Competition for Outstanding Amateurs 2007

Winners announced!

Formula one racing car designer and classroom teacher overtake the competition and chalk up victory as UK’s best amateur pianists

Two Amateur pianists have achieved professional recognition as the most outstanding amateur Classical and Jazz piano talents in the UK after winning the final of the second ‘Pianists’ Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, presented by Yamaha and Pianist Magazine in front of a sold-out 800 capacity audience at Cadogan Hall, London on Saturday 17th November in association with Classic FM, theJazz and Jazzwise.

32 year old Oxford based Aerodynamicist Dominic Smith (Classical Winner) and 54 year old Kent music teacher, Aberdeen born Will Michael (Jazz Winner) were among six finalists from all walks of life who made it through to the final hosted by Classic FM’s Jamie Crick, after being selected from hundreds of entries to perform in front of a live audience and star studded panel of judges comprising Noriko Ogawa, Piers Lane, Martin Roscoe and Barry Wordsworth (Classical judges) and Jamie Cullum, Julian Joseph, Gwilym Simcock and Jason Rebello (Jazz judges).

Classical winner Dominic Smith will now get to perform a movement from a concerto of his choice with a top UK orchestra at a prestigious venue in 2008/09. He not only impressed the distinguished panel of judges with his dynamic and expressive performance of Debussy and Chopin, but also the live audience who voted Dominic as winner of the prestigious ‘Audience Favourite’ award, for which he receives a private coaching session with a leading professional pianist.

Jazz winner Will Michael whose performance included his own composition ‘Four Bars for Bill’ between ‘On Green Dolphin Street’ (Kaper & Washington) and ‘Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams’ (Koehler, Barris & Moll) will now get to play with Julian Joseph and his band at a top London jazz venue, also in 2008.

Although the judges had high praise for all the finalists, they declared their choice of Dominic and Will as unanimous.

For Dominic Smith who has worked for 6½ years as team leader for an aerodynamic design group at the Honda Formula One racing team, music took a back seat while he studied Aeronautics at Imperial College, later collaborating with the Ferrari Formula One team and then progressing to aerodynamicist for the American Indy Racing League cars. His first design won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 at the hands of Juan Pablo Montoya.

Classical judge Barry Wordsworth stated, “We all felt on the classical side huge admiration for all the pianists, the jazzers as well as the classicists, but our decision was unanimous. What incredible technique and what a wonderful evening. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Dominic Smith told us, “I was extremely honoured and surprised to find myself playing the music of two masters of the keyboard – Debussy and Chopin – in the final in front of a capacity audience at such a prestigious venue and on such a world class concert grand piano. It’s a long way from my living room and to now have the opportunity to play a concerto with a top orchestra literally is a dream come true! I still can’t quite believe it.”

Jazz Judge Jamie Cullum commented, “This was a great night of music and a pleasure to listen to everyone. We arrived at a unanimous decision. There were some amazing techniques on display but we felt Will Michael showed a real sense of what jazz is about, taking risks and showing great musicality and personality.”

Will Michael who is Head of Music at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School was born near Aberdeen into a family with a strong musical tradition where everyone played something – whether Scottish songs, reels and strathspeys, Mozart or Beethoven sonatas or tunes by Bill Evans or John Coltrane.

Since leaving Aberdeen 30 years ago, Will has survived as a classroom music teacher in London and Kent and contributed to jazz education with bodies such as the Associated Board and The Wigmore Hall Community Education Department, for whom he and his brother Richard have developed teaching materials.

A jubilant Will stated, “Getting to play a Yamaha Concert Grand Piano was a deeply thrilling experience for me, let alone performing in front of a live audience at Cadogan Hall. I loved every minute of it – and there was not an Ofsted inspector in sight! I now can’t wait for the opportunity to share the spotlight with Julian Joseph and his fantastic band in 2008.”

Arising out of its success, The Pianist/Yamaha ‘Pianists’ Competition for Outstanding Amateurs is now established as a significant biennial event of the musical calendar. Unique to the UK, the aim of THE PIANISTS is to provide a high profile, professionally produced showcase for the country’s most passionate amateur piano players of over 30 years of age and assist them in reaching new levels whilst promoting piano repertoire and piano playing to new audiences, and Yamaha also used the occasion to produce a free programme in return for audience donations, raising £1000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Erica Worth, Editor of Pianist Magazine comments: “Yet again, a thrilling evening. The atmosphere in the hall was electrifying and the finalists played to such a high standard. There is something so unique about this competition. Hard to put a finger on it really, but let’s say it’s all to do with passion and personality. The finalists were playing purely for the love of it, and the audience responded. There was a mountain of audience favourite voting slips to wade our way through in the interval! Roll on 2009....”

Yamaha’s Senior Director Mike Ketley comments: “There are many competitions for young, up-coming pianists, but our scheme is unique in that it offers a real performance platform for talented adults who play for the sheer love of it, and can through this competition fulfil a dream of playing at a prestigious concert venue in London. As with the event 2 years ago we found that the quality of amateur players throughout the UK is simply staggeringly high, and therefore we strongly believe these people deserve a wider audience and that’s exactly what we provide."

The other 2007 finalists were:

Classical Finalists

Tony O’Brien
IT Consultant
West Wickham

Gil Jetley
Business Consultant
London

Jazz Finalists

Howard Wolfin
Co-director of a textiles company
Pinner, Middlesex

Andy Quin
Composer
Camberley, Surrey

Since reporting this story we have learnt that Will Michael and Howard Wolfin have sadly passed away. Yamaha and Pianist Magazine would to pass their condolences to their families and friends.