When Barbara Muze, director of the Chopin Foundation of the United States, announced the intention of its founder, and president, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, to establish an endowment fund for the Frost Chopin Academy with a $100,000 gift, Kevin Kenner, director of the Academy, was overjoyed.
"This gesture was a completely unsolicited gift and one that demonstrates not only Lady Blanka's profuse generosity but her commitment to providing a permanent fixture in South Florida that will serve as a valuable resource for all young pianists to enrich their musicianship through a study of one of the greatest piano composers of all time, Fryderyk Chopin. This gift opens up new vistas and gives us ample latitude to expand our event into something of even greater international significance and visibility," says Kenner.
A significant talent, Kenner's artistry has been internationally recognized by several prestigious awards. These include the top prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the International Terrence Judd Award in London, and the third prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow.
Nothing gives Kenner more pleasure than guiding music students in discovering and realizing the powers that lie within them. Since he started teaching piano at the Frost School of Music in 2015, his students have pursued careers as performers, recording artists, and teachers, many gathering major prizes at prestigious piano competitions worldwide.
The Frost Chopin Academy's broad mission aligns masterfully with the mission of the Chopin Foundation to support young, talented American pianists and make classical music, and above all, the music of Chopin accessible to everyone.
"The relationship between the Chopin Foundation of the United States and the University of Miami goes back 50 years," says Muze. "In 1975, the first National Chopin Piano Competition took place in collaboration with the University of Miami, and it has happened every five years since."
The Chopin Foundation offers a national scholarship program open to young American pianists between the ages of 14 and 17. The program provides $20,000 in scholarships yearly. As part of the partnership with the Frost Chopin Academy, many of their full scholarship recipients are automatically accepted to attend the Frost Chopin Academy. The students must apply, of course, but they are guaranteed the first seats available at the Academy. Scholarship recipients can use their $1,000 scholarship for the Academy at the University of Miami or apply their award towards private lessons or other festivals.
Since 2018, many Chopin Foundation scholarship recipients have chosen to attend the Academy. Avery Gagliano, the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition winner, attended the Academy. Several other top prize winners at the Competition also attended the Chopin Academy and Festival and then went off to Warsaw to compete at the International Chopin Competition.
The first edition of the Frost Chopin Academy and Festival at the University of Miami was held in 2018 at Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. Open to pianists up to age 30, the week-long festival consists of lessons, workshops, and live concerts featuring leading artists and the world's most distinguished Chopin specialists. The pianists watch, learn, and perform in masterclasses during the day; at night, they perform at concerts for the public.
The Chopin Foundation's $100,000 gift is the first step in setting up this endowment, ensuring that young musicians will always be invited to enjoy the Chopin festival, learn from it, and develop their music careers.
"The foundation has now been laid, and $100,000 is a wonderful way to kickstart this endowment fund. Now we need to build on this accomplishment. It means that when our supporters wish to contribute to this cause, their gift will go further to our next goal of moving towards a permanent and fully funded event," concludes Kenner.
For those interested in supporting this endowment and ensuring that the festival will live on at the University of Miami, please visit Frost Chopin Academy.
