Christian Baldini Wins International Composition Contest, Other Honors
May 13, 2005
Christian Baldini, who graduated from Penn State in May with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting, recently won the Third Seoul International Composition for Composers, a creative global music competition for composers of all ages. In December, Baldini had been named one of the four finalists in the competition, selected from 90 entries from 27 different countries.
During the competition in March, Baldini and the other finalists gave a colloquium explaining their pieces before an audience of 100. The Ensemble Chronophonie from Freiburg (Germany) performed the finalists’ pieces in the prestigious Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, and after the concert the jury, which consisted of world-famous composers such as Nicolas Huber (Germany) and Jo Kondo (Japan), awarded the first prize to Baldini.
Baldini, a native of Argentina, recently received several other honors. He won the first prize in the Tribune of Music of Argentina (TRIMARG) Composition Competition with his piece “Nel mezzo,” inspired by the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Baldini wrote the piece in November 2004, and it was premiered in February 2005 during Baldini’s graduate conducting recital at Penn State. In addition, he received the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture Creative Achievement Award.
In April, Baldini was one of 12 participants selected from more than 100 to participate in a seminar at the Manhattan School of Music with the famous conductor Kurt Masur, former music director of the NewYork Philharmonic and the Gewandhaus of Leipzig and current music director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Masur himself selected the participants.
Baldini plans to pursue a doctoral degree or an artist diploma. He has been accepted with full scholarships to three of the top-ten conservatories in the United States: the Cleveland Institute of Music, Carnegie Mellon University and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.
Baldini, at the Kumho Art Hall, where the final concert of the competition took place. |
Baldini, at the Seoul Palace |
Baldini, conducting the Chiasmo Ensemble, which he founded, at the Esber Recital Hall on April 12, 2005. |
Contact: Kate Hoffman, kah39@psu.edu or 814.863.2104