2007 LIBERACE PIANO COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The Liberace Foundation for the Performing & Creative Arts announces the four winners of its 2007 Liberace Piano Competition.

Classical-Junior (age 12 and under):
Nicholas Rule, an 11-year old middle school student and Las Vegas/Summerlin resident, has studied piano for four and a half years. During the finals, he performed: “Etude Opus 1 No. 9” by Franz Liszt

Classical-Senior (age 13 to 17):
Ray Kim, a Las Vegas resident and high school senior, has played the piano since the young age of six. He performed: “Prelude in G Major Alla Marci Op 23 No. 4” by Sergio Rachmaninoff

Classical-Adult (age 18 and over):
Carolyn Villavicencio Grossmann of Henderson, NV, professional piano teacher and UNLV honors graduate, Master of Music Piano performance in 2006. She performed: “Reflets dans L’eau (Reflections on the Water)” from Images Book 1 by Claude Debussy

Showmanship-Professional
Jon England of Wilmington, NC and native of Great Britain (www.velvetpiano.com), who since 1979, at the young age of 19, has been giving his enthusiastic audiences his sparkling and unique renditions of everything from “New York, New York” to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” He performed a Hollywood and Broadway Rhapsody (medley) that he arranged.

The winners, who received a beautiful crystal piano-shaped trophy and a $250 cash prize, each performed a five-minute selection on a Yamaha Grand Piano along with their 10 competitors for 400 family, guests and supporters at the Community Lutheran Church auditorium. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Liberace Foundation Scholarship Fund, the Liberace Adopt the Collection Fund, and Family Promise.

The event’s talented emcees, Rebecca Spencer and Bruce Ewing, cast members from "PHANTOM: the Las Vegas Spectacular” provided their own amazing brand of entertainment throughout the competition. Spencer kicked off the competition with a tribute solo and video presentation to honor Liberace’s life and legacy by singing one of his signature songs, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” accompanied by pianist Philip Fortenberry. Russell Eiffert, a 2006 competition winner in the Showmanship Professional category, traveled from Flemington, NJ to be a featured guest of the competition and performed a Cole Porter medley.

Judges for the competition were Evangelina Duke, regional manager for Bosendorfer Pianos of Las Vegas and former Miss Montana 2004; Jack Gaughan, musical director and conductor of “PHANTOM – the Las Vegas Spectacular”; Anna Nateece, a member of the Liberace Foundation Board of Directors and Liberace’s long-time fur designer and friend; Philip Fortenberry, one of Broadway’s most sought after pianists and who is currently the associate conductor for “Mamma Mia” production at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; and, Dr. Richard McGee, one of the founders of the Las Vegas Philharmonic who is the current associate conductor and producer and conductor of the Philharmonic’s youth concert series.

The Presenting Sponsor of the 2007 Liberace Piano Competition was The Biafore Group at Merrill Lynch. Founding sponsors were Bosendorfer Pianos of Las Vegas, Greenberg Traurig, Mahoney-Galloway Advertising, and R&R Commercial Real Estate Services. Strategic partners of the competition included the Community Lutheran Church, Carluccio’s Tivoli Garden Restaurant, Ron Cook’s Connecting Point, ReJAVAnate, Barnes & Noble, Monte Lago Village Resort, Munari Auctions, Shelley Mansholt PR, David Chadwick, Excellence Promo, Fame Farm, Kayson Accounting, Nevada State Bank, and Las Vegas Performing Arts Society.

Order the fabulous DVD of the 2007 Liberace Piano Competition Finals featuring all 14 outstanding pianist competitors! Cost is $20 plus $3 for shipping and handling. To place your order, contact 702-798-5595 x12 or Email jerry@liberace.org.