News about future AYPC competitions:

The Keogh Health Foundation has announced their Arizona Youth Piano Competition (AYPC) is moving to a new format. Rather than holding the event every October the Board is considering an every-other year rotation. AYPC will not be held in 2009. Please check back during the year for announcements about future years. KHF will inform piano teachers and appropriate associations of future plans.

2008 Arizona Youth Piano Competition Winners:

To help low-income children secure access to health care.
November 14, 2008

Phoenix, AZ – The 2008 Arizona Youth Piano Competition, sponsored by the Keogh Health Foundation and held at Steinway of Phoenix, announced nine winners on Saturday, October 25, 2008, and $12,000 in prize money was distributed to the nine medalists.

Gold medalists from each division will perform at the Foundation’s First Friday Gala on November 7 to raise funds to assist uninsured children. Dr. Garik Pedersen, speaking for all three competition judges, said, “We’ve judged competitions in many states and several other countries, and this is the first time we’ve seen an event that encourages and celebrates young classical piano students as a means to raise funds to assist uninsured children.” Dr. Peggy Rostron of Phoenix served as the competition director.

	Senior Division Medalists: ages 15 – 18, Gold – David Chou, Mesa, student of Fei Xu; Silver – Kiefer Forseth, Phoenix, student of Fei Xu; Bronze – Rudy Chen, student of Yali Luo.
	Junior Division Medalists: ages 11 – 14, Gold – Elizabeth Sun, Chandler, student of Fei Xu; Silver – Carolynn Cong, Scottsdale, student of Fei Xu; Bronze – Joey Chang, Tempe, student of Dr. Teh-Ling Chiang.
	Elementary Division Medalists: ages 10 and under, Gold – Katrina Jia, Chandler, student of Fei Xu; Silver – Lena Han, Chandler, student of Fei Xu; Bronze – Kana Li, Chandler, student of Yali Luo.

Judges for the two day competition: Dr. Andrew Cooperstock chairs the keyboard department at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a member of the faculty at North Carolina’s Brevard Music Center. Elizabeth Pridonoff, Artist in Residence and Field Service Professor at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is an internationally known teacher and performer. Dr. Garik Pedersen, professor of piano at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and in Canada, Taiwan, Central America, Scandinavia, and the Philippine Islands. During the competition, neither the identity of the students, nor their teachers, was known to the judges.

The Keogh Health Foundation, during five years of existence, has assisted more than 72,000 lowincome Arizonians secure affordable healthcare. The Foundation focuses primarily on low-income women and their children who are participating in programs to achieve self-sufficiency. Allen Gjersvig, Executive Director explained, “ More than 79,000 uninsured children live in Maricopa County who are eligible for low-cost or no-cost health plans, and research has shown that kids that go from uninsured to insured do better in school. Working with many community groups that have contact with uninsured working-poor families, we strive to inform, educate and enroll eligible women and their children in affordable healthcare programs.”