By Natalie Sluzar – As it has done since its inception five years ago, the Washington Group Cultural Fund this year again sponsored the Vladimir Horowitz International Competition for Young Pianists. The competition is held in Kyiv, where the famous pianist was born and raised.

The winners from among the more than 80 pianists from all over the world who competed in this year’s competition performed October 17 at Temple Micah in Washington. The recital was co-sponsored by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry.

The Ukrainian Embassy’s cultural attache, Hennadii Noadolenko, introduced the winners in the three age groups, two of whom were from Ukraine: Vadym Kholodenko, a sixth-grade student at Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine and a third-year student at London Royal Music Academy.

Also present at the concert were Yuri Zilberman, the general director of the competition, and composer Ivan Karabyts, chairman of the competition jury, Irina Smekhov, the competition’s director of public relations, also spoke briefly, thanking all for their financial support. A reception followed the performance, at which CD’s were available for sale.

Photo caption: Horowitz Competition Winners: Daniil Shleyenkov (Belarus); Vadym Kholodenko (Ukraine); Seiko Tsukamoto (Japan); Jian Liu (USA); and Oleksiy Hrynyuk (Ukraine).

Reprinted with permission from The Ukrainian Weekly.