Yay, I've done it !!!

[rohansahai]

This is just awesome !!!!!!!!!!
I've been accepted to study with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music !! AND, they pay 60% of my tuition...I can't believe it, THRILLED !!

[bearzinthehood]

Congratulations 

[allthumbs]

Good for you, well done!!!!

[xhunterjx]

congratulations!

what was you audition program?

[rohansahai]

It is interesting since my program had most of the so-called 'DONTs' :
Bach: Prelude and fugue no. 2 Bk 1 (I think this was the piece which made the difference)
Beethoven: Sonata no. 21 in C "Waldstein" (They heard it till the end of the exposition)
Chopin: Ballade no. 1 (They heard the first 2 pages)
             Nocturne in E op. 62-2 (Entire first part)
              Etude op. 10#12 (they didn't ask for it)
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody no. 6 (They didn't have time to hear the octaves !  )
Rachmaninov: Prelude in G minor op. 23 no. 5 (Didn't ask for it)

Does anybody know whether or not these auditions are video/audio taped? Because, Sergei Babayan, my assigned (and preferred) teacher was not there at the audition, but still took me in!

[gruffalo]

Good job. Good luck with your studying.

[clef]

This is just awesome !!!!!!!!!!
I've been accepted to study with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music !! AND, they pay 60% of my tuition...I can't believe it, THRILLED !!

whats the catch... lol good luck

[invictus]

It is interesting since my program had most of the so-called 'DONTs' :
Bach: Prelude and fugue no. 2 Bk 1 (I think this was the piece which made the difference)
Beethoven: Sonata no. 21 in C "Waldstein" (They heard it till the end of the exposition)
Chopin: Ballade no. 1 (They heard the first 2 pages)
             Nocturne in E op. 62-2 (Entire first part)
              Etude op. 10#12 (they didn't ask for it)
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody no. 6 (They didn't have time to hear the octaves !  )
Rachmaninov: Prelude in G minor op. 23 no. 5 (Didn't ask for it)

Does anybody know whether or not these auditions are video/audio taped? Because, Sergei Babayan, my assigned (and preferred) teacher was not there at the audition, but still took me in!

Hehehe, you just played the easy bits of the song. Why not just get those immensely difficult songs and just playing the beginning and pray for good luck ^^

[douxtigress]

Wow... I live in Ohio, and I was hoping to audition to study with Sergei but my parents can't afford the tuition right now... they said I could save up to do it next year, but now I'm bummed because you say they pay 60% of tuition!!! ARGH. I'm jealous. 

BTW if you don't mind me asking, how old are you & what level you are at? Is it really really difficult to get in?

[rohansahai]

Wow... I live in Ohio, and I was hoping to audition to study with Sergei but my parents can't afford the tuition right now... they said I could save up to do it next year, but now I'm bummed because you say they pay 60% of tuition!!! ARGH. I'm jealous. 

BTW if you don't mind me asking, how old are you & what level you are at? Is it really really difficult to get in?

I just turned 19.
I think, that unlike in competitions, it helps if you can present a really unique and different style in your audition (assuming reasonably good technical accomplishment). Something which will make you stand out in front of the enormous number that audition. Slight blurs and blemishes (which, obviously will be there simply because of the 'aura' of the occasion) are forgiveable if your playing has that extra dimension of a very unique interpretation. Thats why I felt that I used these very hackneyed pieces to my advantage.
Remember that a teacher looks for somebody who can be TAUGHT to play very well (thats what they are there for!), rather than somebody who does not have much scope for improvement left.
As for the tuition fee ...well, I couldn't even dream of affording it ... but I took a chance, hoping that I will get a scholarship. Thankfully I did!
Good luck for next year!
(Btw, I still don't know how Babayan accepted me ..I am SURE he was not there at the audition! Is it possible for a teacher to accept a student based on somebody else's assessment or are these auditions recorded?)

[prometheus]

Didn't you live in India?

Grats and succes.

[henrah]

You lucky, lucky guy.


I want to you see your name on a recital programme at Carnegie Hall. Go for it!!

Good luck; and post some recordings here, it would be great to here them!
Henrah

[rohansahai]

Didn't you live in India?

Grats and succes.

Yes ... I am in India. Not many pianists around here (I am the only one in my city), so it was a really tough decision to make.

[prometheus]

Sorry, lost track of this topic.

Well, if you are the only pianist in your city and you are going to travel to the other side of the world to study piano, that's pretty cool, and uuh... drastic.

[gyzzzmo]

Congratulations and good luck with your studies.

[crazy for ivan moravec]

congratulations!

[jason2711]

Nice one!  Good to see a risky (at least, it seems like that... playing hackneyed pieces, and then playing them differently from the norm may annoy music professionals a lot, unless you do it just right... well done!)  strategy paid off.  Good luck with your career!

[supertonic]

Yes ... I am in India. Not many pianists around here (I am the only one in my city), so it was a really tough decision to make.

Good for you! But no more pianist in you city after you left! They should miss you!