As many of you know from my past writings, our seventeen year old Nita Qiu has been enrolled for the past three years in the Chopin Foundation of the United States Scholarship Program. It is a very demanding and comprehensive four year program to help build one's Chopin repertoire in preparation for the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. In each of the past three years, Nita has been one of just ten students in the United States to win the full scholarship. For this, the third year, she was required to submit an extremely demanding 45 minute program of repertoire encompassing one of the great Polonaises and one of the great Sonatas. This fourth year will require that she submit the entire F minor Concerto.
Since her great victory in winning the top prize of The Minnesota Orchestra's 62nd Annual Young People's Concerto Competition in February, Nita was awarded a Schubert Club Grant, and was a Guest Artist at the Young Peoples Symphony Concert Association (YPSCA) Annual Luncheon in Minneapolis in May. Also in May, Nita presented a Guest Artist Recital (with our great alumnus, Austin Frohmader) for the China Service Ventures Benefit Concert at Mindekirken Memorial Church, Minneapolis. And, for the second summer in a row, Nita was one of thirty international students selected (age 13-28) to attend the Frost Chopin Festival and Academy at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. There she studied with noted international Chopin interpreters Kevin Kenner, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, and Margarita Shevchenko among others.
This will be Nita's final year with us having studied with me for twelve years. I long for her to have a brilliant and magical final year here at Crocus Hill Studios.
Yours in Music -
Joe & Jo Anne
