17-Year Old French Pianist Wins First Prize at 2015 International Keyboard Institute and Festival Competition

New York City, August 10, 2015 (Newswire.com) - After a four-day rigorous competition, 17-year old French pianist Marie-Ange Nguci outplayed 35 international candidates for the top prize in the XVI Dorothy MacKenzie Artist Recognition Scholarship Awards at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival (IKIF). Nguci’s artistry, originality, and technical mastery captivated the audience and left the jury convinced.

Students participating in IKIF’s two-week program are eligible to compete for up to $10,000 in the Dorothy MacKenzie Artist Recognition Scholarship Awards. The remaining finalists included Aleksandra Kasman (USA/Russia) who tied with Marie-Ange for first prize, Salome Jordania (Georgia), and Christopher Richardson (USA).

A crucial part of this mission is helping the next generation of French pianists realize career opportunities in the USA through participation in festivals like IKIF.

Mathieu Petitjean, Founder of French-American Piano Society

“French-American Piano Society congratulates Marie-Ange Nguci on her remarkable win at the XVI International Keyboard Institute and Festival’s MacKenzie Competition and we are honored to have played a part in this impressive accomplishment,” states Mathieu Petitjean, Founder of French-American Piano Society. “We are deeply committed to promoting cultural exchange, education, and networking between France and the United States through French pianists and music. A crucial part of this mission is helping the next generation of French pianists realize career opportunities in the USA through participation in festivals like IKIF.”

This year, the French-American Piano Society also awarded three scholarship grants to Olof Hansen and Audrey Lonca-Alberto from the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and to Tanguy de Williencourt from the Paris Conservatoire who placed in the semi-finals of the competition. These grants, which include a round-trip flight from Paris, accommodations, and festival tuition, were made possible by the generous support of Air France, Steinway & Sons, Crédit Agricole, NJ Cure, JCDecaux, Sotheby’s, Sofitel, Logfret, MedNest, Metrowine and numerous individual patrons.

Nguci is currently enrolled in the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris where she received her Master’s degree in Piano Performance and is now pursuing her Artist Diploma. Eclectic and endlessly curious, she is preparing a recording of works by French composers of different historical periods and styles Camille Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Fauré, and Olivier Messiaen.

Additional information about the International Keyboard Institute and Festival can be found at www.ikif.org.

About French-American Piano Society

French-American Piano Society is a non-profit organization designed to promote cultural exchange, education, and networking between France and the United States through French pianists and music. Since 2014, the Society has awarded seven scholarship grants to French piano students for participation in U.S.-based festivals and competitions. For more information or to donate, please visit www.french-american-piano.org.

Press Contact:

Elizabeth Olson

French-American Piano Society

elizabeth.olson@french-american-piano.org