Inspiring and awarding Arizona's piano students in their pursuit of excellence in the arts.

Keogh Health Foundation is proud to sponsor the Arizona Youth Piano Competition. The Piano Competition is open to all pre-college pianists from Arizona, ages 18 and under. Pianists will compete for $12,000 in prize money, without application fees. The first place winners of each division will perform before hundreds of community and business leaders at the Keogh Health Foundation's First Friday Gala on November 7 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. The 2007 finalists were professionally recorded by KBAQ-89.5 FM Classical Radio's Production Studio for possible broadcast. 2008 finalists and Gold Medalist performances at the First Friday Gala will once again be recorded by the KBAQ Production Studio for possible broadcast.

Application and Preliminary Recording Due: September 19, 2008

Competition Dates: October 24 - 25, 2008

Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Important Information

To apply for the competition, please print the Rules and Regulations and 2008 Application for detailed competition information and to submit your entry application.

For 2008 Rules and Regulations - click here

If you require additional information about the competition rules, the application process, the competition committee, or this year's judges, please contact Peggy Rostron, Competition Director, by email p.rostron@cox.net or phone 602-482-1438.

Arizona Youth Piano Competition Committee

Dr. Peggy Rostron, Director
Shauna Leavitt, Member
Sharon Stevens, Member
Dayton Grafman, Steinway Artist
Ray Nutaitis, Director, KBAQ Production Studio
Judie Beach, Keogh Health Foundation, Board Liaison
Allen Gjersvig, Keogh Health Foundation Executive Director

Steinway of Phoenix:

14418 N. Scottsdale Road Suite #183 Scottsdale, Arizona 85254

2008 Competition Judges

We are proud to announce our 2008 panel of judges. For more information on each of these, please click on their names

Dr. Andrew Cooperstock, University of Colorado at Boulder
Heralded as a “technically impeccable and musically profound” pianist, Andrew Cooperstock performs widely as soloist and chamber musician and has appeared throughout five continents and in most of the fifty states. He has served as juror for the Music Teachers National Association national competitions and the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artists Competition, among others. He also performs with violinist William Terwilliger as Opus Two, an award-winning duo.

Dr. Garik (Gary) Pedersen, Eastern Michigan University
Dr. Pedersen has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and in Canada, Taiwan, Central America, Scandinavia, and the Philippine Islands. In addition to twenty-five years of university teaching, he has spent many summers working with young pianists at Interlochen Arts Camp, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and other music festivals in Kentucky, Iowa, Indiana, Washington, and Taiwan.

Elisabeth Pridonoff, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Elisabeth Pridonoff is an internationally known teacher and pianist who has performed and given master classes throughout the world. A first-place winner of several national and international competitions, Elisabeth Pridonoff's students have also been first place winners in numerous piano competitions. She is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer, and she and her husband, Eugene Pridonoff, as the Pridonoff Duo, are Duo in Residence at the College-Conservatory of Music.

Preliminary Round Judge

Dr. Jane Magrath, University of Okalahoma
Jane Magrath is well known as an author, clinician, and performing pianist. Her book The Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature has become a classic reference work for pianists throughout the country, and her work in the area of the standard classical teaching literature has been central to the current revival of interest in this music throughout the U.S.

Comments from 2006 Judges

Kirill Gliadkovsky: "I think the competition was organized extremely well, and the level of talent displayed was outstanding. The repertoire was thoughtfully selected, the piano and the acoustics were beautiful and the prizes for the winners were very generous, too."

Gary Amano: "It was a pleasure to judge a competition that was so well organized. Everything ran so smoothly and the students were very well prepared. The winners were unusually good."

Jane Magrath: "The first Arizona Youth Piano Competition provided a musical fest all around! The top-notch competition organization and professional consideration given in every step made it a rewarding and outstanding performing experience for the contestants. The talent revealed in each of the rounds was amazing, and showed the very promising face of talent education in the state and country! I was impressed with how much consideration was given to the performing environment and relationships with teachers and students in the creation of this amazing competition. Truly it was every potential to be a most rewarding experience for the pianists every step as well as for audience members in the final rounds!"

First Friday Gala

Featuring Performances by:
2008 Arizona Youth Piano Competition Gold Medalists

Date: Friday, November 7, 2008

Location: Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa

Sponsorships and Tables:
Sponsor packages are available to support the work of the Keogh Health Foundation. Table prices range from $3,000 to $10,000.

Benefiting the Programs of the Keogh Health Foundation

For more information contact:
Allen@KeoghHealthFoundation.org or 602-424-2505