Announcing the 2024 Piano Commencement Contest Winner
Maranatha’s Music Department has announced the winners of this year’s Piano Commencement Contest. Besides separate contests for instrumentalists and vocalists, pianists had their own contest to develop their presentation and performance skills. Dr. Diana Shapiro adjudicated the contest.
Winner
In first place, Zane Richard won with his performance of “Marche des Davidsbundler contre les Philistins” by Schumann. Richard is a Music Major with concentrations in Church Music and Piano Performance.
Along with the Instrumental and Voice Commencement Contest winners, he will have the opportunity to record his piece for a professional video on Wednesday.
Runner-up
In second place, Abigail Boorujy won with her performance of “Toccata” from Le Tombeau de Couperin by Ravel. Boorujy is a Music Major with concentrations in Piano Performance, Piano Pedagogy, and String Pedagogy.
After the competition, Dr. Shapiro commented, “I truly believe that the piano area at Maranatha keeps nurturing a wonderful array of young performers. It is a blessing to the community.”
Adjudicator
Dr. Diana Shapiro holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano from UW-Madison. Born in Moscow, Russia, she studied music at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy in Israel. Currently, she works as an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Alongside Dr. Stanislava Varshavski, she plays in the acclaimed Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo. Together, they have won numerous international competitions and performed in venues across the globe.