of music, intellect and heart”, said Dranoff President Gabriele Fiorentino. “It is the orchestral sound created by the reverberating strings and sound boards of the two instruments, but it also is the dedication to this art form that creates ensembles where the two become one only to be far greater together.”
In addition to performances from the competition, The Power of Two will offer insights in to the preparation, hopes and views of a nail-biting contest for the championship from many of the finalist and semi-finalist teams, including Duo Yoo and Kim (South Korea); Duo Yamamoto (Japan); Duo Ping and Ting (Hong Kong); Lavrova/Primakov Duo (Russia); Duo Bohemes (France/Romania) and Duo ImPuls (Germany). If half a point is missed or an injury occurs, it will cost two artists who have worked for years the top prize.
The Power of Two interviews the internationally respected jurors for the competition including prominent music directors of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Lincoln Center in NYC and Belgium’s de Singel and heads of the most esteemed Conservatories in China, Germany and Canada. Other interviewees of note are Shelly Berg, Composer and Dean, U of Miami School of Music; Dennis Scholl, Director of the Knight Foundation; Gabriela Lena Frank, composer, Sarah Hicks, conductor, and Carlos Gimenez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County talking about the roles of international music competitions in the lives and careers of artists and in building international culture centers in communities.
The documentary has been made possible through a generous matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and support from Steinway and Sons, the official piano of the Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation, as part of larger sponsorships for international broadcast media, documentaries, and communications around the competition.
The Dranoff International 2 Piano Competition is the only exclusively duo piano competition in the world that is accredited by World Federation of International Music Competitions. It is an all Steinway & Sons piano competition.
ABOUT DRANOFF INTERNATIONAL 2 PIANO FOUNDATION
For 27 years, the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation has been the world’s leading champion of two-piano repertoire and artistry. Located in Florida’s Greater Miami-Dade County, it is one of the area’s few performing arts organizations whose activities span the globe and create recognition abroad for the city of Miami.
Since its inception, the Foundation’s principal agenda has been to sponsor a 2 piano international competition for young, professional musicians. Competitions currently take place every four years. First ($25,000), Second ($15,000), and Third ($10,000) Prizes are awarded as well as a number of $5,000 prizes that recognize the finest performance of a particular piece. Winners also receive assistance with securing concert engagements. The past 12 competitions have produced over 130 winning duos, hailing from more than 30 countries. In 1999, the Dranoff became the only international competition exclusively dedicated to 2 piano artistry and repertoire to be accredited by the World Federation of International Competitions.
In conjunction with the competition, the Foundation also endeavors to take significant steps toward sustaining and expanding the quality of 2 piano repertoire. For each competition cycle, an internationally recognized composer is commissioned for a new work required in the semi-final round. The award-winning composers commissioned thus far include Gabriela Lena Frank, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Marcel Bergman, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Morton Gould, Fred Kaufmann, Michel Legrand Lowell Liebermann, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Ned Rorem, and Paul Schoenfield. Through these commissioned works, the Dranoff makes two highly significant contributions to the world of music. First, the Dranoff actively adds to the growth of the 2 piano repertoire at the highest level, and second, it ensures that the music is heard by helping to facilitate the winners’ post-competition performances.
About the WFMT Radio Network
The WFMT Radio Network is a premier creator of radio programs that are syndicated to hundreds of radio stations throughout the United States and internationally, with a focus on classical music, jazz, folk, science, and world culture. It is the home of prestigious classical concert series such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic; the renowned daily music appreciation series Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin; Jazz From Lincoln Center; Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; The Midnight Special (folk music with a sense of humor); hourly modular classical and jazz series (Beethoven Satellite Network and Jazz Satellite Network); and dozens of other programs that range from ongoing weekly series to one-time radio specials. The WFMT Radio Network continually travels the world to develop new programming, having produced series from places such as Salzburg, South Africa, Edinburgh, Jerusalem, and many other locations.
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For more information about WFMT Radio Network programming and licensing, contact: Tony Macaluso, WFMT’s Director of Network Marketing and Syndication. E-mail tmacaluso(at)wfmt(dot)com or call (773) 279-2114.
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Carlene Sawyer or Meghan Brachle, Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation, http://Dranoff2Piano.org, 305-572-9900, [email protected], [email protected]
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