2010 El Paso Chopin Music Festival September 4, 2010

The El Paso Chopin Music Festival, under the direction of former El Paso Community College music professor, Lucy Scarbrough, will present its 16th annual concert series featuring outstanding pianists. The first of three concerts features Claire Huangci, Saturday, September 4, 7:30pm at the Chamizal National Memorial. The concert is free and open to the public. The second and third concerts take place on October 2 and October 23. For more information: www.elpaso-chopin.com.

Born in Rochester, New York, 20-year-old pianist Claire Huangci astonishes all who hear her perform. Coming from a family of scientists, Claire received a Grand Piano for her 6th birthday and began taking lessons at seven. That same year, she was featured on FOX news as a child prodigy with “the skills of a professional pianist.” During her studies, Claire was awarded several scholarships and won many competitions. One of her awards was the Grand Prize at a 1999 World Piano competition. She also performed in the gala concert with the World Festival Orchestra and in a winner’s concert at Carnegie Hall. Continuing her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, she won the Philadelphia Orchestra Competition. In April, 2006, she won first place in the 57th Kosciuszko Chopin International Piano Competition in New York City. The 2006 Hamamatsu International Piano Competition introduced Claire to the Japanese audiences and she was awarded the diploma for outstanding merit. In 2007, she made her first appearance in Europe, with solo performances in Munich, Frankfurt and Paris. She also made her debut with the China Philharmonic and toured Switzerland. In 2008 and 2009, she had solo and concert performances in Europe, Africa, Asia, and America.