Utah pianist wins Seattle contest

Josh Wright is pretty happy these days.

Last month, the Utah native took first prize in the collegiate division at the Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition.

"You put so much effort into a competition, it's very rewarding when you win," Wright said in a phone interview.

It's especially gratifying for him since it's his first significant win after returning home from serving an LDS mission.

The way the Seattle competition chooses its participants is considerably different than most of the other major competitions. The Gina Bachauer event, for example, selects from around 35-40 pianists through worldwide auditions to come to Salt Lake City where they are required to play two rounds before the judges narrow the field down to six finalists.

Seattle, however, takes a different route. This year there were more than 150 applicants from around the world who auditioned. Of these, six were chosen as finalists to come to Seattle to play in front of a jury.

"It was a great honor to be chosen," Wright said. The competition was fierce, but Wright felt good about his chances. "Every competition you enter helps you to grow and mature and boosts your competitive edge," he said.

Of the top three winners, second place went to a pianist from the United Kingdom who studies with legendary pianist Leon Fleisher; third place was won by a pianist from Asia.

Part of Wright's win includes a number of concert engagements. "I'll be doing a concert in Seattle next spring," he said. Also in the works is a recital at a future date in Paris. "That's still in the early stages," he said. "We're still trying to set something up."

Even before his competition win, Wright has been maintaining a full concert schedule. "I've been keeping busy. I've had the unique experience of being able to perform every weekend starting on Sept. 11 and continuing through November. It's really great to be able to perform as much as I have been."

And in spite of his concertizing, Wright has no intention of quitting competing. He was in this year's Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, and he has a few others in his sights.

"I'm planning on quite a few more competitions over the next several years," he said. "I've already applied to some."

In addition to competing and performing, Wright also teaches 15 private piano students and runs a successful online piano teaching studio, joshwrightpianotv.com.

"It's a series that addresses specific questions on technique, phrasing and a lot of other things," he said. "It's been a rewarding experience." It's free to join and can be accessed through the above website or by contacting Wright by e-mail at josh@joshwrightpiano.com.

e-mail: ereichel@desnews.com