Pianist | Semifinals Begin At Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

After Madalyn Bingham Taylor's youngest son was killed in a freak accident at his family's tire shop Utah 12 years ago, could barely make it to play her beloved piano, and only then would run fingers on the keyboard while sitting in the dark.But she decided not to give up music because he wanted to see his family that "no matter how hard things get, just keep trying. You must keep the light in your life."

Now Taylor is among 25 semifinalists for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Amateurs Sixth, a prestigious competition held every four years to 35 years or older who earn their living teaching or playing the piano, although there are many training Classic. Some 70 pianists from 10 countries began competing in Fort Worth this week, and prizes will be awarded Sunday night, after the six finalists perform.

Taylor, 61, who was to perform Friday night, he taught piano lessons part-time while raising six children and help run the tire industry. The confident woman and her husband, who recently celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary, having fought the youngest son's death, 'but he wanted to do something positive.

So, Taylor has started taking weekly piano lessons to hone his talent, driving an hour each way from his home in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah, and won second place in both competitions several years ago. The first time competitor Cliburn laughs when recalling that she didn 't even said to his piano students, or most of the parents about the contest until just before she flew to Texas, because it feels so uncomfortable in the spotlight.
"I 'm glad to have this (music) for me, and I' m not trying to start a career, but I also wanted an example for my children that you should keep pushing to the next level, no matter how old you get "he said. "There are too many things that you feel alive when you walk on that stage. ... But if I had my way, I 'd go on stage with the curtains closed."

Dominic Piers Smith, another semifinalist who made Friday, he designed racing cars as a team leader for aerodynamics Petronas GP Mercedes Formula One Team. A couple of cars he helped design won the Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.
Smith, 35, of Oxford, England, took piano lessons as a child but stopped when he decided to pursue a career in music instead of engineering. But after a hiatus of 10 years, he realized he missed the piano and began taking lessons again a few years ago - that led to winning a 2007 competition in London and playing with different orchestras.

"To me, that is on public disclosure," he said. "I want to remove them. Your personality is to capture the audience. It must be technically perfect, but we need to involve the public, because without them did not need music."Smith has produced a CD of his classical music on his own, that does not make them ineligible for the Cliburn amateur competition.

"I play music in any way there to share with the people," he said. "I'll Never Say I don 't consider a change of career because the music is an important part of me. But if you have to do 12 hours of practice before each performance, is mechanical, and I don' t want to do. In Right now I like all the rest of my work as Formula One and show. "

The event is an offshoot of the famous Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, held every four years, the pianist's home city 'of Fort Worth, the most recent in 2009. Cliburn is not a judge in any competition, but this price. The famous pianist found fame after winning the first Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow in 1958.