L.A. pianist wins Iturbi contest
Rufus Choi, 30, a Julliard School graduate from Los Angeles, won the piano competition, and Philadelphia soprano Karen Slack, 31, took vocal honors at the inaugural Jose Iturbi International Music Competition, a weeklong classical event at UCLA that borrowed a bit from “American Idol.”
Choi and Slack each took home $50,000 from the event, which featured pianists and singers from 14 countries. The competition (named for the renowned pianist whose career included appearances in 1940s MGM musicals) invites the public to attend for free and vote for favorites, giving $10,000 to the people’s choices, in addition to the money given based on the opinion of the official judges.
Choi won both the audience and judge awards; singer David Lomeli of Mexico came in second with judges but won the audience vote.
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