KU News Release

KU student wins top piano prize in 2009 Naftzger Young Artist competition

LAWRENCE — For the third year in a row, a University of Kansas student has taken the top prize in the piano division at the annual Naftzger Young Artists Auditions and Music Awards competition, held April 24 and 25 at Wichita State University.

Joshua Charles, a junior from Moscow, Idaho, performed Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30,” Mozart’s “Piano Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K. 330” and Stravinsky’s piano transcription of his ballet “Petrouchka.”

“I am proud of the accomplishments of Josh and KU pianists in general,” said Steven Spooner, assistant professor of piano. “This is the third year in a row a KU pianist has won the piano division — last year, every finalist in piano was a KU student. This is just the beginning for Josh and I’m confident he will go on to do great things.”

Previously, Charles won top prizes in the KU Concerto Competition and the Poland Summer Music Festival International Piano Competition. He won second prize in the Divisional Finals of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition.

“I’m so happy that I could represent KU’s Department of Music and Dance and especially the piano division in a positive way, showcasing the exciting things happening here,” said Charles.

Charles is majoring in piano and history and is the son of Don and Michelle Charles. He is a graduate of Rocklin (Calif.) High School.

Additionally, KU sophomore Ga Eun Kim of Seoul, South Korea, advanced to the finals of the strings division. She is majoring in violin and is a graduate of Seoul Arts High School.

Numerous KU graduates have taken home prizes from the Naftzger competition. Angela Solomon of Kansas City, Mo., won top prize in the 2007 voice division. Kent Queener of Troy, Idaho, won the top piano prize as a senior in 2008 and is pursuing a master’s degree in music at KU. The piano division and overall Naftzger winner in 2008 was KU student James Cockman III of Pleasant Hill, Mo.

The Naftzger competition is open to residents of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma or nonresidents who are enrolled in a college, university or conservatory in one of those three states.

The annual competition, which awards $11,000 in cash prizes, is sponsored by the Naftzger Fund for the Arts and administered by the Wichita Symphony Society Inc.

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