About the Competition
2006 Young Guitarist Competition Results
Meng Su of Beijing, China wins 2006 Parkening Young Guitarist Competition
Malibu, May 30 – Christopher Parkening and Pepperdine University today announced the winner of the first Parkening Young Guitarist Competition. Meng Su, 18, of Beijing, China won first prize in the competition, which took place Tuesday, May 30, on the University's campus in Malibu, California. She impressed the judges with her musicianship, fine technique and presence playing pieces by Bach, Schumann, and Assad.
"This is my first visit to America and the best thing is that I have met so many great players here and we have become friends," said Meng. "I have been to many competitions and this is the best that I have ever attended."
The one-day event identified outstanding young guitarists born on or after January 1, 1988, and encouraged them to continue their performance careers and studies.
Mr. and Mrs. Lane Weitzman of Thousand Oaks and Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall of Los Angeles sponsored the 2006 Young Guitarist Competition.
The Finalists
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| Gonzalo Arias, 17 Chilean (San Estaban Town) |
Iren Arutunyan, 17 American (California) |
Tim Callobre, 13 American (California) |
Liying Zhu, 15 Chinese (Beijing) |
The competitors, which were narrowed to just eleven select guitarists from a pool of talented applicants worldwide, included five finalists: Meng Su, Gonzalo Arias, 17, San Esteban Town, Chile, Iren Arutunyan, 17, Los Angeles, CA (Armenian by birth), Tim Callobre, 13, Pasadena, CA, and Liying Zhu, 15, Beijing, China. Other competitors were: James Burdick, 17, Monrovia, CA, Arturo Castro, 18, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico (Mexican by birth), Joseph Jacks, 17, Norwalk, CA, Travis Johnson, 13, Milwaukie, OR, Julia Sinclair, 16, Madrid, NY, and Ariadne Smith, 17, San Jose, CA.
Judges for the Parkening Young Guitarist Competition were arranger/composer Patrick Russ, guitarist and University of Georgia faculty member John Sutherland, and record producer David Thomas.
Meng Su was born in Qingdao, in the Shangdong Province of China, in 1988. She began studying classical guitar in 1997 under the direction of Mr. Chenzi/Chanchi of the Central Conservatory of Music of China. Su began attending the high school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music of China in 2000.
In 2002, she won first prize in the 5th Vienna International Guitar Competition. Three years later, she garnered first prize in the 48th Tokyo International Guitar Competition.
Su has given solo performances in Austria, Germany, Britain, South Korea, and Japan. Since the time she began her guitar studies, she has received instruction from various guitar masters, including Eliot Fisk, Manuel Barrueco, Roland Dyens, Carol Domeniconi.
About the Parkening Young Guitarist Competition:
The 2006 Parkening Young Guitarist Competition honors classical guitarist Christopher Parkening's lifetime commitment to fostering musical excellence in young artists as demonstrated by his mentor, the great Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia. Parkening currently serves as Distinguished Professor of Music at Pepperdine University.
The Parkening Young Guitarist Competition is held every four years, as a part of the Parkening International Guitar Competition, which is held this year, May 31-June 2. The Parkening builds on the success of the Stotsenberg International Classical Guitar Competition, which was held previously at Pepperdine University in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003.
The Parkening Young Guitarist Competition is pleased to congratulate and announce the winner of the competition. First prize has been awarded to Meng Su.
Congratulations to Meng Su and to all the Young Guitarists.
