Chopin Foundation Grants Frost Chopin Academy $100,000 Endowment Fund
By Maritza Cosano m.cosano@miami.edu
Published 07-03-2023
When Barbara Muze, director of the Chopin Foundation of the United States, announced the intention of its founder, and president, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, to establish an endowment fund for the Frost Chopin Academy with a $100,000 gift, Kevin Kenner, director of the Academy, was overjoyed.
"This gesture was a completely unsolicited gift and one that demonstrates not only Lady Blanka's profuse generosity but her commitment to providing a permanent fixture in South Florida that will serve as a valuable resource for all young pianists to enrich their musicianship through a study of one of the greatest piano composers of all time, Fryderyk Chopin. This gift opens up new vistas and gives us ample latitude to expand our event into something of even greater international significance and visibility," says Kenner.
A significant talent, Kenner's artistry has been internationally recognized by several prestigious awards. These include the top prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the International Terrence Judd Award in London, and the third prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow.
Nothing gives Kenner more pleasure than guiding music students in discovering and realizing the powers that lie within them. Since he started teaching piano at the Frost School of Music in 2015, his students have pursued careers as performers, recording artists, and teachers, many gathering major prizes at prestigious piano competitions worldwide.
The Frost Chopin Academy's broad mission aligns masterfully with the mission of the Chopin Foundation to support young, talented American pianists and make classical music, and above all, the music of Chopin accessible to everyone.
"The relationship between the Chopin Foundation of the United States and the University of Miami goes back 50 years," says Muze. "In 1975, the first National Chopin Piano Competition took place in collaboration with the University of Miami, and it has happened every five years since."
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