Chen-Shen Fan Pianist Chen-Shen Fan received 2nd Prize and the Best Liszt Interpretation Award at the 2017 Franz Liszt International Festival and Piano Competition, formerly the Liszt-Garrison (2005–15), presented by the Ohio and Baltimore-Washington Chapters of The American Liszt Society. Chen-Shen’s Best Liszt Interpretation Award stemmed from his performance of the composer’s “Aux cyprès de la Villa d’Este, thrénodie II,” from Années de pèlerinage, Troisième année. Fan’s success came after the initial 240 applicants had been culled to the 16 performers invited to the live round. The winners receive a cash prize, performance opportunities, and affiliation with the American Liszt Society. As it turns out, October was quite a busy month for Fan who, apart from the Liszt prize, was a semi-finalist in the Seattle International Piano Competition and prize winner in the New York State MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition, and received Honorable Mention at the Marian Garcia International Piano Competition. Fan is currently studying with Ursula Oppens at the Conservatory, where he is in the Artist Diploma program and serves as her teaching assistant. Grant Bouvier Our first-year Sonic Arts student Grant Bouvier was flown to San Francisco for a weekend in November by Red Bull to compete in their “Hack the Hits” competition. He was teamed with two other students, Clare Maason of Seattle University and Anirudh Mani of Carnegie Mellon. Their team won first prize for the instrument they built.
