<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=5><B>Prestigious International Van Cliburn Piano Competition Selects Classical
<BR>Artists on MP3.com
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<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></B>
<BR>Two American Pianists Chosen From Among Thousands
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<BR>SAN DIEGO, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of pianists from all over the
<BR>world recently auditioned for the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano
<BR>Competition, which will be held June 2-5 in El Paso, Texas. Thirty piano
<BR>aficionados were selected as finalists, including two Americans, both of whom
<BR>can be heard on MP3.com (Nasdaq: <A HREF="aol://4785:MPPP">MPPP</A>). To hear these virtuosos, visit Roger
<BR>Wright at www.mp3.com/rogerwright and Andrew Russo at
<BR>www.mp3.com/andrewrusso.
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<BR>Every four years, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition brings
<BR>together young musicians from around the world to showcase their talents and
<BR>compete for a wide variety of prizes, including cash awards and concert
<BR>engagement bookings. The competition lasts three weeks, with the winner
<BR>receiving $250,000. The competition is a living legacy to Van Cliburn, the
<BR>renowned American classical pianist who won the first International
<BR>Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, in 1958. The event is a rigorous and
<BR>comprehensive examination of every facet of the contestant's musicianship and
<BR>technical proficiency.
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<BR>Roger Wright (www.mp3.com/rogerwright), one of two Americans selected to
<BR>compete, is said by critics to be capable of unlocking the secrets of great
<BR>romantic composers. This Texas-born pianist made his public debut at the age
<BR>of thirteen. Since then, he has concertized extensively throughout North
<BR>America, including an appearance at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in New York
<BR>City.
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<BR>"I was astonished to find such a broad spectrum of musical works and artists
<BR>on MP3.com, with so many distinguished and well-known performers," Wright
<BR>said. "What a great convenience it is to easily reach those artists who I'd
<BR>love to play for personally, but cannot if they are in Peru or Hong Kong and
<BR>I'm in Los Angeles or Sydney! I look forward to seeing what other
<BR>possibilities MP3.com has in store for classical music."
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<BR>Andrew Russo's talent is characterized as intense and original. His chamber
<BR>music collaborations have included the St. Lawrence, Ysaye and Blair string
<BR>quartets, pianist Frederic Chiu, violinists James Ehnes and Akiko Suwanai,
<BR>and cellist Felix Fan. Russo is recording his debut CD, "Danse Russe," a
<BR>selection of music written for and inspired by the famed Diaghilev dance
<BR>company, Ballet Russo.
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<BR>"Andy Russo is a consummate professional," said John Bell Young, producer of
<BR>"Danse Russe." "Were it not for his preparing for the Van Cliburn
<BR>Competition, Andy would certainly wax enthusiastic about MP3.com. He was one
<BR>of the first artists to recognize the enormous potential of MP3.com for
<BR>classical music, and wasted no time in asking me to create his artist page.
<BR>Andy has asked me to convey to MP3.com his appreciation for the exemplary
<BR>service MP3.com provides artists like him worldwide."
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<BR>To view streaming video of Russo and Wright, visit www.mp3.com/johnbellyoung.
<BR> Russo and Wright are just two of 150,000-plus artists representing more than
<BR>180 countries who make their music available on MP3.com (www.mp3.com).
<BR>Artists who want to place music or audio recordings on MP3.com at no charge
<BR>are encouraged to register at www.mp3.com/newartist. MP3.com is not
<BR>affiliated or otherwise involved with the Van Cliburn Piano Competition.
<BR>
<BR>To receive MP3.com press releases via email or to unsubscribe from this
<BR>service, visit pr.mp3.com.
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<BR>Bill Bremmer RPT
<BR>Madison, Wisconsin</FONT></HTML>