The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition began in 1974 at the initiative of Jan Jacob Bistritzky, whose aim was to unite the name and the artistic legacy of Arthur Rubinstein with the cultural life of Israel. Conceived in the spirit of this legendary pianist and launched with his blessing, this triennial event in Tel Aviv is committed to attaining standards of the highest order and is a respected international forum for presenting talented, aspiring young pianists and fostering their careers. The Arthur Rubinstein Award and other prizes are given to young pianists whose skills reveal outstanding musicianship as well as the ability to render versatile, artistically superior interpretations of works ranging from the pre-classical to the contemporary. Since its inception, the Competition has commissioned 19 works by Israeli composers. Previous notable first prize winners of the Competition include Emanuel Ax (who won during its inaugural year), Jeffrey Kahane, Kirill Gerstein and Daniil Trifonov. The 15th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition took place from April 25 - May 11, 2017.

Winner of The 15th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, pianist Szymon  Nehring, gives his New York recital debut at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall with an intriguing program of works by Beethoven, Szymanowski and Chopin, presented by the American Friends of the Arthur Rubinstein International Music Society.  The winner was also awarded Best Performer of a Chopin Piece and Junior Jury Prizes.

Considered one of the most gifted and promising pianists of the younger generation in Poland with “an exquisite sense of style and powerful, practically flawless technical command” (Buenos Aires Herald), Szymon Nehring attracted international attention after his remarkable performances at the 17th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, which led to a series of concert engagements in Poland and abroad. A recipient of scholarships from Krystian Zimerman, National Children’s Fund, the ‘Sapere Auso’ Małopolska Scholarship Foundation, the Pro Musica Bona Foundation, and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, he toured with the Santander Orchestra in 2015, playing Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E Minor at Poland’s prestigious concert halls in Lusławice, Wrocław, Katowice, Warsaw and Szczecin, and appeared in concerts in Russia, Estonia, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Norway, Italy, and Canada.

His recent achievements include First Prize and six Special Prizes at the Halina Czerny-Stefańska in Memoriam International Piano Competition in Poznań, First Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein in Memoriam Competition in Bydgoszcz, as well as the Audience Prize and special awards for outstanding artistic creation and for his contribution to Polish music at the 17th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition.  Highlights of his upcoming season include performances in Paris, Nancy, Olso, Bukarest, Strasbourg, the United States, South America and throughout Poland.  His debut recording, Chopin, Szymanowski, Mykietyn, received the 2016 “Supersonic Pizzicato” Award from the Pizzicato Magazine.

Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 7 PM
Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall

BEETHOVEN Sonata Op. 57 "Appassionata"
SZYMANOWSKI Mazurkas Op. 50 No. 3 & 4
                               Variations Op. 3
CHOPIN Sonata No. 2 Op. 3