WC NEWS

The sixth annual Weatherford College International Piano Competition, featuring talented musicians from around the world, was held this past weekend in the Alkek Fine Arts Center. 

More than 170 pianists representing 22 countries, from Australia to Venezuela to Italy, submitted video entries for a finalist spot in the competition. The top 10 artists were invited to perform at the competition. 

The winners are Haozhou Wang of China, first place; Tatiana Dorokhava of Russia, second place; and Victoria Bi of the United States, third place.  

Wang has won multiple accolades, including first prize in the Viseu International Piano Competition in Portugal in 2023, second place in the Massarosa International Piano Competition in Italy in 2021, and many other awards dating back to 2013. He is currently studying at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert McDonald. His performance at the WCIPC included selections from Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. 

Dorokhava has also won many international music competitions, including second place in the International Piano Competition of the City of Jaen, third place in the Johann Nepomuk Hummel International Piano Competition, second place in the 28th New Orleans International Piano Competition, and second place in the Gurwitz International Piano Competition. She is a student of Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. 

Bi is the national winner of the 2023 MTNA-Kawai America Junior Piano Competition and has placed in other competitions, such as the Emory University Young Artist Piano Competition and the 11th International Piano Competition in the Netherlands. In 2022, she debuted with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra after winning the grand prize in a Young Artist Competition. 

Lydia Artymiw from the University of Minnesota, Enrico Elisi from Texas Christian University, and Antonio Pompa-Baldi from the Cleveland Institute of Music judged the final round.