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Writer's pictureFrederic Chiu

ISMTA Decatur, IL 2024

I was honored to be the first back-to-back Conference Artist for ISMTA. After presenting Young Geniuses last year, I was back for Heart and Soul, Debussy v. Prokofiev. We were received in the wonderful setting of Millikin University, with beautiful weather and Autumnal colors!

The contest was pretty one-sided - Prokofiev swept the overall, the Total Rounds, and all the subcategories! Nonetheless, the comments were very kind to Debussy, but I did hear a lot of comments from people who were surprised by their Prokofiev votes.

Favorite Comments:

Amazing subtleties of color and energy and beautiful sounds and phrase shaping… how lovely - thank you! What interesting self-created movies must go through your head as you play!

So difficult to choose from such different pieces. It's like trying to choose between apple pie and a spicy tofu stir-fry ;)

All other comments:

Amazing

Awesome!

Bravo! Thanks!

Fabulous

Fun! I loved it!

great concert

I know I'm not supposed to write between the columns, but this is what I strongly feel! I subdivided the rounds (each first and second piece against each other!) Wonderful playing, bravo and thank you

I really want this to be a tie.

I think the resonance of hall was more proper to Prokofiev. Thanks for the music today!

Incredible performance! I am a student of Dr. DeZwaan and Dr. Kim and this was a huge inspiration for me!

It was a much more challenging and difficult choice than our presidential election!

It was staggering, truly inspiring. Thank you for your memorable performance and time here with us!

loved your sound and energy in all of your Prokofiev! Beautiful tone in the Debussy (and Prokofiev!)

Thank you for a really cool concert!

Thank you for a thought provoking program. Great concept and framing. Brilliant playing! Stunning artistry! I remember you playing the Toccata on the dilapidated upright in the house at DPS in Wabash

Thank you so much for the great concert and creative voting ballot!

Thank you!

Thank you! I enjoyed your performance both years!

Thank you! So Great!!

Thanks for the performance!

that was a fantastic recital! Congratulations

very enjoyable

What a sound palette in your playing, especially in Round 2! Loved the 2nd Fugitive and Cloches, in particular. Thought there was some "Scarbo" in the Diabolic Suggestions!

Wonderful colors, very poetic playing. Thank you for sharing your music.

wonderful concert! Thank you!

Wonderful program - 2 of my favorites as well!

absolutely Amazing

Do you sit with your butt lower for balance? I saw your L foot keep a lot of motion. I think that also helps with your balance. I loved watching your feet as well as your upper body. So powerful and so poignant. Thank you beyond words. No one taught me anything about technique until I was mid 20's. Prokofiev Toccata nearly killed me. You are amazing! Thank you beyond words

I liked hearing your comments on the composers. A very fun concert! Thank you!

I'm so impressed by your ppp playing in the Debussy (p.s. I really love your logo/icon!) and powerful Prokofiev!

so great to see you and hear you play!

The clarity and artistry with which you performed each piece was so musical! Most enjoyable! I was introduced to some new compositions, especially by Prokofiev. Also, I enjoyed your injected humor and use of the ballot - both aids to engage your audience. Thank you!

You bring out themes in both composer's works that are usually not heard. Beautiful! I love your expressive melodies. Fabulous!

You played Diabolic Suggestions and Toccata so well! Reverie and Clair de lune - beautiful touch and emotion!

Round 3 was hardest to decide! But I caught myself smiling and getting goosebumps at that last ascending run to the glissando in the toccata, so Prokofiev won :) But, overall I prefer Debussy. But then those Prokofiev concertos… hm…

1 Prokofiev - 1st round = fun! Debussy = Beautiful!, 2 Debussy loved the 2nd piece Round 2 3 Loved the Toccata - especially the ending, Debussy Reverie - my favorite!

Bravo! Your Debussy allowed me to forget the national election. Prokofiev - Sarcasm = I've gotta vote! (In the national election)

Brilliant idea! Loved thinking about how they were contemporaries and what they had in common. It was interesting: I think I heard in the Debussy a respect for the piano of its day, while in Prokofiev respect for what It could be. I loved the Prokofiev a lot! There was much I wanted to vote for in the Prokofiev, but in the end, I voted with what spoke to me most.

But I really love them both for entirely different reasons.

I love both Debussy and Prokofiev and never would have thought of pitting them against each other. But such an interesting comparison! Also showed me more clearly my favorite :)

I love both Debussy and Prokofiev! It was a hard choice and I wasn't sure who would win.

P is too bangy, loud and rough. D touches my soul

Picked Prokofiev Toccata because I really like it. Played it on one of my undergrad recitals. Your brother played Brahms with me on one of my doctoral chamber recitals!

Prokofiev

Round 2 OK I really want to play Diabolic Suggestions! But I'm pretty sure it's way too difficult for me! What a blast! Debussy's palette seemed more refined, certainly complex, but not as variety-filled as Prokofiev (so far)> Is my are not discerning enough? (Jardins - yes, Toccata for sure. The casual listener probably doesn't appreciate how complex it is. Amazingly technically difficult. Round 3: I think Reverie might be my favorite of the Debussy pieces performed today. Toccata - fun, interesting, intense, flashy, demanding, non-traditional harmonies, tough to play, tough to memorize. Again, too difficult for me to play, but super enjoyable to hear and see! I had no idea I would like Prokofiev so much! So cool! I have never played any Prokofiev! Now I want to! Thank you for your engaging performance. I admit that some of my choice was based on what my own students and families would enjoy if I played the piece/pieces for them.

Round 2 was my favorite! Your Prokofiev playing is really brilliant, thank you

Those last two notes in Clair de lune are so hard, so I get it! I believe Prokofiev wins as his use of color and variety is superior! There's simply too many similarities for me in Debussy's work!

wonderful way to bring these composers to the world

you are amazing! Dr. Kim was right! I would have picked Debussy for overall, but "The Montagues and the Capulets" was a gorgeous-enough melody to overpower all the others.


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