Jon Nakamatsu

Ever since "The Competition," that movie about rival pianists scrambling for the gold, an image of the contender as pampered royalty has rooted itself in the public imagination. But when Jon Nakamatsu took first prize at the 1997 Van Cliburn Competition it was Rocky all over again.

As this album suggests, Lukas Foss has been liberally helping himself from the smorgasbord of 20th century styles since the '30s. Conceived by the 17-year-old Foss for clarinet and rewritten for piano at the age of 21, the Piano Concerto No. 1 (1943) is a formidable piece for a kid, with the Teutonic hand of his teacher Hindemith apparent everywhere, along with a dash of Bartok in the third movement.

All three medalists in the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be soloists in the Pacific Symphony's 11th summer season at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the orchestra announced Tuesday. Bronze-medal winner Aviram Reichert, will play Mozart's Piano concerto No. 23 on July 25. Silver-medal winner Yakov Kasman will play Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto on Aug. 8. And gold medal-winner Jon Nakamatsu will play Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto on Sept. 12.

Brilliant, poetic, heroic and spontaneous, Nakamatsu's Chopin album establishes the emotional opposite of the clean, accurate and faceless Romantic playing of recent decades. The 1997 Van Cliburn International Competition winner creates real heat that illuminates as it consumes the composer's musical poetry; genuine tears are the appropriate response to the young pianist's rediscoveries of familiar territory. And the little-known, seldom-heard Opus 13 glitters, touches and inspires.

Brilliant, poetic, heroic and spontaneous, Nakamatsu's Chopin album establishes the emotional opposite of the clean, accurate and faceless Romantic playing of recent decades. The 1997 Van Cliburn International Competition winner creates real heat that illuminates as it consumes the composer's musical poetry; genuine tears are the appropriate response to the young pianist's rediscoveries of familiar territory. And the little-known, seldom-heard Opus 13 glitters, touches and inspires.

The star-driven mainstream classical music business needs new heroes, particularly American ones. So the attention paid to Jon Nakamatsu, winner of the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, is understandable. When he won the quadrennial competition last summer, presenters in this country increased the engagements for the gold medalist's first season by almost 50%.

A certain incredulity struck when Jon Nakamatsu was named the gold medalist at the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth in June. Such a reaction made sense, given the Cliburn's long history--at least in the last 20 years--of choosing a talented but faceless, accomplished but half-baked top winner.

Jon Nakamatsu, 28, winner of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Look for: His first local appearance since the spring victory, Oct. 11 at El Camino College. Why he matters: We knew him when. Or at least we thought we did, or were supposed to have known him.

With separate concerts planned to feature each of the three medal winners of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and with gold medalist Jon Nakamatsu saved for last, excitement was high as the victor strode onto the stage at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on Saturday night. His vehicle was Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, famous for its power, its passion, its fistfuls of notes. And if one listened carefully, one might just have heard all that too.

On June 8, California-born Jon Nakamatsu, 28, took first prize and the gold medal in the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition held every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. The win meant that the Sunnyvale pianist could give up his day job, teaching high school German.

With separate concerts planned to feature each of the three medal winners of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and with gold medalist Jon Nakamatsu saved for last, excitement was high as the victor strode onto the stage at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on Saturday night. His vehicle was Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, famous for its power, its passion, its fistfuls of notes. And if one listened carefully, one might just have heard all that too.

Ever since "The Competition," that movie about rival pianists scrambling for the gold, an image of the contender as pampered royalty has rooted itself in the public imagination. But when Jon Nakamatsu took first prize at the 1997 Van Cliburn Competition it was Rocky all over again.

Establishing identity and name recognition can be difficult for a young ensemble in the crowded world of the string quartet. That has not been much of a problem, however, for the Brentano String Quartet, which is already well-launched on the chamber music fast track.

All three medalists in the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will be soloists in the Pacific Symphony's 11th summer season at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the orchestra announced Tuesday. Bronze-medal winner Aviram Reichert, will play Mozart's Piano concerto No. 23 on July 25. Silver-medal winner Yakov Kasman will play Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto on Aug. 8. And gold medal-winner Jon Nakamatsu will play Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto on Sept. 12.

A certain incredulity struck when Jon Nakamatsu was named the gold medalist at the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth in June. Such a reaction made sense, given the Cliburn's long history--at least in the last 20 years--of choosing a talented but faceless, accomplished but half-baked top winner.

The star-driven mainstream classical music business needs new heroes, particularly American ones. So the attention paid to Jon Nakamatsu, winner of the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, is understandable. When he won the quadrennial competition last summer, presenters in this country increased the engagements for the gold medalist's first season by almost 50%.

Establishing identity and name recognition can be difficult for a young ensemble in the crowded world of the string quartet. That has not been much of a problem, however, for the Brentano String Quartet, which is already well-launched on the chamber music fast track.

As this album suggests, Lukas Foss has been liberally helping himself from the smorgasbord of 20th century styles since the '30s. Conceived by the 17-year-old Foss for clarinet and rewritten for piano at the age of 21, the Piano Concerto No. 1 (1943) is a formidable piece for a kid, with the Teutonic hand of his teacher Hindemith apparent everywhere, along with a dash of Bartok in the third movement.

Jon Nakamatsu, 28, winner of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Look for: His first local appearance since the spring victory, Oct. 11 at El Camino College. Why he matters: We knew him when. Or at least we thought we did, or were supposed to have known him.

On June 8, California-born Jon Nakamatsu, 28, took first prize and the gold medal in the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition held every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. The win meant that the Sunnyvale pianist could give up his day job, teaching high school German.