December 16, 2009
Alumnus captures Seattle Piano Competition
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Music alumnus Illa Radoslav recently won the gold medal at the 2009 Seattle Piano Competition.
Radoslav, a Bulgaria native who earned a graduate degree in 2004 from SIUC, competed against five other musicians in the final round of the professional category of the competition.
As the gold medal winner, Radoslav received an invitation to be one of the judges of next year’s competition. He will also perform as a guest artist in the Cornish College of the Arts concert series, and record a solo album with Emergence Records, a Seattle-based recording label.
Even just participating in the competition’s final round was an accomplishment. Jeanine Wagner, director of the School of Music at SIUC, noted that more than 100 musicians applied for the final round at the professional level.
The annual festival invites musicians at a variety of levels, including very young artists from around the world. For more information about the festival, visit www.seattlepianocompetition.org. For more information about the SIUC School of Music, visit http://music.siuc.edu.