Annual Concert Aims to Benefit Musicians

(L-R) Dominique Donnarumma, Anna Shelest, Mattia Ometto, Elena Smirnova, Ann Cravero, Jing Yang, Nina Berman, Cosmo Buono, and Barry Alexander in a reception after the concert (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK —A recent concert at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City featured an array of youthful musical talent. The Second Annual ABC Gala Concert on March 30 featured some very young, but extremely talented, vocal and piano artists. The youngest was a 5 year-old pianist. But the concert was more than a showcase of talent.

“Music unites the world,” said Cosmo Buono, an internationally distinguished pianist who hosted the evening with Barry Alexander, a prestigious lyric baritone. They led the audience with an aria from The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini. The number is noted as one of the most difficult baritone arias to perform, due to the tongue-twisting nature of most of its lines.

The Annual ABC Concert Gala is an ongoing effort by the late David Bradshaw and Cosmo Buono who founded the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition (B&B). Barry Alexander, who also helped to found the competition, also created the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition. Realizing the need of applicants to be able to receive financial support, Alexander and Buono combined their fundraising efforts under one entity, The Alexander & Buono Competitions, or ABC.

Performing in a concert at the famed Carnegie Hall was an attractive bonus to the artists competing for a monetary prize as a significant career-enhancing credential.

A highlight of the program was a Mozart piano sonata played by Mayu Sasada, a 5 year-old Japanese girl. Despite her age, there is no denying her strong musical sense. In fact, she was a winner at the 2008 B&B competitions.

The concert also featured other winners from the Alexander & Buono Competition. Sopranos Christin Wismann; mezzo sopranos Ann Cravero and Dominique Donnarumma; and pianists Cosmo Buono, Leila Samii, Anna Shelest, Elena Smirnova, and Jing Yang.

“To me piano is everything,” said Mattia Ometto, a pianist from Venice who performed a showy piece that showcased his technical skills. Ometto, who had his first piano lesson at the age of 13, says his greatest goal in his life is to be a musician. To him, that means more than just mastering a musical instrument.

The concert ended with a delightful song by Johann Strauss, performed by Nina Bermen, an emerging coloratura soprano. Bermen is a 2009 winner of the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition. To Bermen, her study of classical music has truly made her a better person.

“To be a good singer is to have a childlike curiosity,” said Bermen.

The upcoming Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition is now opened for entries to students from ages four to adults. The 2009 application deadline is on April 15. For more information, see http://www.bbpiano.com.