Ophir Horovitz, Age 17
USA
Score: 93.93
Pianist Ophir Horovitz, age 17, is a high school senior from Los Altos, California and currently studies with Professor Hans Boepple of Santa Clara University. Previously he studied with Mrs. Tilly Tan.
Most recently, Ophir was selected to join the highly prestigious Young Artist Guild (YAG) of the Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC). During his 5 year tenure in the guild, he will be invited to perform semi-professional paid solo recitals for MTAC branches.
Ophir won the First Prize at the 2018 Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. He is also a First Prize winner of the 2017 San Jose International Piano Competition (Intermediate Category), where he was a recipient of two additional special prizes for Best Performance of a Beethoven Sonata and Best Bay Area Contestant, awarded across all age groups (up to 32 years). In 2016, Ophir received the Young Artists Pianists’ Prize (First Prize) at the Mondavi Center National Young Artists Competition.
He was recently named a 2018 YoungArts Winner in Classical Music, an honor only granted to about 10 percent of the annual applicant pool. He has also received top prizes in numerous local competitions, including Ross McKee (2017), Pacific Musical Society (2017), Young Pianists Beethoven (2017), MTAC Concerto/Solo (2015-2017), Sylvia M. Ghiglieri (2013 & 2016), US Open (2012-2016), and US New Star (2014 & 2015).
In Summer 2017 Ophir made his radio broadcast debut by giving a solo performance on NPR's ""From the Top"" with host Christopher O'Riley, which was broadcast nationwide (over 250 stations) in October 2017. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as a winner of the 2014 American Fine Arts Festival Piano Competition.
Ophir participated in the John Perry Academy Summer Festival (2017) and was selected to perform in the opening and closing concerts. He also participated in the Interlochen Piano Institute (2015) and University of the Pacific Senior Piano Camp (2014).
He has had masterclasses/coaching with over 20 artists/professors including John Perry, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Krzysztof Jablonski, Dmitry Rachmanov, Greg Anderson, and Sean Chen.
Ophir also plays chamber music, and is the pianist of the Bay Area based Epsilon Trio. The trio won First Prize at the 2018 Santa Cruz Baroque Festival Chamber Music Competition and Second Prize in the 2018 Enkor International Chamber Music Competition.
When he is not performing or competing, he likes to solve math problems, meet with friends and try new cuisines.
Prelude and Fugue in A minor from WTC Bk II BWV 889, J.S. Bach, 4:14
Sonata No. 2 in Bb minor Op. 36 (I. Allegro Agitato), Rachmaninoff, 7:49
Etude No. 13 ""L'escalier du Diable,"" Ligeti, 5:24
