Contestant brief: Greg Kostraba

May 8, 2008, Toledo, Ohio - Greg Kostraba, classical music director at WGTE-FM (91.3) can be seen on YouTube until May 15, competing in the Van Cliburn Amateur YouTube Competition. One of 42 performers selected for this contest, Kostraba, who also performs and leads a chamber music group locally, is playing Robert Muczynski’s “Desperate Measures,” a light-hearted yet challenging set of variations on a theme by Paganini. His performance is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJCban6asWg.

Cliburn Foundation YouTube contest

March 16, 2008 - FORT WORTH, Texas – The Van Cliburn Foundation will host its first Cliburn YouTube Contest this spring.

To enter, eligible amateur pianists should submit a five- to 10-minute performance video to be judged by online viewers. Winner of the Cliburn YouTube Contest will be entered in the next International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, to be held in summer 2011. The application fee will be waived.

Piano contest seeks participants, voters

by Tom Strini, Staff

March 12, 2008- The Van Cliburn Foundation will host a YouTube video piano competition for amateurs, to be judged by online viewers.

The contest is open to any classical pianist who does not derive a significant portion of his or her income from performance, composition and/or piano instruction and is at least 35 years old.

YouTube will be stage for a Cliburn contest

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March 20–FORT WORTH — Move over, Numa Numa guy. Take a break, Filipino inmates busting out Thriller moves. YouTube isn’t just for pop-culture wackiness anymore.

The Van Cliburn Foundation has launched the Cliburn YouTube Contest, part of a search for entrants for its next International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, to be held in 2011. Amateur pianists over age 35 may upload a video of themselves playing a classical composition — jazz, pop or other styles are disqualifiers — to www.youtube.com/vancliburnfoundation by April 30. On May 1, viewers can look at the videos and vote for their favorite pianist. The winner, whose name will be announced May 30, will be invited to compete in the 2011 competition in Fort Worth.