Pianist Spencer Myer Named One of Five Finalists for American Pianists Association Fellowship Story by Michael Chipman Photo by Ramon Owens
			Spencer Myer, a senior from North Ridgeville, Ohio has been selected as one of five finalists for The American Pianists Association (APA) Classical Fellowship Awards. Two Fellows, to be selected at the end of the competition, will receive a $10,000 award and two years of engagements and management from the APA. Meyer was recommended by his teacher Peter Takács, professor of pianoforte, who said of Meyer's work, "When recently asked to nominate a young American pianist for the American Pianists' Association, I immediately thought of Spencer Myer. His musicality, pianistic facility, and natural communication to the audience seemed ideally suited to this 'non-competition,' which includes in its screening process formal concerts and informal meetings within the Indianapolis community, visits to local high schools, and sessions with grade-schoolers. I know Spencer will present himself with flying colors in this unusual context, and I wish him the best of luck." David Pocock, artistic director of the APA, officially notified Myer about the fellowship and provided logistical information. "He told me that on November 21st, I will play Gershwin's ' "I Got Rhythm" Variations' with the New World Symphony -- a regional high-school orchestra in Indianapolis," Meyer explained. "The director of the New World Symphony talked to David and said they needed a soloist for that piece and I was asked to play it. " During a week in January, Myer will perform a program of works by Scarlatti, Chopin, Prokofieff, and the Mozart piano concerto No. 9 in E-flat with the Indianapolis Symphony. It is a diverse program, but Myer is accustomed to playing in a variety of musical styles. "In a typical recital, you try to represent a wide variety of styles. I picked the piano pieces for my program and David agreed to my choice of the Mozart concerto." Also during that week Myer will experience community outreach in Indianapolis, visiting rest homes, high schools and retirement complexes where he will perform and offer workshops. "They are paying us professional fees for our work that week," says Myer, "which, along with the outreach activities helps to dispel the normal competition atmosphere." A final "festival" week is slated for April 9-15, 2000 when all five competitors will perform together. "There are three major events that week," says Myer. "First, we all play a solo recital and a piano quintet with the Blair String Quartet and I'll perform the Schumann piano quintet. The second event is called 'A Night at the Opera' where we will play opera transcriptions -- I'll probably play Liszt's 'Faust Waltz' based on Gounod's opera. The third event is a lieder concert where we each perform four or five lieder with singers." "All five finalists are already winners," says Myer "which is why David Pocock is involving us in so much throughout the year. As the youngest of the five finalists, I feel a bit intimidated by them. All of them have won prizes at the major competitions so I'm up against a very high level of competition. That is scary, but it will also be great to be around them and take in as much as I can."
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