Los Altos High School sophomore Jade Lu was one of six finalists in the Celia Méndez Young Pianist’s Beethoven Competition, held April 4 via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although she was not among the three winners, the Los Altos resident said she enjoyed the experience.
“I was very excited and honored,” Lu said. “The competition is pretty special because the organization specializes in studying Beethoven’s work. They really know what they’re doing.”
Lu learned about the competition, open to all California high school students, from her piano teacher. For her preliminary audition CD, Lu chose to play Bach’s Prelude and Fugue No. 17 and Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 27 No. 1, Movements 1 and 2.
“I like Beethoven’s piano sonatas because they’re very expressive and each one is unique in its own way,” said Lu, who started playing the piano eight years ago and practices two hours a day. “I really liked this one when I heard the recording, so I knew I wanted to play it.”
According to Ellen Tryba Chen, chairwoman of the competition, 15-30 students submit entries every year. She noted that only a limited number of high school pianists have the dedication and skill set to play an entire Beethoven sonata and Bach prelude, which is required to audition. The competitors are then evaluated on expression, stylistic understanding and individuality, which means going beyond playing a piece with perfect accuracy.
“We look for students who have a spiritual or emotional connection beyond simply a basic technical mastery over the notes,” Chen said. “The emphasis is always on, ‘Does this person understand what Beethoven is trying to say? Are they communicating in a way that touches the listener?’”
After submitting an audition CD, Lu was informed of her selection as a finalist and invited to play at the final round at San Jose State University, which is followed by a master class for the three winners. Those events were moved online due to COVID-19,
Lu said she learned a lot from the competition – appreciating the feedback she received at each stage – and was pleased with her overall performance.
“In the end I got nervous, so I stumbled over a few places,” she said. “But it was easier because I was doing it at home, so I was a lot more comfortable.”
Lu added that she is by no means finished with her career as a pianist. She plans to play throughout high school, join a local youth orchestra and potentially minor in piano in college.
“Piano is just a great way to express myself, because even if I don’t compete, it’s really enjoyable,” Lu said. “It’s an art form (that allows me) to understand these composers better and put my own emotion into their music when I play it.”
