Coronado Man Advances in Piano Contest : SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Coronado pianist Kevin Kenner is one of 12 semifinalists in the 1989 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which began May 27 in Ft. Worth, Tex.

The 26-year-old local musician also holds the distinction of being the sole American among the fortunate dozen who will be competing for the prestigious Cliburn gold medal, which will be awarded June 11.

Competition officials, who announced the names of the semifinalists Wednesday evening, expressed some surprise that only one American made it to the semifinals.

Of the 40 pianists who were invited to compete in this eighth Van Cliburn Competition, 38 went to Ft. Worth to compete. Ten of the 38 were Americans.

Among the semifinalists, three were from the Soviet Union, two from China. There was one semifinalist each from France, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Brazil and Japan.

When it comes to competitions, Kenner is no novice. He won the 1987 New York Chopin International Competition grand prize, as well as top honors in the 1983 Kosciuszko Foundation National Chopin Competition.

He also won the 1982 Masterplayers International Piano Competition in Spain. A graduate of Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory, Kenner is a protege of Leon Fleischer.

In his second preliminary recital May 31, Kenner played Mozart’s F Major Sonata, K. 332, Rachmaninoff’s Second Sonata, Op. 36, and Alban Berg’s Sonata Op. 1.

The next round of performances will narrow the competition to six pianists by June 6. Each semi-finalist will play an hour-long solo recital, in addition to a piano quintet with the Tokyo String Quartet.

Though the semifinalists choose their own repertory for their solo recitals, each will play a new composition, Variations on the American Tune “Chester” by William Schumann. Cliburn contestants received the score to the new work March 31.

Held every four years, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is considered by many to be the American equivalent to Moscow’s prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition.

The Cliburn gold medalist will be awarded a $15,000 cash prize, a Carnegie Hall recital, and an American and European orchestral and recital tour.