<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4207.2601" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>It's amazing that there is a Van Cliburn competition in El Paso at the same time as the one being held in Fort Worth.  I'm sure the Fort Worth competitors would rather be in El Paso competing for the $250,000 rather than the $20,000 prize in Fort Worth.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>dave *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 6/1/01 at 9:35 AM Billbrpt@AOL.COM wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid">Prestigious International Van Cliburn Piano Competition Selects Classical Artists on MP3.com   Two American Pianists Chosen From Among Thousands   SAN DIEGO, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of pianists from all over the world recently auditioned for the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which will be held June 2-5 in El Paso, Texas.  Thirty piano aficionados were selected as finalists, including two Americans, both of whom can be heard on MP3.com (Nasdaq: <A href="aol://4785:MPPP">MPPP</A>).  To hear these virtuosos, visit Roger Wright at www.mp3.com/rogerwright and Andrew Russo at www.mp3.com/andrewrusso. Every four years, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition brings together young musicians from around the world to showcase their talents and compete for a wide variety of prizes, including cash awards and concert engagement bookings.  The competition lasts three weeks, with the winner receiving $250,000.  The competition is a living legacy to Van Cliburn, the renowned American classical pianist who won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, in 1958.  The event is a rigorous and comprehensive examination of every facet of the contestant's musicianship and technical proficiency. Roger Wright (www.mp3.com/rogerwright), one of two Americans selected to compete, is said by critics to be capable of unlocking the secrets of great romantic composers.  This Texas-born pianist made his public debut at the age of thirteen.  Since then, he has concertized extensively throughout North America, including an appearance at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in New York City. "I was astonished to find such a broad spectrum of musical works and artists on MP3.com, with so many distinguished and well-known performers," Wright said.  "What a great convenience it is to easily reach those artists who I'd love to play for personally, but cannot if they are in Peru or Hong Kong and I'm in Los Angeles or Sydney!  I look forward to seeing what other possibilities MP3.com has in store for classical music." Andrew Russo's talent is characterized as intense and original.  His chamber music collaborations have included the St. Lawrence, Ysaye and Blair string quartets, pianist Frederic Chiu, violinists James Ehnes and Akiko Suwanai, and cellist Felix Fan.  Russo is recording his debut CD, "Danse Russe," a selection of music written for and inspired by the famed Diaghilev dance company, Ballet Russo. "Andy Russo is a consummate professional," said John Bell Young, producer of "Danse Russe."  "Were it not for his preparing for the Van Cliburn Competition, Andy would certainly wax enthusiastic about MP3.com.  He was one of the first artists to recognize the enormous potential of MP3.com for classical music, and wasted no time in asking me to create his artist page. Andy has asked me to convey to MP3.com his appreciation for the exemplary service MP3.com provides artists like him worldwide." To view streaming video of Russo and Wright, visit www.mp3.com/johnbellyoung.  Russo and Wright are just two of 150,000-plus artists representing more than 180 countries who make their music available on MP3.com (www.mp3.com).   Artists who want to place music or audio recordings on MP3.com at no charge are encouraged to register at www.mp3.com/newartist. MP3.com is not affiliated or otherwise involved with the Van Cliburn Piano Competition. To receive MP3.com press releases via email or to unsubscribe from this service, visit pr.mp3.com. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content='"MSHTML 4.72.2106.6"' name=GENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: x-small"> <DIV> <HR> David M. Porritt</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:dporritt@swbell.net">dporritt@swbell.net</A></DIV> <DIV>Meadows School of the Arts</DIV> <DIV>Southern Methodist University</DIV> <DIV>Dallas, TX 75275</DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV></BODY></HTML>